We gave our home a mini kitchen makeover for a more modern look. It went from dated to dazzling in just one weekend and it only cost $10! These simple switches can make a huge difference in any kitchen, no cabinet painting or refinishing necessary.
Mini Upcycled Kitchen Makeover
Our new-to-us home needs some updating in the style department, especially the kitchen. It was stuck in the 90’s with golden oak cabinets that has gotten more and more yellow as the finish aged and pink toned paint.
The kitchen has good bones and plenty of space for our family of 4 (it’s 16 feet x 13 feet with an attached 6 foot x 5 foot pantry) but it definitely needs some help in the style department.
The Kitchen Before
When we bought the house the kitchen looked like this:
We’d love to do a full remodel that involves moving the pantry wall and enlarging the too small kitchen window. But we’re committed to living with the slightly awkward floor plan and existing cabinets for at least a year.
Sometimes it’s no fun being a responsible adult.
Why We Need a Kitchen Makeover
We’d been living with the existing kitchen for 5 months when the refrigerator began freezing every fruit and vegetable it encountered and the over-the-stove microwave died.
We knew a few changes were necessary (hello, new fridge!) but after measuring and researching and comparing appliances I was 100% percent ready for a new kitchen…
It just wasn’t in the budget!
So we decide to attempt a mini kitchen makeover. We hoped that a few aesthetic switches would allow the new appliance to fit, make the room feel more updated, and delay the costly kitchen remodel.
(I call it a “mini kitchen makeover” because we did not want to take on a large remodeling project like painting cabinets or re-tiling the backsplash.)
My budget goal… $0.
That’s right…
Zero dollars!
My husband was not at all optimistic but eventually gave into my pleas and helped me devise a plan that (we hoped) would open up the kitchen.
The $0 Mini Kitchen Makeover Plan
Before staring the makeover we took tons of measurements, spent hours looking a kitchens online, and brainstormed creative ways to reuse the existing cabinets.
Our plan:
- Remove the dead microwave and the upper cabinet that held it.
- Remove the corner spinner cabinet (It took up lots of wall space but had flimsy plastic shelves inside that didn’t provide much storage.)
- Remove the upper cabinets on either side of the sink to allow more light into the kitchen.
- Move the upper cabinets onto the wall above the stove (this added more storage and filled in the gap left by the dead microwave).
- Remove the large overhead box light fixture and use the wood to make open shelves that would match the existing cabinets.
Why Do a Mini Remodel
Our friends and family were quite confused, but I was determined to make the changes for a few reasons.
- In current kitchen designs, removing upper cabinets and replacing them with open shelving is popular. However, I wanted to try out the open-shelf fad before committing.
- The current cabinets are standard builder grade and are in rough shape. I wasn’t afraid of damaging the cabinets further.
- Painting or refinishing cabinets takes a serious time commitment; this mini makeover took about 8 hours total and cost us almost nothing!
During the Kitchen Remodel
We completed the kitchen remodel in two days. It took about 8 hours of work total. Here’s the work in 4 steps:
Step 1: Demo Day!
- We removed all the upper cabinets and the box light fixture to prepare for the new kitchen design.
Step 2: Preparing the cabinets for rehanging.
Once the upper cabinets were removed, we prepared them for rehanging by:
- Cleaning and degreasing all the upper cabinets.
- Removing the microwave cabinet from other upper cabinets using a handheld jig saw (it was originally built as one huge cabinet).
Step 3: Rehanging the cabinets.
- We placed the upper cabinets that used to hang to the right of the window over the stove and used wood from the old microwave cabinet to build shelves that filled the gap between the cabinets and the wall.
- We re-hung the over-the-fridge cabinet section over our new fridge.
- We painted the kitchen walls (we discovered they were unfinished under the cabinets) with leftover paint from our dining room/living room (Color: Soft Pelican, Valspar at Lowes)
Step 4: Building and Installing Open Shelves
- We took apart the light box and used the wood to build two long open shelves that we installed in place of one set of upper cabinets.
Mini Kitchen Remodel Costs
The entire kitchen face lift cost around $10.
(Note: this does not include the cost of the new appliances we need to replace the broken appliances.)
We used tools we already owned:
- Cordless Drill (removing and installing cabinets and shelves)
- Jig Saw (cutting apart cabinets)
- Table Saw (trimming open shelf edges)
- Rubber Mallot (removing trim and taking apart lightbox)
The finishing nails for reattaching the trim came from our tools box, we reused the cabinet mounting screws, and the paint was leftover from painting our living room.
We purchased one quart of fast dying polyurethane to coat the cut edges of the open shelves.
