Slices of life, both written and photographed.

Monday, May 24, 2010

Kitchen Transformation on a Budget for Susan's Metamorphosis Monday!


When we moved into our house several years ago, Waverly wallpaper with pink flowers against a dark green background was really quite attractive. Unfortunately, it covered the kitchen walls instead of a bedroom!

The wallpaper made the room look busy, dark, and gloomy.  Consequently, kitchen renovation moved to the top of the  "to do" around the house list.  The problem with moving forward was a very tight budget. 

Finally, last fall, my husband and I compromised. Instead of installing entirely new cabinets, which would have cost in the thousands,  we agreed to replace just the fronts of the old cabinets. They more than likely came with the house when it was built more than 70 years ago.


My dream was to have all white cabinets, some with glass fronts. That's exactly what we ordered from Home Depot. My husband took measurements and submitted them.

At first I wanted granite counter tops. When I saw the cost estimates, I almost flipped. We settled on corian because it came in  pure white.  I absolutely love it!

Also really nice is a double, very deep sink.



Coving behind the brass faucet was extra but worth it to avoid mold and excess water.


Down came the wallpaper in big strips. We painted the walls a beautiful pastel yellow called "Morning Sun."  What a difference this has made in the brightness of this room!
Mexican tiles I once picked up at a yard sale in Arizona became the backdrop behind the stove and sink! Combined with shiny white tiles, they look great.



I have never been partial to blue but decided to combine it with the yellow in our remodeled kitchen. On one wall, we hung blue and white plates. 

We sanded and varnished the wooden floor.












My husband installed a new light, replacing an old brass chandelier.

So far, I haven't found curtains for the windows but actually, love the light streaming in through the old-fashioned panes.



Today, I love our remodeled kitchen, done for about $2,000.  We still have one more glass-fronted cabinet to order in order to complete the project but there's no rush. In the meantime, I love coming into our bright and cheerful kitchen.

20 comments:

Linda @ A La Carte said...

What a great big change for $2000! So bright and pretty! Wonderful job!

Katie Olthoff said...

What an improvement! Love the tiles!

Anonymous said...

Wow! What a beautiful kitchen you have!
Be a sweetie,
Shelia ;)

Kansas Amy said...

Great job Susan! It looks wonderful!!

Adrienne said...

Susan - you did an amazing job for such a small budget.

Susan said...

Susan Your kitchen is amazing. How great for a small budget!

Dayle ~ A Collection of Days said...

It's lovely, Susan. Enjoy your labor.

Anonymous said...

What a great job for 2,000. It looks fantastic...Kathy

Brenda ~ The Heminger Farmhouse said...

Hi! Your kitchen makeover looks fabulous!! It just goes to show you don't have to spend a fortune and make yourself go broke to achieve a "million dollar" look :) Well done!!

Victorian1885 said...

Your new kitchen looks lovely..great job!

Wanda

Tammy@T's Daily Treasures said...

I love your kitchen redo. It is bright and beautiful now. Love the idea for the sink backsplash. It's so clean! Lovely. I just sent you an email. Have a fabulous week. :) Tammy

BECKY said...

Beautiful, perfect, lovely, serene....When can I come over for tea?! :)

~ ~ Ahrisha ~ ~ said...

Such a sweet redo and on a budget too. Great job I'll bet you love cooking now.
~ ~Ahrisha~ ~

Ann @ makethebestofthings said...

This looks stunning. Just the new paint and cabinet fronts alone made a huge difference. The little details like the tiles and of course the Corian took it over the top.

Rory from Tools Are For Women Too! said...

Nice project. I would love it if you would link this up in Modern Craftswoman Monday. Very well done. Rory

Karen Lange said...

Beautiful! Glad you shared these with us:)

Dianne said...

It's very bright and cheerful... lovely job!

Susan said...

Thank you ALL for stopping by. It was great reading your comments. SOOOOOO glad you all liked our remodeled kitchen. You are all SO KIND! Come back, okay? Sincerely, Susan

Chatty Crone said...

Boy a kitchen remodel for 2K that is one awesome job. I didn't know you could just put cabinet fronts on and I love the white countertops. It's a very nice kitchen - I can picture you there having breakfast. Sandie

Susan said...

Thanks, Sandie! Wish you and GS could come have breakfast with me!

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