How to Completely Update your Kitchen on a Budget

Back in the day (and maybe still on HGTV), a kitchen renovation is usually estimated to be at least 20k. I’m here to show you that it doesn’t have to be that way.

The Before

Wow. Can you say heavy? That’s the one word that comes to mind when I see this initial space. All of the finishes just look and feel dark and heavy. Not to mention there are 9′ ceilings that are being completely wasted with these short cabinets.

Desk Area

Here’s the before of the work desk area. This space really just displayed clutter. I mean, let’s be honest, don’t most horizontal spaces just collect stuff? They do at my house…

Basically my dad is magic because… look at that below.

The After

It’s not totally finished in this picture, but pretty darn close. He ripped out the desk cabinets and built custom shelves for the inside of the pantry. They bought that cute little gray cabinet to build the shelves around.

The doors are from a local salvage yard. I can’t remember how much, but for sure under $100. My Uncle George poured his heart into these doors. He painted and painted and painted until they were done.

We found the track online and my dad put it all up. Boom. Isn’t it so pretty??

From Fridge to Stove and Pantry to Fridge

Kind of a tongue twister or something, huh? It just came to me. 😉

Before

So before, this was the set up. When you opened the fridge, that side of the island was all of a sudden useless. If someone was sitting on a stool at the island, they would have to move for you to get into the fridge… talk about awkward.

The After – Rearranged Layout

Some Simple Steps to your own Kitchen Facelift on a Budget

1. Try to be creative with what you already have available to you. In this project, we rearranged the lower cabinets to better work with the new configuration.
2. PAINT. Paint is your best friend in almost every budget friendly redo. It’s such an affordable way to really make an impact (and quickly too!).
3. Thrift – The 2 upper cabinets in the finished pictures are from our local Habitat ReStore. They were much more affordable than brand new cabinets, but really did the trick.
4. Pick a place to splurge according to your budget. Make sure you know your priorities. Whether that’s a new appliance, subway tile, new lighting, open shelving… Make sure you plan ahead and save for that.

More pictures

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