When Bethany sent her fantastically creative low cost kitchen makeover our way we had to share the eye candy. Here’s her letter:
This spring my hubby and I got busy refreshing our tired kitchen. Our goal was to make changes that improved the look of the space without spending a million bucks. With a little paint, some new cabinet hardware, a new rug, and a light fixture and window treatment, our kitchen now has a whole new look! The best part was standing back at the end of the project and realizing that these small changes really made a big visual impact. I love my “new” kitchen, and the fact that we only spent around $400 is the icing on the cake. I detailed the entire process–from inspiration to completion–on my blog, for those who want the full story.
Here are the before shots of Bethany’s ho-hum kitchen:
And here are the amazingly crisp and updated after photos:
Here’s the budget breakdown:
- Cabinet glass: (clear, double-thick) from local hardware store, $130
- Bamboo shade: from Menard’s, $22
- Grasscloth wallpaper: from Menard’s, $18
- Cabinet paint: (Behr Ultra, custom matched color) from Home Depot, $15
- Trim paint: (Behr Ultra, Ultra White) from Home Depot, $15
- Wall paint: (Behr Ultra, matched to M.Stewart ‘Flagstone’) from Home Depot, $33
- Cabinet hardware: (by Amerock) from Home Depot, $116
- Pendant lamp: from Home Depot, $35
- Miscellaneous: screws, sand paper, paintbrushes, etc, $30
- TOTAL: $414
And since the “after” pictures were taken, we replaced all of our beige switches and outlets with white ones, which really finishes off the room nicely, and only cost us an additional $15. So worth it. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy it! -Bethany
Didn’t Bethany do a great job working with what she has? We love the creative uses of the grasscloth wallpaper in those cabinets and the gorgeous paint colors that she chose. Even the hardware, the window treatment and the pendant lamp polish things off without breaking the budget, and it’s amazing how the same space feels like an entirely new room after so many small and affordable changes. It all adds up.
So what do you guys think? Didn’t Bethany stretch the heck out of her 400 beans to create a space that’s both serene and functional? What’s your favorite part? We’re torn between the use of the texture-rich grasscloth behind those gleaming glass cabinet doors and the perfectly serene color scheme that Bethany landed on (which really makes the space feel a lot less closed in). Delicious.
They did such a good job improving this kitchen on such a small budget! Bravo!
Very sophisticated! Great job, Bethany and hubby! I especially love that you left some of the glass cabinets open so we can sneak a peak at your cute display of cookbooks and dishes.
I love this transformation! It’s one of those great ones that looks way more expensive than it was and yet seems doable for regular folks.
http://40daysof.wordpress.com/2010/06/01/the-back-porch-back-from-the-dead/
I like it!
Your sidebars are gone from my screen…no burger, no sponsors…am I nuts or is something wrong??
Hey Barbara,
We actually just heard the same thing from one other reader in the comments of the last post (the desk one). Feel free to scroll back through those to see what we suggested and how she fixed it. It ended up being something on her end. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
makes me want to paint my cabinets white even more now…now I need to get over my anxiety and DO IT!! =)
Love white cabinets – it looks beautiful!
I am painting my cabinets white for sure! I love what these guys have done! What a change for $400!
IMHO, I loved the upper cabinets look in the before. The lower cabinets and counters certainly needed some love though. I love the architecture of this kitchen, too… it has a nice character to it.
I love this kind od makeover best. Realistic and affodable. Small changes make a HUGE difference. We have many similar projects in the works.
So beautiful! LOVE the cabinets and wall color. Absolutely wonderful. Great job!!
Fantastic! Job well done!
I’m still researching on how to paint my not-wood cabinets.. One day! But until that day this will be bookmarked under inspiration :)
Love it! Glass cabinets often freak me out, because everything! on display! I love what she’s done to help hide what is in the cabinets and spruce them up a bit!
I love the grass cloth behind the glass. It still feels light & airy but can hide all the not-so-great dishware.
Just lovely. Did they paint the trim on the counter tops? I’m having a hard time telling from the pictures.
So dang lovely! I love these posts – they inspire little ol’ me.
Call me crazy, but the before upper cabinets > after cabinets.
Their countertop looks identical to ours – a laminate top with wood edge. I never thought about just painting the edge.
fantastic job! love before and after pictures. they are my favorite!!!
Such a great re-design! I love the cabinets with the backings–great idea, especially if you want the open look of glass with some hidden appeal :)
I love the look of the upper cabinets before, too. I like grasscloth but not really as applied here. Hmmm, I guess I’m kind of sad at so many people painting their lovely colorful furniture white.
I’m really impressed with what they did with just around $400, proof that when you have a great color scheme and are thrifty, you can pull everything together to look amazing!
Like them, I replaced my switchplates to white, since our home is older too. I was lucky though, I found a big bag of them for free on craigslist that someone had bought extra of.
~Karla
I really like how she painted the wood trim on the fronts of the countertops. That’s such a great idea! We used to have those same counters and those wood strips would always get so grody with all of the moisture and food bits, etc – great job!!!
Wow. Much nicer. Hard to believe $400 can make such a huge difference!
