Before and After: Stylish Kitchen on a Budget

To transform a dull kitchen into a stylish and bright space where the whole family enjoys gathering for dinner, it's not necessary to hire a designer or allocate a large budget. The owners of this kitchen saved significantly on the renovation: they did most of the finishing work themselves, and bought furniture and decor items at discounts. But can you guess from the vibrant and bright design project of this kitchen that such savings were made?

Starting Point

When the new homeowners in Canada - a family with three children - moved in, the kitchen design was a mix of different colors and materials: the walls, except for blue niches, were painted beige, and a rectangular dining table occupied almost all free space. A black-and-white curtain covered the large window, and the overall interior looked cluttered. The homeowner and decorator, Alan Saus, set herself the task of making the kitchen brighter and cozier: for this, she had to do a cosmetic wall repaint, replace the countertops, and repaint some furniture. The renovation budget was quite modest - around $500.

Economical Finishing

First, the kitchen walls were repainted: thanks to the combination of white and light gray colors, the room immediately looked more spacious. The homeowner bought paint on sale with a 40% discount. A more expressive effect was achieved by removing the curtain: now natural light is evenly distributed throughout the kitchen. The wooden furniture was repainted white, and the dark wood countertops were brought in from IKEA. The new sink and stove were also purchased at big discounts, and the toaster was painted yellow to add a bold color accent in the room.

The Final Touch

Despite the kitchen becoming much brighter and cozier, the space still looked cluttered. To eliminate this effect, the homeowner sold the dining table and chairs and spent that money on a new cabinet set. As a result, a round yellow table appeared in the center of the dining area - just as convenient as its predecessor but more compact and fitting the new interior.