7 Must Have Kitchen Essentials and Décor for Elegance on a Budget
Here are some affordable kitchen essentials to help you achieve a simple yet elegant and romantic ambiance in your kitchen even if you’re on a budget!
Even if you’re on a budget, you can easily create a simple yet sophisticated look in your kitchen with a few kitchen essentials for a special occasion, or if you just want an elevated kitchen space. Decorating kitchen spaces is normally an afterthought but you can add so much to the ambiance with a little bit of color and a few accessories. Also, remember to take an inventory of what you already have at home and build around that.
Each of the staple kitchen essentials you see in my kitchen were all $40 and below. I’m on a strict budget and have goals to meet so I focused on items that would give me the biggest bang for my (few) bucks.
If you happen to have a larger budget and want to splurge a little, I’ve included some options to tickle your PINK fancy too. My favorite color is pink these days. It’s romantic and feminine. It happens to nicely compliment chocolate and cherry wood in my kitchen. Plus, it makes any space look bright and and vibrant. Just a warning. You’ll see lots of it :)
How Do Affordable Kitchen Essentials Create a Romantic Ambiance
Affordable kitchen essentials are just as good as luxury items
When it comes to home décor, kitchen essentials included, many people think that to have the best look you have to spend big bucks and that’s just not true. I’ve decorated many spaces in my home and for others on a variety of budgets. I’ve always had success finding comparable economy priced alternatives to any higher priced point item. You can still easily achieve the look and feel you’re going for and add great quality pieces at that. Don’t get caught up in believing because something costs more that it’s better.
You don’t need a large budget
Finding budgeted kitchen essentials is great because you can find many of them with:
the same color as the more expensive alternative
similar functionality as the item with the higher price point
some of the same features
When you find affordable kitchen essentials to bring an elegant vibe together you’re keeping yourself in line with you set budget. This is great for your pockets. Plus, you’re also still giving yourself the pleasure of knowing you beautified a great space in your home where you’ll entertain friends and family.
Level up your kitchen décor with a bit of sophistication and elegance
Purchasing affordable kitchen items on a budget allows you to decorate other areas of your home with items that have a higher price point. Carefully selecting cost-conscious kitchen essentials can level up your kitchen area with sophistication and elegance without the price tag.
Selecting the right kitchen essentials within your budget gives you a chance to add color and flair
You’re probably thinking that to have a bright, beautiful kitchen you need all brand new appliances, marble white counter tops and gold hardware. NOPE! I don’t have any of that and I’ll show you exactly how adding just a few accessories like florals, decorative trays, candles, and even hand towels can go a long way.
You can make a world of a difference with only a few staple pieces and in just a few short minutes.
If you’re on the strictest of budgets there are 3 things to focus on having to spruce up your kitchen. You should make a priority to get:
A floral arrangement (faux or live plants). Faux plants and flowers are easy to find, and depending on what you’re looking for can greatly range in price. A simple arrangement to add brightness to your kitchen probably averages around $15-$20. If you prefer live flowers you can get a dozen fresh roses from grocers like Publix, The Fresh Market, and Trader Joe’s, to name a few, for around $10.
At least one set of elegantly styled kitchen towels for décor over your oven handle. You can find these on Amazon or even a store like Target for as little as $5-$10 depending on what you want.
A tray and candle to place on top of your island or countertop. Trays come in all shapes and sizes and price points vary, but you can find a nice one for around $10. You can purchase a nice quality soy candle for around $10 as well.
Using this scale, you can put together a kitchen with an elegant ambiance for anywhere from $30-$40. With just a few affordable kitchen essentials for your kitchen décor you can set up your space in as little as 10 minutes.
1. You need linen with an elegant look to level up your kitchen essentials.
You can find linen with an elegant look in a variety of colors, materials, and style. You can also find them at cheap prices. To create elegant feel in my kitchen I chose to go with pink and white linen. I found these beautiful Turkish cotton hand towels that come in a set of 8 for just under $40. That averages out to less than $5 per towel. I will use 2 of these hand towels as linen décor in my kitchen, but the remaining will be placed in my master bathroom and guest bathroom. Spread your dollars and make them work for you. Buy in bulk if you can for multi-use purposes!
Cute oven mitts and pot holders like these are great to add to your linen list too. Nice linen napkins, if you’d like those, are a great option to add for an elegant dinner set up at the kitchen island.
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2. Include elegant serve ware in your kitchen essentials.
The kitchen is usually the epicenter of a good gathering at anyone’s home. Whether it’s a date night, an event with family, or a kick back with friends everyone’s going to be in the kitchen. When serving up good food, you want elegant serve ware kitchen essentials to compliment the ambiance. Long serving plates, large bowls, and platters are what you want to purchase. Places like Target, Home Goods, and even Dollar Tree have some great options that can meet any budget. Unique cheeseboards like this one and cheese knives like these are kitchen essentials that add a beautiful flare to any kitchen space. They are gorgeous! I’d also encourage you to include some basic staple pieces that don’t have to be expensive to your cookware collection. A Nordic Bundt pan like this will help bake a tasty cake that also looks beautiful on a plate!
