A funds kitchen facelift with cottagecore fashion utilizing paint, cheap DIY initiatives, and small adjustments for a big effect.
You understand how you watch these makeover exhibits on HGTV and there’s at all times this loopy superb earlier than and after with a brand new open idea and new lighting and new cupboards and new counter tops and new flooring and a giant beautiful price ticket of $80,000?
That’s cool and all. And yeah, I nonetheless watch them as a result of good day? They’re superb! However I’m not practically as amazed with these massive funds renovations as I’ve been with this funds kitchen facelift.
See the total breakfast nook / kitchen reveal right here!
And see kitchen facelift funds breakdown right here!
Cottagecore Fashion Kitchen Facelift Earlier than and After
I actually have to inform myself typically that these actuality exhibits are usually not, in truth, at all times actuality. As a result of I begin to want for that life as an alternative of being grateful for what I have already got.
Our newest kitchen facelift was the reminder I wanted. Right here is the place we had been 5 years in the past on move-in day versus right now. No demo, no large transform… simply beauty little fixes that added as much as a giant change.

Greatest Ideas for a Funds Kitchen Facelift
- Paint alone can rework a whole kitchen for round $300 (in case you’re keen to color it your self)
- Take into account a peel and stick or panel backsplash to disguise outdated tile
- Attempt portray flooring or floating LVP flooring in case you can’t demo
- Lighting makes a big impact. Swap out fundamental fixtures for ones with extra character.
- Simply altering knobs and pulls on cupboards could make them really feel new once more
- Be intentional along with your countertop decor. Maintain it minimal and purposeful.
I informed myself that finally the dated flooring would get replaced. Ultimately, we’ll take down a wall to make this kitchen larger. Ultimately, we’ll demo the backsplash and swap the peninsula for an island to make a greater structure.
However what? Nobody mentioned you needed to reside with one thing you didn’t love till you can save up for an enormous transform. Go all Tim Gunn on that room and make it work!
And perhaps you’ll see the sweetness that was there all alongside simply begging to be seen. That’s been the lesson for me on this kitchen.
Now, after primarily simply utilizing paint, cheap DIYs, and some small adjustments, it appears to be like like this. So I’m breaking down all the sources, paint colours, tutorials, and funds on this submit.

Painted Cupboards
Tutorial | Learn how to Paint Kitchen Cupboards Like a Professional
Inspiration | Inexperienced Kitchen Cupboard Concepts
Value: $280
Robert and I painted the kitchen cupboards in July once I was 7 months pregnant, and I undoubtedly wouldn’t suggest that route (the pregnant, mid-summer half). However portray our kitchen cupboards was one of the best determination for this kitchen!
After 4 years since we painted them, they’re nonetheless holding up fantastically. Swapping the brushed nickel {hardware} with these aged brass knobs and pulls added a lot wanted heat.
The white higher cupboards are Benjamin Moore Merely White and the decrease cupboards are Sherwin Williams Billiard Inexperienced to work with the marginally inexperienced tint in our present leathered granite counter tops.
To be honest, it was a pleasant kitchen to start with because it already had cupboards that had been lower than 30 years outdated (youthful than our 58 12 months outdated home).
They had been yellowed and scuffed up earlier than, however it was nothing paint couldn’t repair. Your complete cupboard paint job value about $280.

What a distinction paint makes!
You recognize that saying, “White paint makes small rooms look larger”? That’s a complete delusion in case you don’t have some distinction to floor the house. An excessive amount of white is simply bland. Case and level:

Herringbone LVP Flooring
Tutorial | Learn how to Set up a Herringbone LVP Floating Flooring Over Tile
Value: $815
Since we undoubtedly can’t take away the outdated tile ground any time quickly till we transform, floating LVP flooring on high was the best possible determination for a kitchen facelift to carry us over for a number of years (and even many years if we want them to final that lengthy).
The set up took us about 4 days, and the fee was round $815 for flooring all through all the kitchen.
Straight LVP flooring would have been cheaper and sooner to put in, however I completely fell for that herringbone sample to provide the kitchen that classic cottagecore fashion.

