DIYer Saves £1000s On Kitchen Makeover With £60 Paint Hack
- Deborah, 62, wanted a new kitchen but couldn’t afford a professional job
- She heard about Frenchic paint through a friend and decided to go DIY
- While her husband was away, she transformed the kitchen on a budget
- When he returned he thought she’d paid for a brand-new kitchen
Getting a new kitchen can feel like an impossible task when you’re quoted figures in the £1000s by professionals - but maybe all you need is a splash of colour on your old units and you’ll feel like you have a completely new kitchen. That’s what one savvy DIYer discovered after being introduced to Frenchic paint.
Deborah Kirby, 62, who runs a dog boarding business, told money-saving community LatestDeals.co.uk: ‘I have had my farmhouse-type kitchen for over 20 years. It is well made and all the cupboards, drawers and doors are still in great condition. But we all dream of that new kitchen and I have often looked at new designs in magazines, shops etc. However, when the kitchen you have is in good condition, it doesn’t really make much sense to rip it out.
‘For a long while I have thought about how I could give my kitchen a facelift and bring it up to date. A friend of mine had recently introduced me to the Frenchic line of paint for kitchens and furniture, so I joined their Facebook group to learn more.
‘I then needed a new fridge, followed by a new microwave. To top it all off, my oven ended up being condemned, so I decided to redecorate on top of getting new appliances - all as cheaply as possible.
‘I got started by thinking about the Frenchic colour range. I visited a local garden centre that stocked the paint. I knew I wanted a light colour as we have a porch area covering the kitchen window which stops natural light from coming in. I settled for the shade Swanky Pants, a light grey, for the units. Then I picked out the shade Ole Blue Eyes for the trim and kickboards.
‘When my husband went away on holiday, I decided the time was right to give it a go.
I washed down the kitchen units with sugar soap and elbow grease. I removed the cabinets and drawers next to the oven, but I couldn’t remove the oven hob or cupboard sides. However, the end effect was still just as good for the areas where I kept them in place while I worked on them.
‘I used a metal scrubbing pad instead of fine sandpaper. I lightly sanded down everywhere I wanted to paint to prepare it. The paint goes on so well - it dries in one hour and I was able to do a second coat two hours later. There is no smell with this paint, which is fantastic when working in a food prep room.
‘It took me 10 days and 2 to 3 coats of paint on each unit. I used 3 tins of paint, which were 750ml and £19.95 each. I then bought 3 rolls of D-C sticky back plastic to cover the countertops at £6.50 per roll.
‘I have been asked what the hardest part of this kitchen makeover was – well that was keeping it secret from my husband, making sure that when he FaceTimed, I kept the camera away from the kitchen!
‘So, with about £60 spent on paint, £8 on brushes and sugar soap and £20 on sticky-back plastic, I got a new kitchen – which is what the husband thought when he got back from holiday!
‘On his return I knew I had done a good job because he had to actually ask if it was a new kitchen - I could see him panicking at the cost! At first, he looked around not saying much. My son asked if he liked it, and he said ‘I don’t know what it is - a new kitchen or painted with a new counter?’ The impact was so much he couldn’t tell most of the old units were still there and the tops had just been wrapped!
‘The money I had saved by doing this makeover meant that I could buy a new fridge and range cooker. I bought these from a shop that deals in ex-display, slightly marked white goods and saved over £800 on these appliances. For example, the oven retails at £1400 but I only paid £800.
‘Recently I visited my local Sue Ryder charity shop and they have Frenchic paint on sale for just £7.50 - I was so giddy, I wanted to buy the whole box full of colours for future upcycles…’
Tom Church, Co-Founder of LatestDeals.co.uk, said: ‘Deborah has completed a stunning transformation on her kitchen. I would have reacted the same way as her husband - it looks like a totally different space!’
Save More With These Discount Codes
Read More Money Saving Guides
What a transformation, I have old kitchen units which need updating. After reading this article you have given me some ideas on how to transform my kitchen. I will wait until after the winter months so I can get everything ready to make a start. Thanks Deborah for sharing all the pictures.