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3. Affordable appliance kitchen essentials add a warm feeling for an elegant kitchen space.
Typically I prefer traditional stainless steel appliances for a standard, cohesive feel. If you’re interested in a more feminine or whimsical look you can find appliances pink! It’s just your luck that I’ve found several cute options for pink appliances! Not only will your kitchen essentials in appliances be super cute and elegant, but you’ll be whipping up your most scrumptious finger foods and snacks using these fun and sophisticated pieces!
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4. Fragrance plays an essential role in creating an elegant kitchen ambiance on a budget.
One of my favorite kitchen essentials for an elegant ambiance, is fragrance. Yes! A kitchen (or really any room) that smells good just instantly draws me in. You can add subtle fragrance to your kitchen through the use of gently scented hand soaps and lotions. Buying them already available in a set like this, or purchasing your own containers and stand like this to keep and fill as needed are both great ideas depending on your needs. Again, if you purchase your own you can buy large bottles of soap and lotion to use as refills in your bathroom as well. I used an economy sized antibacterial hand soap and a large bottle of hand cream. Those bottles will last me for months and only cost about $5 per bottle.
You can also achieve a great fragrance in your kitchen by using candles, and I prefer either soy or beeswax. They are better for air quality and don’t have the toxins that come with paraffin candles. If you want to cut out candles completely, you can opt for diffusing essential oils. Essential oils like rose and lavender are kitchen essentials that are great for creating both a relaxing feel and elegant ambiance in your kitchen space.
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5. Rely on inexpensive florals and other decorative accessories to bring your kitchen’s mood together.
My favorite thing to do to bring life to any space is to add florals and/or greenery. You just can’t lose with that. What I love too is you can use either faux or live plants. I’m no good at being a plant mama, so faux is always where it’s at for me. I found this lovely $35 bunch of faux peonies that came with the vase. It was already full, but to make the arrangement even more robust I added 6 faux pink rose stems I had left over from a project last spring. They were perfect to round out the arrangement. It helps that I’m extremely fond of peony and rose arrangements :)
Other items you can add to your kitchen essentials list to enhance the ambiance are trays. They are the perfect item to hold other smaller accessories like candles, rose petals, books, and other items. You can choose from a variety of shapes, sizes, colors, and hardware finishes. I chose this tray that cost just $12 and it is stunning in my space. I also placed some beautiful vase filler I had left over from a previous project. You can get a beautiful package vase filler for around $12 too.
Also, consider seat cushions, pillows, or chair covers for the stools at your kitchen island or bar. These enchanting heart pillows were a Target find, and were only $20 each! A beautiful wreath can be hung on your wall or cabinetry to also compliment your space. These heart faux pampas grass wreaths were a steal, also from Target, for only $12 each. Remember, when you shop Target you get 5% off any purchase automatically by using Target’s Redcard reward program. That’s no-brainer savings!
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6. Include drinkware and dinnerware in your kitchen essentials to create a beautiful space.
It’s a kitchen of course, so on your list of essentials you’ll without a doubt want to include beautiful drinkware and dinnerware. These can be used for any occasion, even if it’s just an intimate at home date night with your partner. Again, it does not have to be an arm and a leg for it to be beautiful. It can be in elegant taste and still be easy on your wallet. For example, You can get this beautiful 16-piece dinnerware set from Macy’s for only $60! It’s got service for 4, and all the basics you need to get started building your dinnerware arsenal for an elegant kitchen on a budget.
Drinkware is also very affordable and a kitchen essential to bring your sophisticated space together. Consider stemware for wine, champagne, and even nice quality water glasses that are within your budget.
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7. Create an elegant atmosphere with an elegant kitchen island table scape.
It doesn’t matter if you don’t have a house with a huge dining space or formal dining room. Focus on what you do have and maximize it! You can still create a beautiful ambiance using a few kitchen essentials and accessories to create a table scape on top of your kitchen island. The same items you’d use on a dining table are the same items you’d use on your kitchen island - just think fewer items. For the most part, standard kitchen islands seat 2-3 people so you won’t need much. Think about decking your kitchen island out with a cute table runner, dinnerware, and drinkware. Beautiful and unique flatware like this is inexpensive to find at places like Target and Amazon and is sure to elevate your table setting.
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No matter your budget, you can always bring together the space you want to create. With a little bit of research, patience, and creativity you can build a beautiful kitchen or any other room in your home at a price that is affordable for you. Remember, everything you want is everything you deserve! I hope these tips and the pieces I’ve talked about with you get you excited to get your own kitchen essentials and spruce up your kitchen with an elegant vibe on a budget! Feel free to follow me on Instagram and YouTube for more goodies on all things home and lifestyle!
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