How to Make Your Kitchen Look Expensive 

Do I have the money or even my own kitchen to do any of these things? Absolutely not. Am I still nodding along and dreaming about my ideal kitchen anyway? Yes, yes I am.

Edit: I've found a lovely room, I'm living with the owner and he's more than happy for me to paint my room and make it my own xoxo I don't know whether to laugh or cry. I'm currently living in a single bed hotel room with my cat yet I'm watching a video on how to make my kitchen look expensive. That's how much i love Nick's videos Edit: thanks for all the love guys. I never intended this to be a pity post but I'm overwhelmed by all the love. I've learned that in times like this sometimes humor is all we have. Monty Python said it best "Always look on the bright side of life"

I don’t have all day because I have list of things to do longer than my arm. I appreciate how fast you talk. No zoning out and then wondering what I missed.

Hi from an American who just retired to Portugal. You and I are renovating a 100+ year old farmhouse, you just don't know how much your ideas are helping. Love your humor, thanks for turning on the light and you have ruined me forever on boob lights.

I love how RU-vid allows you to watch things after they happen in real life. I like to watch his videos late in the evening and I call it Nick @ Nite. 🥰

The anchoring tip is legit. I've had a salt shaker, pepper shaker, chili pepper shaker, and a thin bottle of olive oil just kind of cluttering up my counter. I use the multiple times a day while cooking, so it never made sense to put them away. After watching this video I just put them on a small decorative plate and the counter instantly felt more organized and even a bit fancier.

"The farm house tea towel, oh look at that, I'm interesting!!" You always find a way to crack me up...😄

After 42 years in the same house, we were able to update our kitchen. My most excitement was over my new bridge faucet. It was love at first sight. 💕 I still look at it, seeing it as a piece of artwork. Doesn't take much to get this old girl excited!

The best tip is to keep your kitchen clutter free. I've been doing that for many years and it really adds serenity to your life....

I kind of get the whole "put the cabinets to the ceiling" thing, and it does look pretty. But, I just spent waaaay too much money to turn my old, ugly, and impractical kitchen into the kitchen of my dreams. I did not, however even consider the extra expense of cabinets to the ceiling. Why? Because I am 5'2" and there is no way I was going to pay thousands of dollars for cabinets I can't even reach with a stepladder, much less actually put anything in them. So, I now have not-quite-to-the-ceiling cabinets with a few pretty things that I do not need to access on display. It may not be the trendiest thing, but it looks good and works well for a short person.

I recommend upgrading electrical plugs to also have the USB charger option. It comes in handy all the time!

I have the exposed side of kitchen cabinet hung with a collage frame of pictures of family cooking-- my mom stuffing a turkey, my husband making biscotti, my daughter helping me make cookies when she was 2 ( she is now 33) and what a fun element-- personalizes the kitchen for sure and such a conversation piece!!

The “cabinets to the ceiling” tip is eye opening. 🤯👌

My mother --- a stained-glass artist and color-theory teacher at the nearby university -- collected random old prisms (e.g. prism-glass dangles from long-gone antique chandeliers being sold for next to nothing at Goodwill or neighborhood antique stores) and she hung them on transparent fishing line at various levels across her kitchen window. The rainbows of light passing from these 20 or so prisms was beautiful, creating almost a kaleidoscope effect on cabinets and walls as the light changed throughout the day. She also installed rolling shades upside down with a small pully at the top of the window for the shades' pull-cords. In this way, she achieved privacy from neighbors or people passing on the sidewalk, while leaving the top 1/3 of the window shades open to let in natural light and to give a clear view of the tree-tops outside. These vignettes of light and shifting greenery were a very lovely addition to each room. My grandmother collected interesting and antique bottles and filled them with colored water (food coloring works fine) and massed them in front of windows or well-lit mirrors to create almost a stained-class effect. None of these ideas are expensive, but they provide a way to bring in color in unique ways without needing to go to the trouble or expense of preparing and painting cabinetry or changing out tile back-splashes or countertops. I use pieces of thick, heavy, hand-made paper from Vietnam to cover the lower panes of glass in one window, to let the light through, illuminating the inclusions (flowers and leaves) embedded in the paper. Here's a link to the store where I bought the hand-made paper, but I'm sure it's available at other specialty stores. Be sure to get the heavy-duty paper, as thinner paper will absorb moisture from condensation on the glass and turn into a saggy mess fairly quickly. www.demedicimingfinepaper.com/

We did a whole home renovation in 2021 and did almost every suggestion you had in this video for our kitchen and you’re absolutely right- every time I walk into my kitchen I feel like I’m in a completely different home than before!

What I enjoy about your channel is that you aren’t afraid to stand behind your opinions. Respect.

