Starting a new year means a lot of different things for different people. Whether that’s starting a new job, starting a new relationship, moving to a new town, whatever the case may be, there has never been a better year to begin something new. 

For others, that ‘new’ thing may be a brand new kitchen! If that is you, congratulations, you’ve come to the right place for kitchen renovation ideas. Here are five of the best kitchen renovation ideas for the new year for those that are interested in becoming an interior designer or as a mechanism that “adds value” to your property or rental. Here’s what you need to know.

1. Replace your plumbing 

If you’ve recently moved into an old house, chances are that you’re looking to do some kitchen renovations. Or, perhaps you’ve bought a brand new house and are left with a blank canvas upon which to paint your kitchen vision. Either way, this presents a unique opportunity to re-do or begin a new fully-plumbed kitchen, utilizing the latest technology and tossing convention aside for ecologically-friendly, new ways of doing things. 

Say you’re fixing a leaky tap in the old kitchen and decide to just tear the whole thing out, baby out with the bathwater and all that. Then you’ll need to hire a specialist green plumber to help you figure out how to ‘greenify’ your existing plumbing, or install a whole new environmentally-friendly setup. 

One of the best things you can do right away is to install low-flow faucets in your kitchen. This will reduce your water consumption anywhere from 30-50% per year. 

2. Update the lighting 

Another way to save money in the kitchen is by updating your lighting. Say you’re operating with old, inefficient bulbs, or don’t have much natural light. Well, if you have the budget for it, put in another window or several (if you’re starting from scratch), let natural light be your friend in the kitchen. Nobody likes a dark and dingy kitchen space. 

Alternatively, if additional windows aren’t an option, consider motion-detection lights, or change your incandescent light bulbs for something like a compact fluorescent light, which is far more environmentally friendly. 

3. New cabinets 

Perhaps nobody told you, but the stock cabinets that came with your kitchen space look terrible. They’re in need of an upgrade and 2021 is the year to do that. Whether you’re looking for a wood finish or something a bit more dark and moody (perhaps good if you’ve got plenty of light or windows to let light in), replacing your kitchen cabinetry will get your new kitchen off to a great start. 

4. Sinks, sinks, and more sinks 

While there is such a thing as too many sinks, it really is fashionable and perhaps even necessary nowadays to have more than one sink. Something to go along with your new low-flow faucet setup should be multiple sinks. 

Perhaps one for storing dishes and one for washing them, including a drying rack of some sort. If you want to give back to the earth, even more, consider installing a garburator or a garbage disposal unit to grind up your organic ingredients and create compost for the garden. 

5. Bring back the wallpaper 

Yes, that’s so 1970s. But hey, the 70s were cool! One other decorative option rather than your traditional painted walls would be to reconstitute the old trend of home wallpapers by putting some of it in your kitchen. If your kitchen’s theme is bright white, consider adding something that compliments it nicely such as a light blue or even bright blue wallpaper. 

Wallpaper might seem like something straight out of the 1970s, but nevertheless, putting it back into your kitchen is a far cheaper option than painting the whole thing white, which is yet another trend.