Mini Makeover After Pictures
I love the updated kitchen! Removing the upper cabinets along one wall opened the room up significantly.
We added just two open shelves. They allow me to display some of my blue and white dish collection but still seem airy. (I think the blue helps to balance out the gold color of the cabinets, too!)
I also love the look of the framed print. I’ve never hung much art in the kitchen, but I’ll be looking for more places to incorporate prints
(You can also see our new dishwasher in this photo, it’s so quiet I keep checking to see if it is running!)
Our new fridge is counter top depth. It give us 6 more inches of walking space and I love the extra drawer!
Here’s one final shot of the kitchen today –>
Coming Soon… More Changes!
My husband and I were both blown away by the results of our mini kitchen makeover. We keep saying “I can’t believe how much better this kitchen looks,” and we’re itching to do more. Next we want to:
- Replace the fluorescent lights that were once hidden by the ginormous lightbox with energy-efficient LEDs.
- Replace the 13 year old electric stove .
- Front door painting to add curb appeal.
What other mini changes would you suggest? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comment!
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Chris
I am a new subscriber, today! I love your blog… I found your blog when I was looking for natural cleaning products for cleaning my oven and glass door. Your mini kitchen redo is great…yes, countertop and backsplash can be painted – of course different products for the different surfaces. Will your gas stove have downdraft venting? Hopefully an appliance sponsor will see your blog and work with you to replace your stove…Keep being an inspiration – love being frugal. Kindly, Chris
Bren
Thanks Chris! Yes, the new kitchen will have a hood vent.
Barb
OK. Now I read everyone’s helpful comments. I did a cosmetic redo of a kitchen once where among other things,I swamped out the cheesy builder grade handles that were similar to what you have with new ones. POW! What a difference. I bought mine through a catalog, and they were worth every penny. Besides looking great, that had weight to them which made the kitchen feel richer to the next buyer. I just noticed you have some type of pastel looking backsplash. Think about this: my mother-in-law actually had the tile in her powder room painted. It can be done! She had a professional painter do it, but someone with your talent could give it a go. It looked amazing and has held up for years. I would investigate painting that backsplash a strong color. Since you like blues, think navy. Personally, I detest blue in a kitchen and any other cool colors, too. But you may like it… Just get rid of the pastels! They wash everything out, especially because your kitchen gets a lot of sun. The other thing you probably don’t like about your kitchen is the matchy matchy wood stain. You can stain some cupboards and some drawers a deeper color. It will make the whole place look richer and less one dimensional. Good luck!
Bren
Great ideas, Barb! I have been looking into tile painting!
Barb
Another thought about the cabinets: in lieu of staining the doors and drawers, you could put a darker stain on just the framework. That would make the oak-look doors and drawers stand out. Or, do the opposite: stain some of the doors and drawers, but leave the frame work the original color.
It looks like you have a beige paint on the drywall. I would go darker on that, too, and maybe add “real” color i.e. Not beige. Or think about making one wall a much darker beige i.e. brown. Also, with a nice but inexpensive window treatment, you can bring some texture into the room. Some inexpensive “Oriental” style runners on that tile floor would make things look richer and warmer, too. Grab the color of stain off those nice stools you have and bring it into the rest of the woodwork.
Barb
If you decide to get into staining, I would leave one of your recycled shelves original and stain the other. Your little blue ceramic collection will stand out more against a darker color shelf. In addition, you are so fortunate to have space between the top of the cabinets and the ceiling. I would keep my eye out for some BIG blue ginger pots to put up there. Above the refrigerator, you have those useless skinny cupboards. I would remove the doors and put largeer cookbooks displayed horizontally up there. “Big” cookbooks are always availble for cheap at thrift store or library sales. One final thing to consider, an upgrade on your electrical and switchplate covers. If you change out the door/drawer handles to a metal, look for new covers that match/compliment your new selection. IMHO, plastics of any kind, make a kitchen look cheap. You have made major strides, a few more tweaks and your kitchen will look even better!
Barb
Or you can spraypaint your current switch plates and electrical covers with some metallic paint. Pick your tile paint and new handles first and go from there.
Bren
Great ideas for cookbooks… I have way too many!
Bren
I have been looking into no sand gel staining!
Barb
I was speaking with a professional painter the other day. I asked him about painting ceramic tile. Yes, he said it can be done. Farrellcalhoun.com is a magnificent paint company. He said once he discovered them he never used another paint. Expensive and with limited distribution mostly in the Southeast, but worth the trouble to purchase and locate.
Bren
Thanks Barb!
