old country house blog

MONDAY MAKEOVER – KITCHEN RENOVATION – BREAKING IT DOWN TO MEET YOUR BUDGET

Over the weekend I received a great email.

A READER SAW MY “9 SECRETS TO A BUDGET FRIENDLY KITCHEN MAKEOVER” article on DOMINO.COM and asked this question:

domino article

domino article

” I also have an outdated kitchen that you updated slowly with your own design. I’m not sure where to start….Do you have any tips or resources to help me figure out what comes first?”
I thought about this while I was driving back from an out of town soccer game yesterday and this is the ORDER  I came up with:
1. Cabinets/ Paint
2. Lighting
3. Countertops -sink/faucet/cooktop(if you have a built in one)
4. Appliances
5. Floors
Now obviously…In a perfect world, with no budget constraints…you could do everything at once, just suck it up and have a makeshift kitchen in your dining room with a microwave and fridge, work around the construction and the mess and wake up with a Nice Brand New Kitchen!!!
But we do not live in a perfect world and money is often an issue. Spreading out the costs over time can help you budget in your kitchen without breaking the bank.
Now let me back up by saying that when we VERY FIRST moved into our house almost 11 years ago, we were renting. The landlord had purchased our house as part of a big property  acquisition but did not want the house to live in. We knew him personally and  in order to make the house inhabitable, he allowed us to oversee the “renovation” on a shoestring budget. We did the entire kitchen on less than $4,000. We painted the cabinets inside and out and replaced the hardware. I think I got ALL the knobs on ebay for $6!!!
We had high grade but inexpensive and discontinued vinyl flooring installed OVER the old vinyl, got low end appliances (we kept the Avocado double oven as it was almost in brand new condition!) We got a budget sink and faucet and $300 in stock  formica countertops.  THAT version, the bare bones  version, is NOT what we will discuss here, but it is important to note that IT IS  a way to buy yourself some time. And as such, our kitchen was very tolerable, clean and functioned great for 6 years…that is when the BIG MAKEOVER started.
The First Makeover was VERY Basic and inexpensive but it bought us time to save
The First Makeover was VERY Basic and inexpensive but it bought us time to save

PACING THE MAKEOVER

1. CABINETS/PAINT
I INSTALLED THE SUBWAY TILE MYSELF, BORROWING THE TILE CUTTER FROM A FRIEND.
I INSTALLED THE SUBWAY TILE MYSELF, BORROWING THE TILE CUTTER FROM A FRIEND.

We started with the Cabinet doors and hardware replacement. We knew that tackling the countertops meant replacing both the sink and cooktop and needed to save up for that phase, as it would by far be the most expensive. The cabinet doors made the kitchen look so much better and updated…

new cabinet doors and drawer front BEFORE we replaced the countertops.
new cabinet doors and drawer front BEFORE we replaced the countertops.
Cabinet doors completed first
Cabinet doors completed first

2. LIGHTING

THIS STEP CAN REALLY HAPPEN AT ANYTIME. Having a second pendant installed brought much more light into the kitchen . I actually replaced the sink pendant again when we did the countertops. KITCHENPHASE1

3. Countertops/ cooktop/backsplash/sink/faucet/
This was the BIGGEST and most rewarding step because so much and to be done at one time. I felt like I had a brand new kitchen when this step was finished ! The floor was still grungy but I did not mind!
phoebekitchen
 kitchen counter tops4. Appliances
We did this step in conJuNction with step 3 but if I had needed to wait I could have held out on the double oven, a HUGE chunk of the budget.
KITCHEN AFTER
KITCHEN AFTER

5. FLOORS

This step was motivated by the FAMILY CIRCLE shoot of our kitchen. And I think that because we were short on money and time, my creativity went into overdrive! I was SO happy with the resulting floor…and have no plans on upgrading it until, or IF we are ever able to a gut renovation of the kitchen. I LOVE IT and it has held up beautifully.

PAINTED VINYL KITCHEN FLOOR
PAINTED VINYL KITCHEN FLOOR
FAMILY CIRCLE NOVEMBER OF 2012
FAMILY CIRCLE NOVEMBER OF 2012

WORKING on a budget is a reality for most people. But it does not have to be a barrier. If all you can afford is a gallon of paint…you can still make a huge difference in how your home feels. 

HAVE FUN!

5 thoughts on “MONDAY MAKEOVER – KITCHEN RENOVATION – BREAKING IT DOWN TO MEET YOUR BUDGET

  1. I keep looking at my kitchen thinking I want to do SOMETHING, anything but monthly payments on 20K in additional debt to feel fancy while making a pancake. I was to afraid if I had one thing installed out of order I may end up paying more!! This is very helpful. Thank you.

  2. I remember when you originally posted all this information and am still impressed. My favorite kind of renovation is the creative kind. On a side note, I noticed you said that you may do a total gut job renovation someday. Does that mean you aren’t moving? I may have missed something….. : )

      1. Just read it! I understand the hesitation. We’re in a similar situation…..To move or not to move, that is the question!

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