I LOVE the appliance garage at 18:35, because it's set back behind behind the wall somehow. The older garages stuck out from the wall, like just another cabinet sitting at counter level. And had a roll-up door like those Victorian writing desks. It looked almost as bad as the appliance.

Love you Nick but this video should be called How to Make Your Kitchen Look More Expensive by Making It Expensive. 😉 😊

*Toe-kick lighting, panel ready appliances, corral items* . Thank you Nick for another great design tips video. One of the first things I did when I moved into my home seven years ago was install a rope light at the toe-kick in my kitchen. That subtle wash of light made navigating my new space in the middle of the night divine. Panel ready appliances are definitely "Goals", can't imagine doing a kitchen and not including them. Corralling items is a must. I always create a seasonal coffee station on a tray.

I make tea every morning and I still keep my electric water boiling kettle in the cupboard everyday. I love clean kitchen counters.

When we built our house I insisted on the cabinets going to the ceiling, which are 10 ft tall. Do we ever use those top cabinets? Absolutely not 😂 But hey, I don’t have to dust up there!

Nick could do an entire video of Anchor Your Items! It’s an art form, and my favorite hint because it combines fun and functional. (I use anchors to camouflage the “outlet acne” on the wall above the kitchen counter.)

We had our kitchen updated. I asked for the perimeter cabinets in BM Hollingsworth green and the Island in walnut with brass hardware and faucet, I love it

When one is replacing the kitchen hardware don’t forget the regular door hinges. Love your videos!

One thing I haven’t heard mentioned is NOT having wall cabinets! The kitchen in my house was fitted by the previous owner with ONLY below counter cabinets and it’s AMAZING! The room is bright and I have art on the walls! I only have one shelf which has a beautiful piece of art on it! I had to be very strict & cleared out SO much stuff that I didn’t actually need but I don’t miss the “hemmed in” feeling of having a cabinet right in front of your face nor the undignified climbing onto the counter to reach anything in the top of a cabinet!

Love the idea of under cabinet, toe kick and drawer lighting.. thank you Nick 😊✌

At 5'3" I cannot reach all the shelves on my upper cabinets as it is. When I renovated in 2012 I did not opt to change the upper cabinets to go all the way to the ceiling. If I remember right it would have been another $9k and purely aesthetic.

Another thing i dont think you mentioned specifically but under counter cabinet garbage that you can pull out. It’s a really simple thing to do and for me it’s always the first upgrade that surprisingly lots of people don’t do or think about to do

Nick! What a beautiful difference in my kitchen! Thank you! I replaced my old rusty faucet with a gorgeous, modern, sleek black faucet. I put in an ultra modern black ceiling fan. Black hardware on all the cabinets. On the open shelves I put on black matte pots. I painted the backsplash, window trim, toe kicks matte black. My kitchen is GORGEOUS. Thanks Nick! 😊

We re did our kitchen last year. Skipped all things super trendy; un lacquered brass, giant pendants, super busy stone. It's beautiful. It's sage and white, with a walnut island top. The best thing was running the cabinets to the (9ft) ceiling. Such a huge difference.

Anchoring items on tray - what a cheap, actionable idea - will implement next week, thanks

Hi Nick. I'm a new subscriber. I have been going down the rabbit hole of your videos and love how they're part design education and part humor. Thank you for taking the time to put out this great content for us.

I think you made excellent points throughout. Some of these suggestions were simple common sense, as well as good advice - like cleaning the kitchen up - and, some were more 'Oh, yes, I can see that.', which made for both an entertaining and nicely informative video. Thanks, as always - you're a pleasure to watch. :)

Love Nick ideas Straight forward, realistic and mostly make sense. I love it

ART! Yes. I have some wonderful pieces in my Kitchen. Makes a huge difference!

Omg!! Nick !! I love your channel!! You are really providing interior design tips and ideas of real value in a short amount of time, this is beyond education, I have tried your designs tips in my home and they have helped me elevate my 32 year home, in a short amount time and within a budget!! Thanks so much!! So talented!!🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉

I LOVE those over the door cabinet organizers!! I use them for everything. They're super convenient.

...all the things bubbling up in the kitchen 😂, always good fun to watch and thank you for good ideas! From Europe😊.

Can you do a video (very soon!) about tile choices for kitchens? I know you have had some shorts, but I am really trying to choose a beautiful look for our kitchen remodel, for a kitchen that is the room you enter from the front door (after a small entry), and I am trying to choose something timeless yet not boring, something artistic but not wacky. Can. you do a kitchen tile video of all types, stone and terracotta and glass and so on? Combining disparate types and bringing in artistry?

Love the idea of having art in the kitchen. Thank you, Nick!