Barb
Brilliant. I am adding my comment without reading any other first. I want to see if anyone else picked up on this: depending on what buildongs codes exist in your area: ventilation is usuallly required above a stove. It looks like you now have none. Most builders, I think, cover that by using a microwave with a hidden ventilating fan oven the range. That is why you see so many microwaves above ranges. One of the most clever things you did was the reuse of the framing material from the 1990s light fixture. I never would have thought of that. You are fortunate to have a clever partner who can help you. Some people don’t have that benefit and would need to pay someone to do what you accomplished. Kudos! Happy wife, happy life.
Bren
Thanks for commenting, Barb. I am indeed very luck to have a husband who is up to the challenge of being married to me! 😉
Heather Sykora
One idea: paint the island a contrasting color, like Robin egg blue or something in the blue gray color spectrum. That will help it recede and add some elegance to the space.
I would add LED pendants. I love mine. The warmth of color (kalvin) has really improved. I can’t tell much difference to the old light bulbs
Bren
I’m thinking along the same lines, Heather! Great tip on the LED lights. I’ll check out the better bulb color the next time I am at the home improvement store.
Berniek
I plan on buying my first house this winter. Of course I’ve been on the hunt for inspiration how to redo everything and make it mine. But you, in this post, have inspired me to maybe just focus on the important parts first and to let an ugly, yet functional, kitchen be for a while. I agree that the best way to know what you want, is to experience the house first. But I also just want all the things I have been dreaming about right away. Then I also know I don’t have the money to do that. Ah, life…
Bren
I right there with you, Berniek -> being practical is no fun! However, in the end, my bank account thanks me!
Julianna Mathers
So clever and cute! What do you do for stove ventilation? When you get a gas stove you will need to vent it somehow. A pretty vent hood will look beautiful but may cut down on storage.
Bren
Thanks, Julianna! We lived without a vent for awhile… the old microwave one was SOOOO weak it I could tell no difference between having one and not having one. We are currently adding a vent to outside and raising the cabinets for more storage.
Bernice
Hi again…am trying to post a picture of the ceiling light fixture we got..led..dimmable..oval from Home Depot..I guess I don’t know how to post a pic on your column…
Jeanne
I love the shelves!
You asked about other changes and as I have similar cabinetry (and used to live in Omaha) I thought I’d comment. I replaced my vent with an unfinished wood hood and vent insert and stained the hood to match, but that was to work with my vintage style. I changed out a cabinet to a plate rail – there are kits for doing that – again, part of my style. I changed out counters and backsplash and installed a farm sink. Kohler makes the Whitehaven in a “short apron” style which can be installed on a standard sink base cabinet. I also had some DIY under cabinet lighting wired in by an electrician.
Obviously, some of these changes were expensive, but no where near the cost of a remodel.
Bren
Thanks, Jeanne. Your hood is gorgeous, it looks amazing with the existing cabinets. I definitely have to check out the Kohler Whitehaven short apron sink. I desperately want a farmhouse sink but I’m not ready to replace the whole cabinet sink base. Thanks for the great tip!
Curious in G'ville
How did you leave the ceiling light fixture? Are the florescent bulbs still there?
Bren
Good question! We’ve left it open for now. I hate the florescent bulbs but it looks better than the HUGE oak box. We are in the process of selecting new lights. I’m having a had time deciding pendant or can lights. What would you pick?
Bernice
Hi…I saw this on Hometalk and just had to run over here. I absolutely love the changes you have made and at such little cost. I totally understand why you put the cabinets over the stove..it is just temporary. No one needs to worry about them. We just did a kitchen remodel and had done a mini one a year ago in another house. As far as the kitchen lighting…Home Depot has ceiling fixtures that are NOT FLUORESCENT,they are tiny led? Lights. With a huge amount of light,but mine is an oval with brushed nickel around it . Very very modern, and beautiful. I put a dimmer on it. We had canned lights in our former home for 6 months,I didn’t like them as well as a nice overhead light. Just something to think about. Of course you have the island where people sit,I just have an island. So pendants would look great there..I don’t know how that works in lighting up the whole kitchen tho. We spent many pesos on our hardware..nice looking ones are not cheap…I got shiny stainless steel. The long rod type. ..I wish I had gotten brushed nickel. The steel shows fingerprints,and I have to go around real quickly and wipe them off. But your hardware is the jewelry of the kitchen,so choose well and PAY ….and forget about the cost! The same with the kitchen faucet…I should have gone for the brushed instead of shiny steel,chrome whatever you call it. But the hardware is the wow factor besides the faucet! Again-prints and water spots. And get a real high faucet..it really is a showpiece! I am excited for you,for now,I could live with your kitchen as is for a long time! Beautiful!
Bren
Thanks for stopping over, Bernice! I agree with need some lovely new hardware. I’ll be running to check out your LED suggestion too!