Kitchen makeover on a small budget: 3 options

Want to renovate your kitchen on a small budget? A new kitchen easily costs thousands of euros, but the cabinets themselves are often still fine. With new handles, interior foil or a combination of the two, you give your kitchen a new look for a fraction of that. Below you'll read what each option costs and what it delivers.

Short answer

The cheapest makeover is new kitchen handles: from €3.99 each, so around €60 to €140 for an average kitchen with 15 to 20 fronts.

Want different fronts too? Wrap them yourself with interior foil (€44 to €49 per 122 × 100 cm sheet) or have them wrapped from €799 including materials, fitting and VAT. Example: wrapping a small kitchen yourself with 8 sheets of wood effect, a starter kit and 10 new handles costs about €450 to €480.

What does a kitchen makeover cost?

Three ways to refresh your kitchen
Option	What does it cost?
New handles only	€60 to €140 for 15 to 20 handles
Wrap it yourself + handles	About €450 to €700 for a small to average kitchen
Have it wrapped	From €799, including materials, fitting and VAT

The amounts for wrapping it yourself are a worked example. What you actually need depends on the number and size of your fronts.

Option 1: new kitchen handles only

This is the quickest and cheapest update. You unscrew the old handles and fit the new ones. If you choose the same centre-to-centre size, you don't need to drill. An afternoon's work, and your kitchen immediately looks different. Matt black handles such as the Athene black and the Antwerp black start at €3.99 each.

Option 2: wrap it yourself with interior foil

Are your fronts discoloured, damaged or simply dated? Give them a new colour or texture with interior foil. The foil is self-adhesive and has air channels, so you can apply it without air bubbles. First read which interior foil suits your kitchen.

Worked example: small kitchen

6 doors and 4 drawers
8 sheets of wood effect × €49 = €392
Wrapping starter kit: €19
10 handles: €40 to €70
Total: about €450 to €480

Where's the difference?

Plain foil is €5 per sheet cheaper
Large doors take one sheet per front
Two small drawer fronts fit on one sheet
Ordering too tight: get 1 extra sheet

Option 3: have your kitchen wrapped

No time or desire to wrap it yourself? Have it done by an affiliated wrapping company near you, from €799 including materials, fitting and VAT. You choose the foil and the handles to go with it. Read more on have your kitchen wrapped or in kitchen wrapping: what does it cost.

How to refresh your kitchen in a weekend

Step 1: Count and measure your fronts

Note the width and height of each door and drawer, and measure the centre-to-centre size of your current handles.

Step 2: Choose your budget and option

Handles only, wrap it yourself or have it wrapped: choose what fits your budget and time.

Step 3: Order foil and handles together

Foil is cut to size and usually arrives within 3 to 5 working days, so order everything in one go.

Step 4: Take off the fronts and degrease them

Wrapping is easiest with the doors lying flat on a table. Degrease them well and let them dry.

Step 5: Wrap, fit and done

Apply the foil, trim it neatly and fit the new handles. Hang the fronts back up.

Tip: can't reuse the old holes? Fill them with wood filler, sand smooth and then wrap. Only drill the new holes after wrapping. Also read where to place the handles.