Hi Nick, I am in dire need of a video from you about bathrooms especially bathroom fixtures ❤❤❤ PLEASE 🥺

Love it! You bring the smarts, sophistication, and your perfect snark! 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 I’ll be adding kick board lighting!

Totally off topic, but I hope your property in the Okanagan Valley is safe from the horrible fires around Kelowna, Nick!

Lol. "Grabbing a snack. No shame there."

Of all the home decor videos I've viewed on RU-vid, yours stand alone. Thank you!

GREAT video, Nick! I really enjoyed this one! 😊❤

I was watching one of those British hoarding shows this past week. This one would have someone come in and redecorate after the hoard is removed. She would ask what the people liked and then turn around and put in the most trendy cringe things. One episode when the hoard was removed it revealed an appointment that even if you walked into today (about a decade after it was filmed) you would say that it was a very nice. She put in all kinds of really tacky furniture that were such a quick trend that I don't remember existing. And probably never should have. I wouldn't trust her to redecorate my chicken coop.

I like the ideas you have and really love reading the comments of your videos. Everyone here is so creative and they have such great opinions 😊

Boxing to the ceiling is worth it just in time saved cleaning up there.

My kitchen has a tall bookcase where I keep all my cookery books. It's so nice to have them to hand when I am trying to plan dinner. I have 2 botanical prints next to it and the top shelf has some fun things - a statue of the Buddha a friend made for me, a candle, some flowers....

Nick ...you are the best. I always look forward to your videos. And your suggestions and ideas are so point on.

Fabulous advice, thanks Nick. I’m a designer and found your comments and ideas inspiring.

So happy you had the art talk with us... best kitchens I have cleaned and staged - all - had unique art included/displayed. Hope the house/apt. sale brings relief. Valued $

Hey Nick, you always provide useful tips and I enjoyed your contents and your sense of humour so much ! Keep up the good work ❤

I made matching covers for my appliances out of old sheets - great way to add color!

I've already added a new faucet and new drawer and cabinet pulls, but adding toe kick lighting involves quite an electrical cost to make sure no outlets or cords show, so I'm skipping the toe kick lighting. A dimmer light can bring in some of that ambiance that that toe kick lighting might have otherwise provided.

Nice.....I should look at my new kitchen through this angle. Thanks Nick !!

Love your advice and love that you get to the point so quickly. 👏👏 Even if you use your toaster every day, put it on a sheet pan (mine fits on 1/4 sheet pan) or other tray and put it away! It takes less time to get it out than it takes to clean the crumbs on the counter! Then dump the tray crumbs, quick and easy. Toasters left plugged in can be a real fire hazard, putting them away reminds you to unplug it. 🥰

If you have to work with that builder grade metal sink with the holes, please listen to me now. Replace the builder grade faucet set with one that has the spray hose thing even if it doesn't get enough water pressure to be useful. So that last hole looks intentional, because it looks dreadful and collects crud from the universe if you don't.

Amazing! This was another great video, Nick! Thank you! I loved it!

Under cabinet lighting makes such a big difference. Not in just looks but in function. It puts the light right where you need it. I don't always like having my bright overhead lights on. Also, my light switch is in an incovenient spot. I like being able to turn on lights right where I am working. They can be cheap too. I got a couple $20 strip lights of amazon.

Awesome video! You presented these ideas in a format which make it obtainable for many.

My kitchen reno starts in only 3 weeks and I’m so glad I thought about many of the items you are recommending. Upgraded faucet, high-end hardware, cabinets to the 9 ft ceiling, under cab lighting and in the upper most cabinets (glass front), and a dark blue island (all other cabs are soft white). I’m also using drawers for the lower cabinets. I think they are much more functional. Adding panels to the dishwasher and fridge was outside my budget, but you can’t see the dishwasher unless you are inside the kitchen. I’ll be replacing my fridge in 2-3 years and will have it paneled. I’m getting rid of the ‘over the range’ microwave and making it a built in next to the fridge. I’m also adding an appliance garage - something I’ve always wanted. I’m looking forward to decorating after the kitchen is done. Thank you for the wonderful advise you give.

Pendant lighting in an open space can create an almost disappearing wall affect between 2 separate rooms, like if your kichen borders your dining or living room with a bar, and you have pendant lights above the bar, turning them on and off opens and closes the space between the rooms. Living room and kitchen light on, bar lights off feels more like 2 rooms, just the bar or all 3 lights on makes it one large space

Love your content, Nick. And love my kitchen even more after this video.

The kitchen in my apartment is 5'x12' and has no counter space so im pretty limited. But i did paint the backsplash bright green and i actually really love it. The color idea works imo.

