A Budget Friendly and Simple Way to Transform Your Outdated Kitchen

Wow, hi guys! Life has been a little hectic and it has taken me some time to get back here in this space but I have so many new and exciting projects to share with you. First, lets start with the kitchen. I was able to transform this outdated kitchen using only paint, new hardware and some DIY shelving! The total cost came in at just around $265. Although someday we plan to put in new countertops and possibly new cabinets, that just is not in the cards, or budget, for us at this time. And you know what? That's ok! Like I have always said, you can build a home you love while on a budget. Sometimes that means getting creative. But just because you can't afford your dream kitchen right now does not mean you have to live with a drab and dreary space until you can. It is my hope this project will inspire you to go out and create that dream room of yours with what you have and with what you can. 

Make the most of the in-between seasons in life, you may be surprised at what can you do. 

Here is the kitchen before and all I can say is... HOLY woodwork. Listen, I love me some craftsman woodworking but this was just too much. It made the kitchen feel small, dark and lifeless. 

My first and biggest goal was to lighten up this space. To start off with a fresh slate, I went with "Nano White" by Behr for the walls. After stumbling upon a few inspiration photos of "greige" cabinets I instantly knew that is what I wanted. It took a little convincing to get my fiancé on board as this really isn't a popular color you see in most modern kitchens but I wanted this space to be different, I didn't want it to feel like everyone else's. After getting the okay from Drew and sampling some different colors I landed on "Synchronicity" by PPG paints. I was quite impressed with the color but I'm a Behr paint girl through and through so I had the color color matched and made using Behr paint. This is something I learned can be done just recently. So if you are a die hard Behr paint fan like myself, you can take color swatches from other companies such as PPG or Sherwin Williams and the fine folks at Home Depot can color match the sample for you so that you can still use Behr. Sweet right!? 

So, now that I had the cabinets and walls squared away I needed a solution to the terrible formica countertops. That's when I stumbled upon countertop paint. Have you ever heard of it? It turns out it is a magical, cheap and durable solution to forking over 5-10K for new countertops. I did my research and found that the Rust-Oleum countertop paint had great reviews so I decided to just go for it. All I can say is I am truly thrilled at the results. Rust-Oleum countertop paint can be tinted to 12 different colors, I choose to go with pewter and therefore for just $25 I was able to create a faux concrete countertop look.  Application was relatively easy. All you need is a small brush for corners and a 4 inch high quality foam roller. It is very important to get a roller that does not "shed" or leave any lint behind otherwise you'll end up with those little flakes imbedded in your counters. Some other important things to note, spills and extreme temperatures will change the color of the countertops. For example a hot plate or a drop of water will make the counters look discolored. However, this is only temporary and after the substance has been removed the countertops will return to their original color. All in all these countertops were so worth the work and the money. 

Midway through our renovations the kitchen faucet began leaking so we decided it was time for a new one. We snagged this matte black beauty on Amazon for $60 plus an additional $12 for the decking plate and WOW what a difference it made. Plus, having a pull down sprayer is such a game changer. 

To complete this space I decided to remove the cabinet to the left of the sink to allow for a more open and airy feel. In its place I added open shelving. Due to the small wall space I opted for 3 staggered floating shelves to create some interest in this space. The wood was purchased at Home Depot and stained in "special walnut" by Varathane. After searching high and low for floating shelf brackets that didn't cost $30 a piece I landed on these from Amazon, for $36.99 it was a fantastic deal and they are very sturdy and supportive. In addition to the brackets I also ordered some cabinet knobs and pulls from Amazon because what are new cabinets without some new hardware?! I think the antique brass really pulled everything together and I am just so in love with how it all turned out. 

Last but not least, I created a custom built kitchen peg shelf to break up this awkward space between the upper cabinets. Also, I just adore them and think they are both super functional and allow more space to creatively style practical kitchen items. A peg shelf is a great idea for those of you with limited counter or cabinet space. I saved a highlight on my Instagram with the step by step process for this shelf if you are interested, click here. 

Now for everyones favorite part... the before and afters

I hope this shows you that creating your dream kitchen doesn't require thousands upon thousands of dollars. You can make the most out of your home now with nothing more than a small budget and determination.