Sometimes there are homes and rooms that need a total renovation: gut it and start from scratch. More often, you can work with what you’ve got to make something that works — which might still take knocking out a wall or two 🙂 But no matter where you start from, there are some details and finishing touches that can really turn a good-looking room into a beautiful room. Things like fresh paint, some added trim or finish work, and personalized homey decorating.
One of our readers, Jenny, sent in these before and afters of her home and she nailed it! The befores are nice, but the afters and the small touches that Jenny added (on her own, self-taught DIYing, I might add) really just take her kitchen from nice to amazing! Jenny is here today to share her gorgeous kitchen makeover and some tips for making a home facelift successful. And Jenny paid us the highest compliment: “Yours was the first DIY home improvement site I ever came across and the inspiration for me believing that maybe, just maybe, I could do a little DIY, too.” We’re blushing and so thrilled to have been part of your story, Jenny! Remodelaholics, be sure to leave her a comment to let her know what a great job she did!
UPDATE: Paint colors and decor sources at the bottom of the post!
4 Steps to a Successful Kitchen Makeover
from reader Jenny
In the two years I’ve lived in my current home, I have undertaken dozens of home improvement projects, doing nearly all of the work myself, even while pregnant with my 4th child. In the process, I have learned two things: 1) “Yes, I can!” With hard work and determination, I can transform my space all on my own, in true DIY style; and 2) Small and simple changes can have a significant impact on the look and feel of a space.
My kitchen facelift is the perfect example of how a “can do” attitude joined with thoughtful improvements can transform a space. I didn’t have what I would call a ‘bad’ kitchen, but it lacked personality. When I moved in, I could see where, with a little care, I could make it more to my liking without a major renovation and without significant expense. So that’s what I did! Here’s how:
1) Catch the Vision
I first had to come up with a plan. To see the picture in my head of how the kitchen could be better. I started by considering how I and my family use the kitchen space and what we needed to make it function well for us. Immediately, I knew we had to have more light! The kitchen was dimly lit and felt dark and unwelcoming in the evenings. I hired an electrician to install several additional pot lights in the ceiling, as well as two pendant lights over the island. This was the most expensive part of the makeover, but one I wasn’t comfortable doing myself. It cost about $1,000. Well worth the expense!
I also identified that the minimal wire shelving in the pantry was insufficient, so I ripped it out and installed custom wood shelves and converted a coat closet in to a second pantry so that we’d have enough space for food storage. I then built a custom spice rack and attached it to the pantry door to maximize the space even more!
pantry makeover
There were other, smaller updates that improved the efficiency of the space, as well, such as relocating an under-cabinet-mounted microwave to a spot where it would take up less space and adding a towel bar across from the kitchen sink. And, because I have kids, I even added a giant magnetic chalkboard to the exposed side of the cabinets housing the double ovens. A custom chalkboard was too expensive, so I had a local sheet metal shop cut a piece of metal to size. I used construction adhesive to mount it to the cabinets and then painted it with chalkboard paint.
I spent time browsing Pinterest and home decorating sites to get ideas. Most of the kitchens on these sites were brand new and professionally designed. I knew that without spending a ton of money, my kitchen wasn’t going to look like those, but I also knew that I could identify elements of design and customization in these kitchens that I liked and then translate that in to something I could re-create in my own kitchen.
2) Plan and Prepare: Once I had a bunch of ideas in mind, I had to sift through them and decide what I could make happen with a little DIY magic. There were several things I would love to have done, but decided against either because of the time it would have required or the expense. I’m a mom of 4 kids ages 10 and under. I had to be realistic about how long I could disrupt our family’s living space while I made the improvements and how it would effect my family for my time to be swallowed up by this project.
Once I determined the ‘what,’ I had to figure out the ‘how.’ I am entirely self taught. Anything and everything I learned about DIY home improvement, I learned from watching a YouTube video or reading an online tutorial. So if there was something I wanted to do, I Googled it to learn how!
3) Don’t Forget the Little Stuff: Most of the improvements I made to my kitchen were on a small scale. I didn’t paint or replace the cabinets. I didn’t re-do the floors or install new appliances. But when you add up all the little stuff—-custom shelves above the windows, a new coat of paint, crown molding and wainscoting, and decorative touches—-it equals big impact. And I saved a lot of money by doing the work myself.
I spent less than $200 on the trim wood for the crown molding, chair rail, and shadow boxes. The shelf above the kitchen eating area was made mostly of scrap wood, so the biggest expense was the hooks, which cost around $30. The shelf above the kitchen sink is just corbels, a board, and a piece of trim. About $30 to build. Several of the signs hanging in my kitchen, I made using scrapwood and paint I already had on hand. The bar stools and desk chair I picked up at a garage sale for $23 total. All I had to do was paint them. I used sheets of beadboard to finish off the ends of all the cabinets, to make a backsplash, and to improve the kitchen island. The beadboard cost about $100.
I even made my own kitchen table! I banded a piece of plywood with trim for the tabletop and attached it to 4 table legs I recycled from an old table and painted it to match my kitchen. Now I have a table that seats 8 and it cost me less than $50 to build.
4) Get to Work!: This is the fun part, but also the hard part! Take the time to be prepared and to think things through before starting. Start small and work from there as you gain confidence in your skills. If you’re anything like me, it’s going to take you longer than you think it will and there will be all kinds of hiccups along the way, but hold on to your vision. Don’t give up! It will be worth it in the end!
The pictures to prove it . . .
SOURCES
Paint colors
Beadboard: I had Home Depot custom color match the color of my cabinets using Behr paint.
Crown molding, chair rail, and shadow boxes: White Dove by Benjamin Moore
Kitchen walls: Restoration Hardware Silver Sage
Bird plates: Birch Lane
White plates (above the doorway): Home Goods.