Neutral wall paint color, white cabinets, same color metals -faucet and drawer pulls, under cabinet light. Cheapest upgrades 🤷‍♀️

Since my kitchen is small, and has no kitchen island, I opted for a pendant that has a shorter 8" cord. It works great for task lighting, yet still gives a pendant vibe.

Great video with great ideas! Thank you.

You are so much fun to listen to. I love your ideas.

My kitchen is 16 years old, I still love it. Off white cabinets haven’t dated. I updated my faucet and regularly change decor on a couple of open shelves. I keep it very tidy and clean. I mix up by adding lamps, plants and flowers every now and then. . Love you ideas.

A lot of the kitchen inspo out there uses functional pieces that double as decor (like rustic style cutting boards, vintage style kettles, etc) and I never thought about adding non-functional pieces of art. Thank you Nick! A whole new world has opened in front of my eyes.

We are also doing inset cabinets on our new/remodel kitchen. Have always loved paneled appliances!

I really enjoy watching your videos. You're delightfully cheeky and you make me laugh...and, of course, you have good taste and useful suggestions.

I chose whites and greys for the structure of my kitchen because I knew we will be here a long time and I would not want to get tired of strong colors in five years (I would) but we do lots of strong color in the decor and appliances

Thanks for sharing all these great ideas! 💯❣️

You are the best. Thanks for the videos!

Great ideas presented with delightful humor, fun video. 😁

thank you for lifting the mood and staying grounded ;)

Appreciate the kick in the butt to clean up the kitchen! Def need it sometimes.

Wow -- when you switched on the under-counter lighting, it really did add a lot of ambience. I have 10 ft. ceilings in the kitchen; not sure what to do with the existing cabinets to make them look up-to-date.

Countertop space is sacred! Knives, coffee maker, done. And I have a ton of countertop space! Simply prefer the look and easier to clean. BTW, absolutely love your presentations. You are always mindful of people, their feelings and their budgets. Thank you.

Getting ready for a major kitchen renovation. Original kitchen built in 2006 with that “Tuscan” orange undertone cabinetry just had to go. I appreciate your tips and tricks into making my new kitchen and by extension my open concept(living room/dinning room and kitchen) small bungalow more cohesive, elegant and punching everything up in terms luxury and of what it is I am trying to make my home “feel” like. Thank you NIck.

Yes, yes and yes Nick! I love the appliance garage and whatever else I can hide in there. It is a must and really easy to diy as well if the need be.

You are so cool! I love not only your style but also the style how you do your presentation 🤩

Thanks for the inspo!

I love the modern appliance garage! I remember they used to be small and looked out dated.

Great ideas. I'm inspired. 😊

We are redoing our kitchen cabinets now. My husband is spraying them & does a wonderful job! I picked a soft sage green. Counters & backsplash are fairly new. Needed to update the cabinets & decor😀

Oh darling, they are standarized - they all fit to the panels 😁 greetings from Poland

My cabinets are horrible but i don't have the $$ to replace them. 2 years ago i replaced my stainless sink with a black granite sink. I also got a high touchless faucet. They make me so happy. I can't hardly wait to fix up the rest of the kitchen. These are some great ideas to remember.

I love your freakin’ videos! You’re the best. 😃so fun to watch! I’ve been a kitchen and bath designer for 29 years and you’re on point sir ❤🎉🤓🙌👏🏠

When we bought our house the kitchen was painted bright sky blue with a gloss finish. The first morning I came down to get coffee and went aagghh when I turned the lights on. It's now painted a calm restful dark sage green and it is so much better.

I really enjoy your energy.

Such a smart and talented designer.....and funny too!!

Great ideas!👍

Great ideas. Thanks!

Nick, thank you so much for your great ideas. My husband and I are building our forever home. My kitchen cabinet are going to be a beautiful navy blue with cabinets to the ceiling with glass in the upper cabinets. I was already planning on having task lighting but I love your idea for toekick lighting and will incorporate that. The island is 9 feet long and I am having trouble finding pendant lighting that I really like. I am going to have a very large pantry that includes the microwave and coffee maker as we don't use them daily and have only one 9 ft wall (with cooktop) of counter. Would you recommend putting our toaster oven in the pantry also for the same reason? Thanks again for your informative videos.

I love how fun you are, I can’t believe how fast you speak!😂😂 the light under the cabinet in you kitchen looks great, it really made a difference after you turned it on. Thanks for all your advice. Keep it on…

Yes totally agree with these “how to make your Kitchen look more Expensive” and my friend has just changed her kitchen island top. Left the other black stone tops but changed the island to a black and white textured stone top. Love it, is this a new trend also. If you can afford this it is wonderful. Makes quite a distinction between the areas..like when people put a large farmhouse wooden table in the kitchen to work from…