$500 Thrifty Kitchen Makeover

Changing a very dated kitchen into a more up to date room with this under $500 thrifty kitchen makeover.

kitch-en [kich-uhn] – noun

a gathering place for family and friends – a place where memories are homemade and seasoned with love

When we bought our home, it was definitely based on the location.

The home was built in the ’70s and many parts have never been touched since then.

The to-do list is extensive so we just take a room at a time, as finances allow.

This kitchen was all sorts of quirky.

There were strange cabinets with different depths and an all-around funky layout.

*The above “cross” cabinets were removed altogether and a pantry was built in place. You can see our walk-in pantry here.

Table of Contents

PAINTING KITCHEN CABINETS

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One of the first things we tried to tackle was painting LOTS of cabinets…quickly!!! We had everyone pick up a paintbrush and go to town.👎 We wanted to do a lot before we moved in and tackled way too much.

LEARN FROM OUR MISTAKES –

#1 – We should have researched how to paint cabinets more!
#2 – Since the cabinets were dark, we needed a primer first to avoid the yellow bleed through. Take our advise and don’t skip this step!!! Here is the primer we have used going forward! We had to sand them all down and start again.

PAINTING CABINETS – LESSONS

Use primer if going from dark to white.
Take your time!!!
Research the different types of paint and how to apply each.

SPRAY PAINTED HINGES

While all the doors were off, we spray painted the hinges.

TIP – For screws, slightly insert them into styrofoam to stand up while you spray.

ANTIQUING – Finally, we used a little antiquing on the curves and lines in the existing cabinet doors.

OTHER THRIFTY CHANGES

Obviously, painting the cabinets is a huge change, but here are some other changes we made:

“NEW SINK” – We wanted a deeper sink but needed to keep costs down so we headed over to the ReStore and got one for $8!! Purchasing a Used Kitchen Sink
PEEL AND STICK BACKSPLASH – At some point, we will add a permanent backsplash but this peel and stick backsplash has been up for over two years and has worked perfectly. Plus, it’s a great way to try out a look to see if it’s really what you want or for rentals.
FLOORING – Yes, the flooring was changed, a DIY project from a local wholesaler, but it was flooring that was throughout the home. Here are some budget-friendly flooring projects.
LIGHT SWITCH COVERS – This is an easy switch out.
BEADBOARD – We added a little beadboard to one section of lower cabinets
PAINT – Of course, we painted. It didn’t take a lot and this was color used in our Dining Room Makeover (On a Budget)

*Plus added in some thrifted and salvaged finds as well!

|FIND STAIN GLASS WINDOWS HERE|

THRIFTY MAKEOVER RECAP

Painted cabinets -$100 (paint and supplies)
Antiquing Cabinets – $8
Painted room (leftover paint)
Used sink – $8 (plus faucet $100)
Removable peel and stick backsplash – $25
Painted hinges -$5
Thrifted items
Removed extra cabinets and some doors – free
Extended flooring -$200
Beadboard -$30

*Please don’t forget you can find so many used items that can really help you do a thrifty kitchen makeover.

MORE THRIFTY GOODNESS

Thrifing, DIY, salvaging, and upcycling allow us to do a lot with what we have. Here are some posts that we hope will inspire you to do the same:

STILL ON THE TO DO LIST:

We still have some changes we would like to make at some point:

Update dishwasher and stove
New window
LONG TERM – Remove upper cabinets on the breakfast bar side if we can remover the soffit above it as well. We would also like to update the counters and cabinets but for now, this was makeover was a huge improvement.

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