IKEA Pantry Cupboards
Tutorial | DIY IKEA Pantry Cupboard Utilizing Hemnes
Value: $980
Our kitchen had completely no meals cupboard space and not using a pantry in any respect, however fortunately, we had this one giant clean wall on one facet of our kitchen of fully wasted house.
So we used it to its full potential by utilizing two IKEA HEMNES cupboards, portray them the identical colour as our cupboards (Sherwin Williams Billiard Inexperienced), and including vintage mirror window movie to the entrance for concealing storage.

Lighting
Value at time of buy: $391
For above the sink, we changed the canned mild with this aged brass pendant to tie collectively the traditional-meets-modern look we love.
It’s easy and streamlined however provides the correct amount of heat.

We took down the outdated yellowed monitor mild that was within the walkway of our kitchen and changed it with this aged brass monitor mild a number of years in the past as an alternative.
The kitchen ceiling nonetheless has an enormous fluorescent mild in the midst of the room, however it could require an enormous endeavor to take away, so we now have simply left it for now. Including the 2 brass lights helps distract from it although.

Faucet
Value at time of buy: $288
Since our outdated sink faucet was actually worn out, we swapped it for this modern fashionable aged brass faucet. That one little change gave our sink space an enormous improve.
I’d like to swap out the sink, however because it’s an undermount reduce out into our granite countertop, it has to remain.
I certain miss my IKEA white porcelain apron sink. Single basin is life!


Pressed “Tin” Fashion Backsplash Hack
Tutorial | DIY Pressed Tin Kitchen Backsplash
Free Printable | Vintage Oil Portray Printable Artwork
Value: $160
5 years in the past, we tackled this backsplash as one in all our very first initiatives on this home since we felt the prevailing backsplash made the room really feel somewhat too busy.
It’s for sure made one of many greatest impacts on this kitchen for the least sum of money.
It’s really easy to wipe clear, has held up completely, and better of all… it was a loopy quick DIY executed in simply a day without having for energy instruments.
I like that it’s easy however nonetheless has a refined sample to it. And it attracts the highlight to our present leathered counter tops, which is the entire purpose why we selected inexperienced for our decrease cupboards to “make it work”.


Command Middle Wall and Vent Cowl
Tutorial | DIY Air Return Cowl
Value | $275
On the wall beside our pantry cupboards, we initially had a shelf that we found was a complete muddle collector.
So we took it down, painted the partitions with a clear white Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace to make this darkish room really feel brighter, and added a command middle to maintain our household extra organized with a calendar, mail sorter, and memo board for posting vital reminders.

Every part now has a spot, however with the shelf gone, we’re not tempted to throw random junk on this nook.
This was the state of affairs earlier than… yikes.

Open Shelving
Value: $0
This wall beside our range initially had a built-in shelf just like the command middle one, however Robert simply used the jigsaw to take away the arch and shamrock cut-outs to make it streamlined.
I put some easy decor on it with somewhat serving ware / dishes to maintain it from changing into one other clutter-catcher. 😉

Framed Preserved Handwritten Recipe Artwork
Tutorial | Learn how to Protect and Body Letters and Handwritten Recipes
Value: $54
Beside the shelf, I framed three handwritten recipes from my mother and grandmothers which are so particular to me.
I like that the float body exhibits off the tattered edges on the outdated paper. (I laminated them with UV movie to forestall the ink from fading.)
Every recipe is every of my grandmothers’ and great-grandmother’s signature dishes they had been/are most identified for in our household written in their very own handwriting.
No priceless artwork on the planet is extra valuable to me than these candy little items of paper crammed with splotches and love.


The Completed Kitchen Facelift
It’s taken a number of re-imagining, however this kitchen lastly does really feel like home. It was a very long time to work our approach into this cottagecore fashion look, however I believe that’s a part of what made the journey extra enjoyable.
And although we do plan to finally do the massive HGTV-level renovation sooner or later, I’m so glad we will wait a number of years and never really feel rushed to make that occur.



Kitchen Facelift Sources, Paint Colours, and Funds Breakdown
Kitchen Facelift Funds Whole: $3,921
The most important factor I remember is we now have been chipping away at this kitchen makeover for five years, so although the ultimate quantity appears hefty for only a kitchen facelift, it’s been a gradual strategy of saving and DIYing to get there.
Averaging round $785 per 12 months to enhance this kitchen isn’t too shabby in spite of everything.

Have you ever executed any funds kitchen facelift initiatives in your individual home that you just beloved? I’d love to listen to about them!