It’s not always necessary to spend thousands of dollars on kitchen updates. These brilliant suggestions for updating the kitchen for under $100 may surprise you.

Lewiston native, JoAn Gregoire Chartier, has quick and easy tips that add flair and increase the efficiency in the kitchen. “Mine was definitely installing simple shelving in my pantry. It nearly doubled the storage space and allowed for better organization,” said Chartier, who also put the shelving on the backside of the door to make it usable space. Another tip was an adjustable wire rack in the dish cupboards which uses the formerly unusable space above dishes. Total cost of shelving … about $30.

Chartier is also pleased with the 52” ceiling fan with lighting installed in her kitchen. “Under $100 and we were able to turn the air conditioning down a couple of degrees,” said Chartier.

Berlin, New Hampshire resident, Tim Dion, plastered his cupboards with cup hooks that cost less than $5. “It freed up about 60 percent of my shelving space,” admitted Dion.

Painting cabinets seems to be a quick fix for some kitchens. Jill Gray, of Farmington, painted her kitchen cabinets a warm taupe that certainly updated the look and feel of the room.

Marie Parsons Shaginaw claims that a quick update for a smaller kitchen was a coat of off-white paint on kitchen cabinets along with new brass knobs and hinges. “From ‘camp’ to ‘elegant’ for an investment of $89,” bragged the New Hampshire northern woods native.

Kathleen Weeks, of South Paris, believes that recycling items and getting creative can have its rewards. “I went to a yard sale, bought an old TV stand that’s 24 x 48 inches. I took the top off, stripped and stained it, and added a cheap butcher block top,” said Weeks, whose husband added a chunk of marble to the top of the stand. “Voila! A kitchen island that I could not do without.” Weeks said that the entire cost was $50 and the drawer of the TV stand holds all the lids to her cookware.

“The other thing I could not do without is my pot rack taken from a women’s clothing store,” said Weeks. “It was hung on the ceiling to hang dresses and my husband took it out of their dumpster after finishing a job for them.” After washing it up, Weeks hung it vertically on their kitchen wall and added a few S hooks, these being the most expensive part of the redo. “Because the kitchen is small, it frees up my cupboards,” said Weeks.

Kate Nadeau, of Auburn, suggests scouring the “dollar discount stores” in the area for creative kitchen upgrades. “You never know what you are going to find, anything from interesting wall hangings to various utensils that can be used as kitchen decorations,” said Nadeau. Her kitchen features numerous drink coasters that serve as wall hangings as well as short lengths of twine that when used with clothespins provide an easy way to post photographs.

Heather Keene, of Raymond, finds that the addition of a single appliance can brighten and modernize a kitchen. “I bought a Keurig (coffee maker),” boasted Keene, thrilled with the concept of an appliance that makes freshly brewed, single-cup coffee.

Linda Carew, of Phippsburg, suggests the art of stenciling to personalize a kitchen decor. “For less than $30, I stenciled a design that I liked.”

To round out the list of kitchen upgrades, here are a few gems from www.thisoldhouse.com, the home renovation site based on the popular television series.

Update your current refrigerator with a faux stainless-steel painted finish. One quart of Thomas Liquid Stainless Steel Base Coat, about $56.

Top stock kitchen cabinets with crown molding for the look of custom casework. Thirty-two feet of crown to trim out the average kitchen will run about $80.

Brighten countertops instantly with battery-powered LED under-cabinet lighting. Four adhesive-backed Bell & Howell Mini Power Pods will run about $20.

Place a soap dispenser beside the kitchen faucet to keep that Palmolive bottle out of sight.  Whitehaus’s Beluga Soap/Lotion Dispenser in polished nickel, about $90.

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