Spring Kitchen & Dining Decor Ideas: Refreshing Budget Updates

Ready for budget-friendly ideas to update your kitchen and dining room? You’re in the right place! I’m sharing my favorite spring decor ideas, from simple paint updates, to thrifty finds, and easy DIY projects. I will teach you tips for creating a fresh and inviting space, and give you a spring tour of my own kitchen refresh and dining room decorations.

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Inexpensive Ways To Update A Kitchen

Today I’m sharing inexpensive ways to update your kitchen for a refreshing Spring feel. Remodeling a kitchen can be expensive and daunting. But unless you need major updates, you can make your space look fresh and new without breaking the bank. So what can you do to give your kitchen a new feel?

# 1 – Paint

The first idea is to paint. You can paint the walls, cabinets, or kitchen island to create a refreshing new feeling in your kitchen. I have painted my kitchen island a pale blue. This is the third time I’ve changed the color; it makes such a difference to the space. I’ve been updating my living room with shades of blue, and since it’s open to the kitchen, it was a good choice to change the color to blue.

I had picked out a color of blue by Sherwin Williams called Interesting Aqua. However, the previous paint had been covered with wax and I felt a primer would be necessary. Instead of purchasing a primer, I used a leftover Annie Sloan Chalk paint in Duck Egg Blue. The paint covered fabulously, and once the paint was dry, I was amazed that the color was an exact match to the “Interesting Aqua” paint sample. Wow! What a lucky break. I added clear wax, buffed it out, and finished the job.

#2 – Shop Thrift Stores

My next money-saving tip is to shop thrift stores for kitchen decor. Most of my kitchen decor is thrifted. From copper pots to ironstone pitchers to wooden cutting boards, it’s all inexpensive finds.

I like to add touches of each season to the kitchen countertops and island. The lamb mold and vegetable lamb tureen were both inexpensive thrifted finds.

I have been looking for new bar stools for a few years. Each time I find something that I like, the price tag leaves me a little speechless, so I’ve continued to look for a deal. This month, I hit the jackpot. I found four brand-new counter height, brand-name bar stools for $45.00 each. I know you are saying that’s lucky, but it won’t happen to me. However, if you have patience and continue to shop thrift stores, deals will come your way.

#3 – Repurpose

Another money-saving idea is repurposing items to create the desired look. Our kitchen island is actually two pieces of thrifted furniture that we repurposed into a 6 x 7 foot storage and work station. You can see the full details at How To Build A DIY Farmhouse Kitchen Island.

Repurposing doesn’t have to involve transforming furniture. You can use paint to update thrift store finds, such as tool boxes, for display or update thrifted art to look vintage, like this thrift store painting makeover.

I painted the thrifted knife block to match the color of my kitchen island and added a thrifted tray that I painted and added a napkin decoupage technique to the inside. Both add a punch of color without costing a fortune.

#4 – Crafty Spring Kitchen Update

Finally, when you are looking to update your kitchen for Spring and budget constraints are tight, look for ways to add decor that you can make yourself. Things like DIY topiaries and natural floral arrangements can cost just pennies to make and really impact your kitchen style.

Look to high-end stores and online resources for creative ideas, like this natural twig and moss DIY arrangement. Using almost exclusively foraged materials, I made a look-alike arrangement for a fraction of the high-end cost.

#5 – Use Available Fresh Flowers

Last but not least, add fresh flowers to your kitchen vases and pitchers. When the forsythia and daffodils begin to bloom, I immediately bring them inside to brighten and refresh the farmhouse. It will not be long before other flowers such as azaleas, roses, and peonies are ready to add a bright touch for free. If you don’t have fresh flowers in your yard, use herbs and greenery to freshen your vases instead.

Spring Dining Room

Although I’ve not made any sufficient changes in the dining room, I have updated the look for Spring and Easter. The room is filled with more blues and whites, DIY projects and thrift store finds. Let me share some refreshing ideas.

Cupboard and Plate Rack Refresh

I love collecting dishes, serving pieces, cutting boards and other second-hand tableware. Therefore, I always have plenty to fill my pine cupboard and DIY wall plate rack. By moving items around and bringing blue and white dishes into play, the entire space looks refreshed without spending any money.

Updated Plate Wall

I have been having so much fun since I started adding plates to the wall behind the dining table. The vintage European gathering basket makes such a statement and surrounding it with plates and wooden dishes is the icing on the cake. For a Spring update, I just added a few blue and white dishes and filled the basket with greenery and some DIY decoupaged Easter Eggs.

The chippy church pew was a thrifted find from over 30 years ago and the vintage white porch column holds a DIY topiary also several years old.

Easter Tablescape

Finally, the table is set for Easter with black and white bunny dishes that I found years ago at HomeGoods. They are mixed with thrifted blue placemats, silverware, and glassware. The cabbage bowls were a more recent HomeGoods find.

Table Centerpiece

To create the centerpiece, I used two of my recent DIY Easter projects. First, the William Sonoma copycat moss bunny topiary takes center stage. Then, I added the DIY Coffee Filter Cabbages to planters to surround the bunny. It creates a magical Easter wonderland in the center of the table.

More thrifted finds such as the bunny napkin rings and milk glass compotes help to complete the budget tablescape.

With an open floor plan, it’s important to keep the colors consistent throughout the space. Adding touches of blue and white with dishes and tableware, the dining room flows well with the Spring update for the farmhouse living room and kitchen.

Now it’s time to get inspired with these talented home tours hosted by Cindy at County Road 407. If you are joining me from Cindy’s tour, I’m sure you were impressed with her colorful Spring tour. My friend Christy is next at Our Southern Home. Just click each image below to follow along on the tour.