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Spruce up your old kitchen: Tips for a new shine

Want to give your kitchen a fresh look without completely remodeling or replacing everything? Good news: It's possible!

Even small changes on a small budget can have a big impact. Whether you want to give your kitchen a more modern touch or emphasize its traditional charm, optimize storage space, or create a completely different atmosphere with new lighting, all of this can make it feel like you're standing in a completely new kitchen. 

Replacing knobs & handles

Want to quickly and easily transform your kitchen? Start with the handles! At IKEA, you'll find a wide selection of sizes, shapes, and colors—so your kitchen can have exactly the style that suits you.

Tips

  • Pay attention to the thickness of your fronts and the dimensions of the handles to ensure everything fits together well. Information on hole spacing and diameter can be found directly on the product.
  • Consider what material you want your new handles to be made of – wood looks great, but requires a bit more maintenance than metal or plastic.
  • Match the color or style of your handles to another element in your kitchen—for example, the faucet or your decor.
  • Still unsure which style suits you? Use our 3D kitchen planner to recreate a kitchen like yours and try out different handle options.
White kitchen cabinet with gold faucet

Install shelves

If you're lucky enough to have a free wall in your kitchen, make use of it! Wall shelves not only create additional storage space, but also bring life to the wall—perfect for spices, beautiful storage jars, or decorative elements. 

Tips

  • Choose a shelf that matches the style of your kitchen – in color, material (including ease of maintenance) and design, whether modern or traditional.
  • Make sure you use a secure mounting that matches the type of wall in your kitchen – especially important if you want to put a lot of weight on the shelf.
  • Keep an eye on the load capacity and avoid placing heavy appliances such as small kitchen appliances on it.
  • Depending on the placement, you should also consider the maintenance effort: near the hob, for example, a stainless steel shelf is particularly practical and easy to clean.
Hanging kitchen accessories

Use a kitchen island or serving trolley

A kitchen island offers additional storage and a larger work surface—perfect if you have plenty of space. If you just need more storage or your kitchen is rather compact, a serving cart is the ideal solution. 

Tips

  • If space allows, opt for a kitchen island—it creates an open atmosphere and quickly becomes a gathering place for family and friends. Already have an IKEA kitchen? Use our 3D kitchen planner to design an island that perfectly complements it - or schedule a planning session with our experts.
  • If you have an island or a wooden serving cart, you can also add wall organisers – ideal for kitchen utensils or tea towels.
  • Many serving carts offer a foldable work surface - practical if you want to remain flexible. And thanks to casters, they can be easily moved - for more freedom in your kitchen.
Wooden kitchen trolley with accessories

Drawer organization

No more chaos in the cutlery drawer! Discover our tips for more order in your everyday kitchen.

Tips

  • With the METOD system, you can easily install additional drawers or customize your base cabinets to suit your needs.
  • Half shelves in your upper cabinets help you stack glasses and plates in a space-saving manner – so you can make optimal use of the storage space.
  • Drawer dividers bring order to your cutlery and kitchen utensils – for more overview and less searching in everyday life.
  • Dividers and holders for pots, pans, and lids provide structure in your drawers. The UPPDATERA series for organizing your kitchen cabinets is perfect for this.
open kitchen drawers

Kitchen lighting

The right lighting not only makes cooking more comfortable, but also creates a warm, inviting atmosphere in your room. 

Tips

  • Light strips are ideal for illuminating your work surface – and they also bring light into your drawers so you can find everything immediately.
  • Spotlights set targeted accents: Whether above wall cabinets or behind glass doors – they bring light into the darkness and at the same time create a cozy atmosphere.
  • Wireless control systems make operating your lighting particularly easy – without any effort. Find more tips in our guide "How to set up your kitchen lighting"
open kitchen drawers with integrated lighting

Use space on walls

Just like wall shelves, hanging systems help you keep your kitchen utensils close at hand while saving space in your drawers.

Tips

  • Style meets function: Choose a hanging rail that matches another element in your kitchen in terms of color or style – just like with handles, this creates a harmonious overall look.
  • Install securely: When attaching, pay attention to the weight of the rail and the utensils – and choose the appropriate dowels and screws depending on the wall type.
  • Clever hanging: Hang the kitchen utensils you use every day—like knives, ladles, or wooden spoons. The more hooks, the better! And if you like, plant fresh herbs in matching pots—that'll liven up your kitchen.To hanging storage kitchen
Wooden kitchen with wall storage

Kitchen planning

Whether you plan it yourself or let our planning professionals do it for you – decide for yourself which path is right for you.

Learn more about kitchen planning

Delivery

IKEA delivery saves you time and energy because we deliver your favorite products to a location of your choice throughout Austria.

Learn more about delivery and delivery costs

Kitchen assembly

We have the professionals who will completely assemble your kitchen so you can start cooking right away.

Learn more about kitchen installation

Your 0% financing

Now you can also pay back conveniently with 0% financing at IKEA in monthly installments - starting from just € 1,000.

Learn more about financing

Do you want to renovate your kitchen? 

There are many clever ways to update your kitchen on a budget – without a complete remodel. Discover all our kitchen renovation tips – for more style, function, and cooking enjoyment:

  • Kitchen fronts and doors
  • Worktops
  • Sink and kitchen faucet
  • Kitchen backsplashes
  • Kitchen appliances