Large Bakery sign: AntiqueFarmhouse.com
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Jenny, thank you so much for sharing this with us! I love how all the small changes you made added up to such a wonderful finished kitchen!
Want to show off your amazing skills? Submit a brag post here!
See more beautiful white kitchen inspiration here (click each photo):
Related
A big thanks to the team at Remodelaholic.com for the opportunity to share some of my adventures in DIY-ing! And an even bigger thank you for all of the inspiring content you regularly feature here that makes it possible for anyone—even me!—to imagine they can do what they never thought possible!
Thank YOU so much for sharing with us, Jenny!
Can you tell me where you got you roman shades on your kitchen window or how to make them?
I bought the Roman shades 2+ years ago at a PotteryBarn clearance sale. To the best of my knowledge, the blinds are no longer available for purchase. I’m afraid I’m not much of a seamstress, so I don’t have a suggestion for how to make them, but I imagine if you do some Google searches, you’ll find great tutorials out there. Good luck!
Read more at https://www.remodelaholic.com/kitchen-makeover-small-updates/#owr1JiOdXrtbLB6K.99
it is beautiful!! I wud luv to see more of your home! and I think it looks like a professional did it all!
We have more from Jenny coming up next week! Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss her gorgeous home! 🙂
Thank you! I’m excited to share another project next week!
Jenny do you have a blog?
Thank you for asking. I do not currently have a public blog.
I am in love! these updates look so amazing and are making me want to tackle my own kitchen.
One Question: What color/brand paint did you use in the kitchen, it looks like a soft gray.
Thanks for sharing.
Thank you! The blue-gray color on the kitchen walls is Restoration Hardware Silver Sage. I’ve been very happy with it.
Would love to know what color paint was used on the walls! Love it!
Thank you! The paint color is Restoration Hardware Silver Sage. I’ve been very happy with it.
wow you did an amazing job! I love the color of you kitchen would you mind sharing what the color is?
Sure! The blue-gray color is Restoration Hardware Silver Sage. The white trim work is Benjamin Moore White Dove.
What color did Jenny use in her kitchen?
Hello, there! I used Restoration Hardware Silver Sage and Benjamin Moore White Dove.
What color is the paint in your kitchen? I LOVE it! Everything looks so great. You should be proud!
Thank you for your kind words! I used Benjamin Moore White Dove for the trim work and Restoration Hardware Silver Sage for the walls.
CAN YOU PLEASE SHARE WITH ME WHERE YOU FOUND THE BIRD PLATES AND BAKERY SIGN?
THANK YOU
Sure! The bird plates are from Birch Lane. The large Bakery sign is from AntiqueFarmhouse.com, but I’ve seen it at DecorSteals.com, too. It’s an item that’s only offered periodically as part of a daily or weekly “special.”
Hire Jenny to work for you full time! Her taste and talent are terrific!
Haha, I agree! Amazing work and gorgeous photos! We do have another post of her beautiful finish work coming up next week, so stay tuned 🙂
Thanks for the vote of confidence, Terri!
Jenny, You certainly are talented and it shows in the beautiful updates of your home!! Very impressed you DIY!! Love the inexpensive table you made and the pantry closet! Thanks for sharing!
Thank you for your kind words!
Love, love, love what you did to your kitchen!!!
Thank you, Donna Marie!
Wow! Does Jenny have a blog?
Thanks for asking! I don’t currently have a public blog, so I was excited to get to share with Remodelaholic!
Beautiful work! I’d love to know where you bought your Roman shades. Or did you make them?
Thank you! The blinds were my first purchase for the kitchen and my color inspiration for the room. I bought them 2 years ago at a PotteryBarn clearance sale. I’m afraid I don’t know whether PB still sells them or not.
Hi there Jenny I just came across your kitchen on Pinterest! You did an amazing job! Looks awesome! I was wondering if you have any pic’s of the dining room that I can see in a few of your photos? Love those dark walls against the white!
Thanks in advance!
Totally beautiful and amazing! Beautiful workmanship and design.
Thank you, Karen!!
What a treat, thanks so much for sharing with us. I am going to pour over these photos again and again 🙂
Thank you, Khadija! You made my day!
Jenny, your transformation is fabulous! I can’t wait to see more of the projects you’ve done. Do you have a blog we can follow?
Jenny has a private-only blog, but we’ll be sharing some more of her work next week, so subscribe and stay tuned! 🙂
Thank you, Joyce! I don’t currently have a public blog, so I was excited to get to share with Remodelaholic!
Really appreciate Jenny’s thorough explanations. Makes it much easier to replicate. Thanks for sharing this beautiful work!
Thank you, Clayton!
Wow…. absolutely fantastic! I love EVERYTHING you did. I am so impressed that you did it all yourself… I would be over-the-moon proud if I could do half of what you did. Great vision and decorating skill! Could you tell me what ‘shadow boxes’ are? I think you are referring to the square-shaped moulding under the chair rails. I’m honestly blown away! Just great! 🙂
Thank you, Carol, for your enthusiasm and kindness!! I never would have imagined it possible until I just got in there and tried. ???? You’re correct! The shadow boxes are the squares and rectangles beneath the chair rail. I made them using Ogee trim molding. I think the boxes are sometimes called picture frame molding, too. Thanks again!
Would love to know the paint color in your hallway and kitchen. I love the way it freshened up the spaces!
Thank you, Stacey! The blue-gray paint color is Restoration Hardware Silver Sage. The white paint is Banjamin Moore White Dove.
Just buying new home and loved everything I see. Thanks for sharing your ideas. I will not have a white kitchen but I still feel inspired from all your ideas.
Thank you for sharing.
Glad you found us!
Congratulations on the purchase of your home! I wish you well as you settle in and make it your own. Thanks for your kind words!