For $1-3K, you won't be able to do a lot.

The floor is going to drive whatever you do. So get a different rug. You might remove the existing backsplash (maybe replace it, maybe not!) and change the hardware on the cabinetry. Maybe you paint the window frame and change the window treatment. And a different pendant over the sink might help you achieve your goals.

I've just spent all your money.....

Personally, if I was going to do a full renovation in just 2-3 years, I'd save my $3,000 - and put it towards my new kitchen. I would remove the backsplash - and paint that area. Stained wood is back in style - and 2-3 years will go by faster than you think.

Your cabinets look like they are in good shape. Will you be replacing those when you fully renovate the kitchen? If yes, what style of cabinets would you like to have?

Some people have replaced all of their doors/drawer fronts when their kitchen cabinet boxes are in really good shape. People will tell you that the doors/drawer fronts are 3/4 (or more) of the cost of new cabinets - I have not found that to be true (based upon what I've been told by three people I personally know who have replaced their doors/drawer fronts).

My niece replaced similar style doors/drawer fronts as you have with a shaker style (not straight shaker - it has a little more to the style than just a rail and stile - thre was a little angled piece of trim slong the inner sides of the stiles/rails). She had the doors made + professionally finished by a cabinet maker - and then he gave her the paint (it wasn't regular paint fron SW or BM) to use for the cabinet boxes. She also added trim pieces to the ends of the upper and lower cabinet sides in order to make them look nicer. She bought a used spray gun to spray the cabinet finish that was supplied to her. Her kitchen actually looks very nice (she also replaced her granite and backsplash) - so, she spent more than $3,000 - but she did this in place of a full gut of her kitchen (it functioned well - had good work triangle + IWSF - ice/water/stone/fire). She did have her husband change a couple lower cabinets from doors to drawers (she said that he's fairly handy - but he really learned how to do it after watching a few videos).

Beth H (a well known designer on here) renovated her kitchen - but kept her kitchen cabinet boxes. I think that she changed her doors/drawers from partial overlay to full overlay (I think that's correct) + added a BEAUTIFUL Calacatta marble countertop for her island + Calacatts marble tiles for her backsplash. NO ONE would ever guess that she didn't purchase entirely new cabinets. Her kitchen looks amazing. I believe that she may have changed some lowers to drawers also.

If you think that you'd use your cabinet boxes, then I wouldn't do anything to them now. You can't hire a true cabinet refinisher for even the entire $3,000. However, if you are going to replace the cabinets, you could paint them yourself. There are many tutorials - and since you wouldn't need the finish to hold up for more than 2-3 years, if it makes you happy - you could spend the time/effort to do it. The prep work is the most important part - I'm sure there are many videos/blogs about how to do it (I've never researched painting cabinets). Painting them yourself wouldn't be very expensive - and it would most likely work for a few years (and not cost very much). Maybe you could remove your backsplash tiles and simply paint that area for now until you renovate your kitchen.

Again, if it was my kitchen - I'd save the money and put it towards my new renovation (you can buy some very nice tiles for your backsplash with that money vs. spending less on them because you've spent that money now - OR - buy nicer hardware for your new cabinets when you renovate your kitchen.

I just thought I'd throw out some other ideas since I know people who have kept their cabinets instead of gutting their kitchen - and their kitchens look very nice (as I already typed above, if you can find a photo of Beth H's kitchen, you'd never think it wasn't a total gut - it's really stunning).

Replace the backsplash, you can do a simple peel & stick black penny round if you don't want to demolish the existing one, just install over existing tiles. Find a bold coloured roman shade and a coordinating washable runner. Install a new pendant over the sink and a black faucet. You can also replace the cabinet hardware with black.

I don't see a few things. The frig. Counter around the range. A layout of the floor would help along with more pictures from other angles. Better task lighting will be on the list.

I think you should live with the kitchen basically as is and you might find you end up liking it. A couple of cheap fixes would be to change out the rug and the light over the sink. Add some plants and some colourful accessories. Boho to me means "lively and evolve over time" so show some life going on - dishsoap on counter, tea towel over handle of dishwasher, spice rack near stove etc.

What's your floor? Is it in decent shape? The rug suggests not. I don't think the yellow backsplash goes with the cabs. That might be a place to add a boho vibe. The cabs look good. With a cool backsplash and rug/floor the kitchen would have a whole different vibe.

get some cool floor runners [ narrower] the big rug like that is undesirable. You have a nice big U shape, so go select some countertop accessories and then wait for your bigger project as you say in 2 - 3 yrs...... time goes quickly/ you can start planning for that rather soon. .

Giselle Transitional Floral Area Rug, Seafoam, 2'3'' X 7'7'' · More Info

Wendy Transitional Floral Gray Runner Rug, 2'x10' · More Info

If your doing a full reno in time, you could paint the cabinets. There is good quality paint that can last quite a bit if yes you prep well, most important. New hardware, peel and stick tile backsplash, maybe remove a few upper doors for open shelving? Or glass doors on a few. Lights inside for a bit of drama with some decorative plates or bowls? You can paint the floor, I’m not a pro on that but it is done quite a bit, prep, prep. Then a small rug at sink and a shade at window, maybe roman. I’ve painted cabinets myself and like I said I’m not a pro, but it certainly changed things in my kitchen and is lasting very well, kept me in budget as well:).

Bohemian, eclectic, bold with oak cabinets.

With you newly moving in and a small budget... I would recommend you don't try any real updates right now. Move your stuff in. Get a new rug, window covering, replace the pendant light with something you like better. That alone will make it feel more like your flesh over those bones. Maybe paint or replace your knobs/pulls if you want more pops. Then live with it for a while as you save up for that hopeful fuller remodel in a few years.

No need to remove/ replace backsplash - get a good bonding primer and just paint it a nice vivid color that relates to your countertop - if you are creative you could have fun with different colors/finishes. For floor, you could just get a loose lay sheet vinyl from Menards or wherever - cant imagine a rug in a kitchen, not the way I cook LOL. Then when time comes to re-do kitchen you can use the vinyl to spiff up your basement or something. Its advised to put flat plywood underlayment under vinyl, or the lines of the tile will tellegraph through, but I dont think that's going to happen if its just a few years. The one thing I would NOT do is paint the cabinets, as that really is a massively time consuming job to do it right.