Affordable Ideas for a DIY Kitchen Makeover
A dated kitchen gets a brand new look with clever DIY ideas, paint and a few new and affordable accessories.
04/04/2020
better homes and gardens
This 19th century home was renovated from top to bottom, but the kitchen was the one room where decisions went backwards and forwards on how to proceed with the renovation. The homeowner wanted something that was going to be affordable but still provide a reference to the age of the home but didn't want to go over budget to get the look.
There wasn't much work that needed to be done in the kitchen apart from a refreshed look that tied in with the renovations in the rest of the house. Rather than rip out and replace cabinets and tops that were still in great condition, it was decided to use paint for a new makeover that would see the kitchen for a few years.
GOOD TO KNOW: Before considering the option to paint kitchen cabinets, the cabinets should be in good condition. Anything less and you would be wasting your time and money.
2-Tone Painted Kitchen Cabinets and Cupboard
Since the kitchen cabinets and cupboards were still in good condition and only required a bit of touch-up here and there, the decision was made to bring a 2-tone colour effect into the room by painting the upper cabinets in a crisp white and the base cabinets in a muted green hue.
Painting kitchen cabinets is an inexpensive way of giving any kitchen a new look without the cost and mess of ripping out and replacing cabinetry. Chalk paint makes the project even easier since very little prep work is required before applying the chalk paint. However, it is always recommended that you scrub down frames and doors to remove all grease and grime that has accumulated over the years. This will ensure a far better bond between paint and surfaces.
For the green used to paint the kitchen cabinets, Annie Sloan Provence and Chateau Grey were mixed together to provide the perfect hue.
The alcove where the stove is installed was once a cooking fireplace in this historical home. Adding a couple of panels and 2 small pieces of countertop on either side provided a more finished look and helped this area tie in with the rest of the kitchen.
Incorporating a Mix of Old and New
The old, dark stained cabinets in the kitchen did nothing to brighten the outlook, so giving them a couple of coats of paint really did the trick. Modern tiles were installed as a backsplash along this area, giving the kitchen a modern look that also ties in with the style of the kitchen. There's nothing wrong with bringing old and new together these days and it can introduce something unexpected into the design.
The newly painted cabinets were given a mod update with geometric-style handles and pulls that also work well with the modern design of the splashback tiles.
Money-Saving Paint Technique
Rather than rip out the porcelain floor tiles, these were painted with chalk paint and a geometric stencil design to give them the look of encaustic tiles. Several coats of matte polyurethane cover the tiles for protection from daily wear and tear. Keep in mind that designs on floors are not intended to be long-lasting and will generally show wear that becomes a part of the look.