Do you have any insight on how to paint our 80s-looking cabinets? They’re the kind with oak trim at the bottom edge and some kind of laminate on the face. I’d love to know what to do about cabinets that aren’t such a nice canvas as these.
Hey Theresa,
Laminate surfaces can be a lot more complicated than wood and even veneer. We’d suggest taking a door or drawer with you to your local hardware store and asking the paint pros there what they recommend. And you can test anything they suggest on the inside of a drawer or door to see how it works out. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
I really loved the look of the grasscloth wallpaper. It gives unexpected texture to the cabinets without being overwhelming. I’m also a total sucker for a chalkboard fridge.
Such a gorgeous kitchen!
I especially love the glass cabinets; they make the space feel so open and light!
usually, i love the before and after posts… but i have to say that this one… i’m not so sure about.
the upper cabinets in the before shot were beautiful, and i really expected something incredible to have been done the the lower cabinets to match thier beauty. i think painting them white just took away some of the charm of the kitchen….
all of the cabinets definitely needed new hardware – and that looks fabulous…
but i just think that i would have removed the fruit paper from the doors on the upper cabinets… added lighting inside or something… and painted the lower cabinets a dark color… or refinished or replaced the lower doors…
but that’s just my random opinion…
Great job! Looks amazing.
Theresa,
There is a product called STIX, that is used to paint over laminate. Benjamin Moore carries it, as well as the big home improvement centers. I would go to a Benjamin Moore store, if there is one in your area, they always give great how to advice.
Great suggestion Karen! Thanks so much for sharing that tip with Theresa.
xo,
s
I like that the cabinets ivory and not pure white – I think if they were, the gray, black and white combo would look too cold for me. I’m not 100% on the darker trim between the dining room and kitchen though – I just love white trim, and I think having it match the trim above the cabinets might look even brighter. That said, I really like the changes, especially the pendant light above the sink! Nicely done!
Loved the kitchen makeover, super cute but I am personally dying for a baby post. Where are all those adorable pictures that I’m sure you are taking!
Hey Kelly,
Just check out the sidebar! We’ve added a button that takes you to a gallery full of Clara photos- and we plan to update it regularly. She’s a star!
xo,
s
oh, I am bookmarking these pictures for inspiration – since I’ve always wanted a crisp white kitchen, but the house we bought came with new-ish black appliances, and we can’t afford to switch them out. I thought it would look weird, but you just showed me that black appliances in a white kitchen can look super cute!
Bravo, Bethany! It looks lovely!
Oh, dear, I’m afraid I like the before photos better. What did they do with that lovely leaded glass door over their microwave? The kitchen went from interesting to carbon copy. I bet I would love their house, though. It looks like it has some charming architectural details (the arch over the sink is awesome!).
While I love the redesign pictures – I have to say that your title made me giggle. My dear 86 year Nana uses the line “hey good looking, what’s cooking?” as the intro to one of her classic jokes. The reply “bacon, wanna strip!” tee hee hee
The seagrass under glass is very clever and creative.
I totally dig the after. I think they did a great job of watching their budget and doing a wonderful makeover. Different strokes for different folks, but I’d rather have the after than the before!
The pendant lamp does wonders for accentuation that gorgeous arch over the sink, as does painting the molding above the cabinet’s white to match, it just draws my eye up and up instead of focusing on the size of the space I’m focusing so much on all of the gorgeous details. Great job!
What a lovely job she’s done! For only $400? I’m blown away!
i love the after pics! having a hard time understanding how someone would prefer the before??? the after is a much younger, more contemporary, fresher look… as i’m sure the reader was as well! the grasscloth looks fantastic!
yeah you know desing of kitchen can make us feel better happy whrn cook,so keep post dude
Just wondering if it’s just my computer or whether it is a new change, did YHL get rid of it’s blog link list?
Hey Laura,
We actually just moved them to the second box on the sidebar that looks like the search box- the one with our picture on it. If you click the tab that says “Link Love” you’ll find the full list there. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
I actually do prefer the previous upper cabinet too! it had a sorta cottage-y cosy feel, and the wood seemed to be a nice tone.
that said, I’m pretty sure the owners loved their new look, and that’s more important than anything in the world! it’s just a little more clean and bright, which is probably the look the reader wanted!
Where did that rug come from? I love teh whole room!
Hey Hilary,
We believe those are carpet squares from Flor. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
I can see what everyone is saying about the “old” upper cabinets – I really liked the look of them and particularly loved the leaded glass part. I would have tried to keep them and somehow tie everything together…..
Having said that, since the lower cabients were already white/cream, and there was not really that much wood, as most of the doors were glass front, I think painting was definitely the easiest and least expensive way to make it look more cohesive.
Painting the wood trim on the countertops made a huge difference in updating the space!
Awesome and at a great price!
Small budget, big difference. Would’ve thought it costs more. The Pendant lamp is a nice touch.
John Taylor
I love the end product! White makes such a crisp clean look and she definitely made a big impact on a tiny budget. Now to think that WAS our original plan 7 months ago when we first started our kitchen… then the sledge hammer came in! :)