Budget Revamp Turns Dated Kitchen Into Favourite Room In The House
- Shelley Crofts, from Cardiff, threw herself into the £400 kitchen makeover to keep herself busy during lockdown
- DIY paint job, countertop wrap and new vinyl floor transformed the “dull and boring” space into her “favourite room in the house”
- Added bronze accents for touch of glamour and is “so happy with the result”
If you’ve been channelling your energy into completing those long overdue projects around the house this year then you're not alone.
For Shelley Crofts, 37, a beautician from Cardiff, a DIY kitchen makeover provided the creative outlet that needed to stay busy during lockdown.
“My old kitchen was fitted at least 10 years ago. It was still in good condition, but I thought it was dull and boring. Plus, it felt cold and uninviting,” she told money-saving community LatestDeals.co.uk.
Keen to put her own stamp on the space by going the DIY route, Shelley set about researching different styles so she could start piecing together her dream kitchen.
“I wanted a modern look that would be a bit different to other kitchens I had seen,” she says.
She settled on a trendy two-tone kitchen in navy and pale grey, with a marble-effect worktop and glimmering bronze accents.
“I was isolating for two weeks and on top of that we had a local lockdown,” she says. “During this time, I spent around two-and-a-half weeks working on the kitchen. It cost around £400 in total, but that included paying a local company to put a new vinyl floor down for me, which was the biggest expense. It’s now my favourite room in the house.”
Shelley started by giving the doors and skirting a new coat of gloss paint to freshen them up.
“I corked the coving and painted it white, as there were a few cracks. I also gave the walls a lick of paint,” she said.
Next, she took all the cupboard handles off and set them aside.
“I painted the bottom cupboards first in a navy blue shade of Frenchic chalk paint called Hornblower. I love the colour, but I thought it would look too dark if I used it all over so I went lighter on the top cupboards by using the shade Swanky Pants.”
The tiled splashback was next on the list.
“Painting over the tiles was the easiest part, as I used black paint over dark grey tiles,” she said. “The paint I used was also from the Frenchic range, in a shade called Black Jack. It went on easily with a medium-sized round brush. I’m planning on adding a topcoat to protect it against splashes of food from cooking.”
While the paint dried, Shelley turned her attention to the worktops.
“Adding the sticky back plastic to the counters was definitely the hardest part,” she said. “The marble-effect design cost me £36 in total – six rolls for £6 each – from the D-C-Fix range at B&Q.
“I watched some YouTube tutorials to learn how to best apply it, and if I got stuck I FaceTimed my brother-in-law for advice,” she says. “I then sealed the worktop with silicone. I’m glad I learnt how to do that to a good standard. It was hard work but I am so happy with the result.”
At the next opportunity, once lockdown restrictions had been lifted, Shelley called in the professionals to complete the floor.
“The vinyl floor cost £160,” says Shelley. “It took just 45 minutes to fit as there were two fitters working together.”
All that was left to do was add the finishing touches.
“I painted the cupboard handles copper using a mixture of Frenchic Finishing Coat and Beautiful Bronze FrenSheen,” she says. “If I were to do anything differently I’d probably spray-paint the handles instead of painting them with a brush, as it would have sped things up.”
However, Shelley was on a roll and decided to add the copper paint to the top of the bread bin, toaster and plant pots to tie together the colour scheme.
“I even made some matching Prosecco coasters out of resin, as an extra touch,” she added.
“I love the end result. I feel proud of myself for completing it on my own – all except the floor, of course,” she said.
The experience has inspired her to turn her hand to more projects around the house.
“I’ve upcycled cupboards and tables in the past, because I like trying out new ideas and changing things up. I’m currently making resin objects to keep my creativity going.”
Tom Church, Co-Founder of LatestDeals.co.uk comments: “Two-tone kitchens are hugely popular and it’s such an easy look to recreate with a simple paint job.
“Switching up the hardware is an excellent way to add some personality and there are so many stylish and affordable handle designs to shop for online.
“Or, if you like the design of your current ones but not the colour, a lick of metallic paint is a brilliant idea for an expensive-looking quick fix.”
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