Renovating a kitchen can often be a bit daunting, especially when you see the prices. In France, the average cost of a fitted kitchen ranges from 2,000 to 10,000 euros, with an average around 9,400 euros including installation, and some projects can go much higher. However, it is entirely possible to indulge in a custom kitchen without blowing your budget, provided you make the right choices from the start. Here are 10 concrete ideas to combine style and modest budget, by playing with materials, layout, and a few renovation tricks. The goal is not to have the most expensive kitchen in the catalogue, but a pleasant living space, well thought out and durable.
1 - Clarify your budget and priorities
Before diving in, it's useful to sit down and define an overall budget. Studies show that a mid-range fitted kitchen often costs between 4,000 and 12,000 euros, installation included, depending on the size of the room and the quality of the furniture.
**The first saving, therefore, consists of choosing your priorities** rather than wanting everything to be top-notch.
For example, ask yourself:
- Is the worktop more important than the decorative backsplash?
- Do I need all built-in appliances or just the essentials?
- Should I prioritize the sturdiness of the cabinets or the very trendy aspect of the fronts?
By listing in black and white what matters most to you, you can adjust the budget where it really makes a difference, and agree to cut back in other areas. **A successful kitchen is not necessarily the most expensive; it's the one that fits your lifestyle.**
2 - Keep the cabinets and change only the visible parts.
If your old kitchen is still sturdy, it's not always necessary to replace everything. An increasingly popular solution is to keep the existing cabinets and only change the fronts and sometimes the countertops. At an equivalent quality, maintaining the structure and only renewing the doors can reduce the cost by 40 to 60% compared to a complete new kitchen.
It's a great option for updating a dated kitchen while keeping the budget in check. You can take the opportunity to modernize the style, choose matte fronts, a wood effect, or a more current color. A simple harmony between fronts, handles, and backsplash is often enough to give the impression of a totally new kitchen.
Many manufacturers now offer custom kitchen solutions that play on these customizable elements, in order to tailor the project to your space and financial means rather than the other way around.
3 - Invest in a smart work plan
The worktop visually structures the kitchen, and its price can vary greatly depending on the material. Quartz or natural stone are very aesthetic but remain expensive, while laminate countertops have made significant progress in terms of resistance, textures, and imitations of wood, concrete, or marble.
To reconcile style and budget, for example, you can:
- Choose a good quality laminate with a nice wood or mineral decor
- Use a more noble material on a small area, such as an island or a snack corner
- Limit the depth or length of the worktop where it is not necessary
A well-chosen worktop immediately gives the impression of a high-end kitchen, even if the overall budget remains reasonable.
4 - Play with facades and handles
Fronts and handles are an ideal playground for creating style without breaking the bank. Current trends lean towards matte finishes, natural wood effects, terracotta or deep green hues, often paired with black metal, brass, or brushed stainless steel handles.
For a small budget, you can:
- Choose simple and clear fronts, which are easier to produce and therefore less expensive
- Invest in beautiful handles that can completely change the style at a limited cost
- Mix two colors of fronts, for example, wood on the bottom and light-colored upper cabinets
Changing just the handles on an existing kitchen already makes a significant difference, especially if you switch from a classic to a more contemporary or industrial vibe.
5 - Choose a reasonable but reliable appliance
In a kitchen, appliances can represent a significant portion of the budget. It's not about choosing the most sophisticated oven in the catalog, but rather devices that suit your actual needs. **For a custom kitchen on a budget, the idea is to aim for the right quality-price ratio**.
Here are some tips for saving without regret:
- A convection oven with a few truly useful functions rather than an ultra-connected model
- A reliable cooktop, even without all the high-end options
- A freestanding dishwasher, sometimes less expensive than a built-in model, depending on the desired effect
You can also spread out certain purchases over time, such as keeping a refrigerator that is still in good condition and planning its replacement later. Here again, it's better to **invest money where you actually cook, rather than in gadgets that will be seldom used**.
6 - Working with light to enhance the kitchen.
We tend to overlook it, but lighting plays a huge role in the final outcome. A good kitchen lighting typically combines general light, task lighting on the countertop, and ambient lighting under the cabinets or in niches.
Good news, improving the lighting often costs less than changing the furniture:
- LED strips under the upper cabinets to illuminate the countertop
- Small LED strip in an open niche to highlight the decor
- Simple pendants above an island or dining area
By playing with the color temperature and a few well-placed light points, you can transform the kitchen's atmosphere and give it a much warmer look.
Dare to use color and trendy materials... without breaking the bank.
Kitchen trends highlight warm colors such as terracotta, soft browns, and certain deep greens, often paired with raw or natural materials. One can follow these trends without necessarily investing in the most expensive materials.
Some easy ideas to implement include:
- Painting a section of the wall or the backsplash with a trendy color
- Adding raw wood shelves with pretty jars and aromatic plants
- Choosing a backsplash that imitates cement tiles or zellige in an adhesive or laminated version
It's often these details that give style to the kitchen, even if the furniture remains relatively simple.
Optimize every inch of storage
A custom kitchen is not just about the dimensions of the furniture. It's also the art of optimizing every nook and cranny. Sliding drawers, well-equipped corner cabinets, storage columns... the more functional the kitchen is, the less you'll need to add furniture or carts later on.
To gain storage without enlarging the room, for example, you can:
- Utilize the full height with tall cabinets up to the ceiling
- Install lazy Susans in corner cabinets
- Add wall rails, hooks, or small shelves above the worktop
Good layout and well-thought-out storage allow for a reasonably sized kitchen, thus a better-controlled budget.
9 - Think modularity and scalability
Kitchen projects often evolve with family life. It can be wise to establish a strong foundation today, knowing that you can add certain elements later. The idea is to build a custom kitchen that can evolve without having to redo everything.
Some examples:
- Plan for the necessary electrical outlets and connections now, even if you don't immediately install the island or the planned small appliances.
- Leave a free niche to later accommodate a built-in microwave oven.
- Opt for modular furniture that can be easily reorganized.
This approach allows for spreading out expenses over time, while maintaining a consistent style.
Do part of the project yourself
Finally, a significant lever to reconcile style and budget is the portion of work you are willing to do yourself. Studies show that the total cost of a kitchen renovation varies greatly depending on labor, with prices ranging from 250 euros to over 950 euros per square meter depending on the project's scope.
Without taking on everything, you can, for example:
- Remove the old kitchen
- Paint the walls and possibly the fronts if you're considering a makeover
- Assemble some simple furniture or install shelves
Every hour of labor saved can be reinvested in a better countertop, a nice sink, or higher quality lighting. The key is to remain realistic about your skills and to entrust sensitive technical tasks to a professional.
Nota bene
Even with a small budget, it's better to avoid savings that could cause long-term problems. Areas such as electricity, plumbing, or the installation of wall cabinets require real expertise. If you are unsure, do not hesitate to seek advice from a professional or to have these parts of the project carried out by a company. A well-installed custom kitchen will be safer and more durable, which is also a form of saving.
In summary
The kitchen remains one of the French's favorite rooms, and the intention to purchase fitted kitchens continues to grow. However, this does not mean that one should spend recklessly. By defining your priorities, keeping what can be kept, choosing smart materials, and paying attention to details, you can create a custom kitchen that is practical, welcoming, and suited to your budget.
True luxury, in the end, is a kitchen where you feel good, where everything is in its place, and where you enjoy cooking on a daily basis.