A modern kitchen is a top priority for many home-owners. If your kitchen is feeling dated after lockdown, a refresh might be in order, but the pain of a full-blown reno can quickly put off anyone. Avoid weeks eating microwave food and relying on a portable cooler by easily updating some key features instead.

By focusing on the latest technology, timeless style and functionality, a kitchen revamp can be easier than you think.

Kitchen technology has come a long way.

Simply replacing your existing appliances will dramatically modernise your kitchen. Even rangehoods have undergone technological advances. Powerful ventilation built into the centre of the cooktop pulls down the steam and odours and adjusts the ventilation power level automatically. This removes the need for an overhead rangehood, so you’re no longer limited to facing a wall while cooking. The cooktop can be placed in the centre of an island bench for a more communal and modern cooking experience.

Get organised

You may have the most luxurious kitchen in the world, but nothing can derail plans for cooking like missing an ingredient. An organised kitchen saves time and money.

Check the use-by dates on foods hiding in the pantry or fridge and group them according to use. Storing foods in labelled glass jars and placing them in a way that’s easy to see can reduce food waste.

Installing drawers rather than shelves can also stop food expiring in the hidden corners of a cupboard.

Create a functional cooking environment

This may sound shocking to some home chefs, but consider moving away from gas to an induction cooktop. A sleek and streamlined kitchen is not only modern, but it’s also easy to clean.

Induction cooktops heat up much faster and their temperature controls are far more precise than gas. Food can spill over and under the trivets and the knobs of a gas cooktop. With induction, any spills can be simply wiped away off a flat glass panel.

An inside edible garden

Clear up bench space clutter and replace it with greenery.

Thyme and rosemary are easy to grow in a kitchen and are used in sauces and slow cooking. Basil, mint, and parsley add a nice touch to a salad.

Get creative with the hardware

Simply swapping handles can be a cheap, effective way to modernise a kitchen. The taps and spout can be changed or you could enlist an electrician to change the lighting or switches.