You won’t believe this $350 painted kitchen makeover! I completely transformed our small kitchen, mostly with paint, on a tiny budget.
I’m so happy with how I transformed my kitchen, using paint!
Ok, I’m going to go all full on preacher for a minute and ask you a question: Do YOU believe? Do you believe in the power of paint? Keep reading…
When we first moved into our home, less than a year ago, I knew that one of the first things I would need to tackle is the kitchen. I just can’t deal with golden oak. It does the opposite of bring me joy, and I spend a LOT of time in our kitchen.
The problem: I didn’t have the budget (or willingness to deal with a contractor) for a full kitchen renovation. There are SO many other things that are WAY higher on the priority list for this house. So, I turned to paint to transform my kitchen from a golden oak nightmare to a refreshing cottage-feel space that makes me look forward to cooking dinner.
My BIG Kitchen Before and After shots:
Budget Kitchen Makeover, Breakdown:
Keep in mind: many of the other supplies not listed below I already had on hand, like rollers and brushes, hand tools, power tools, and wood filler. I also used various leftover paints from different projects, but I accounted for this in a line item.
- Raising the Kitchen Cabinets up to the ceiling: FREE (and SO easy!)
- Cabinet paint (Sherwin Williams ProClassic Satin in Patience) purchased on sale for $60
- Miscellaneous cabinet painting supplies (caulk, primer, tape, roller covers) – $40
- Spray paint for cabinet hardware (this one) – $7
- Wood for backsplash (1/2×4 boards, more expensive, but less cutting and sanding) – $65
- Paint and clear sealer for backsplash – leftovers from other projects, but I’ll put it at $20
- Brackets for floating shelf (4 from Ikea) – $28
- Unfinished 12″ boards for floating shelf – $35
- Peg rail under floating shelf (this one) – $15
- Countertop Paint Kit (this one) – $80
Grand Total: $350. Do you believe in the power of paint now?!?!
How I Inexpensively Transformed my Kitchen
I’m not going to lie. There was some serious work involved. It wasn’t particularly difficult (no special skills or strength), but it was time-consuming. I spent many hours watching The Office on Netflix with a paintbrush in my hand.
Over the next few weeks, I’ll be sharing in-depth tutorials and videos showing exactly how I updated our kitchen:
- Raise upper kitchen cabinets to the ceiling, add a floating shelf under
- Paint cabinets
- Paint hardware
- Add a shiplap backsplash
- Paint countertops
Until then, I’m just going to sit back with a glass of wine and enjoy our new kitchen. Cheers!
Here’s where we started (The Before)
And here’s where we ended up (The After)
Love it, Aimee! Well done!
Did you end up doing a video on painting the cabinets? I’m needing to do mine and would love your input. Thanks for sharing so many wonderful things! I just discovered you and am so glad I did!
Hi Lori – I did not. I didn’t LOVE the paint that I used, so I didn’t feel comfortable sharing and recommending it. If I had it to do all over again, I would have used General Finishes milk paint and clear topcoat. I’ve used it on furniture for my kids’ playroom, and it holds up wonderfully!