A dark and boring builder grade kitchen gets a budget-friendly makeover with modern farmhouse style using 100% doable DIY projects.
I can’t believe it. 2.5 years, 2 gallons of paint, countless buckets of concrete, and a ton of sweat equity later… kitchen reveal day is HERE!
I know you can’t see me behind your computer screen but I’m dancing and doing cartwheels like a maniac.
In case you need a refresher, this is what our kitchen looked like the day we moved in in December 2013 (along with my mother-in-law, Barb, there).
Really, even our “before” wasn’t much to complain about. Robert and I have been very thankful that we were able to build a new house and only have to focus on personalizing our house’s stock builder features.
This was definitely not a labor-intensive renovation or pricey update on an old kitchen like many homeowners typically face, so that alone helped tremendously.
Within the first few months we were here, we painted the walls, changed the lighting, painted a chalkboard wall, and then everything stopped.
We were okay with waiting a couple of years to tackle this one because we knew it would be the most expensive if we wanted it done the way we wanted. It also gave us enough time to really envision the look we were going for. (You can see my original plans and mood board here.)
And here it is all finished!
Since we have no windows in our kitchen, painting the cabinets white was sort of a no-brainer. Our dark wood cabinets before made this space look very cave-like and the red undertones clashed with the rest of our decor in the house.
Maybe I’m weird, but I actually like being able to see if there is a smudge of dirt or bits of cooking grease on our cabinets so I know with a glance what needs a quick wipe down. But really since we painted them a month ago, they’ve stayed very clean so far despite our love of frying bacon.
One thing that was always impossible to keep clean before was our stainless steel sink. And washing pots and pans underneath that squatty faucet was a big ol’ pain.
Originally, I’d planned on a white drop-in sink, but so many of you gave me the courage I needed to cut into our countertop and cabinet (so scary but we did it!) and install our huge farmhouse sink that we picked up at IKEA for only a little more than the standard white drop-in.
Robert and his dad got major brownie points for pulling this one off.
I actually enjoy washing dishes now. Well, maybe not enjoy, but it’s not as big of a chore now. 😉
We originally had beige formica countertops and a beige tile backsplash that I was never in love with either, but it was the standard option from our builder.
After wrestling with several layers of concrete for the countertops and placing white washed faux brick paneling over our existing tile, I’m absolutely thrilled with how they both turned out.
We eventually swapped out our black gas range for a stainless steel one too thanks to one I scored during a 30% off appliance sale at Lowe’s.
And even though we weren’t financially ready to change our vinyl flooring, we’re totally okay with it right now. This striped jute rug I got for 40% off helped a little bit too.
Don’t tell anyone… but I just walk in here and stare at this kitchen now. 😉
It really is like night and day. I could not handle the darkness anymore. Painting those cabinets has definitely been the biggest transformation in here.
Baking parties with Olivia are way more fun in here now… even though I totally cheated and bought this one at the grocery store.
She loves climbing up on one of those barstools to eat her lunch every day, and I don’t have to worry about cleaning up behind those little swinging feet of hers since the Stikwood we installed protects our bar.
Last week, on a whim, I dug into our scrap wood pile and made that Farmers Market sign using paint I already had in my stash. Best free decor ever! I love how it turned out and how it fills that awkward space above the cabinets.
I didn’t really count our DIY wood beam in our kitchen makeover since it connects our living room, but it makes a big impact in here too.
And it ties in well with our chalkboard that we also framed using reclaimed wood from our scrap pile. Robert’s parents cleaned out some of their barn and gave us all kinds of pretty reclaimed wood pieces that we’re so excited to hopefully build some furniture with in the near future.
For some of the small decor items, I was lucky enough to find some great thrifted pieces like this food scale that actually works! I gave it a painted vintage look though since it was a beaten up stainless steel before.
Whatever veggies we bring in from my parents’ garden or our backyard garden box, I like to display them in the bowl on our scale until I get a chance to cook ’em up.
I’ve been tiptoeing out into our backyard to snip mint leaves for mojitos lately too since summertime is always a big entertaining season for us. This spot beside our fridge is great for setting up our drink station.
On our chalkboard, I still make it a habit of planning our meals for the week and there’s a little space at the bottom where I can jot down items I need to pick up at the store or where Olivia can draw while I’m making dinner.
A couple of years ago, we hung up these wall planters to repurpose as storage for our fruit and veggies and I liked them so much, I just left them there.
And this little tiered tray comes in handy for storing dish sponges and soaps and things next to the sink.
That’s pretty much it! It’s hard to believe we really only have 2 rooms to go before our entire house is finished. (You can see the rest of our room reveals here.) The playroom and laundry room our the last two spots on my hit list… and maybe a couple of closets sprinkled in there too.
If you missed any of the posts or projects for our kitchen makeover, you can check out all of them from the very beginning:
- Kitchen Makeover Plans and Mood Board
- DIY Industrial Pendant Lights
- Installing an IKEA Farmhouse Sink
- DIY Feather Finish Concrete Countertops
- How to Paint Kitchen Cabinets Like a Pro
- Faux Rusted Vintage Scale Makeover
- DIY Reclaimed Wood Bar
And now for the final tally…
Source List / Budget Breakdown: (Affiliate links are provided below for convenience. For more information, see my full disclosure here.)
- Wall Color– Sherwin Williams Perfect Greige
- Cabinet Color– Benjamin Moore Simply White
- Painted Cabinets – DIY – $152
- Cabinet Knobs / Pulls – D Lawless Hardware – $105.59
- Concrete Countertops – DIY – $250
- Faux Brick Backsplash – $75 (tutorial coming July 16th on Remodelaholic)
- Farmers Market Sign – DIY – Free using supplies from scrap pile
- Framed Chalkboard – DIY – Free using supplies from scrap pile
- Produce Sign – $0 gifted
- Cage Pendant Lights – DIY from original builder grade fixtures – $20
- Flush Mount Light – Amazon – $113.42
- Stainless Steel Range – Lowe’s – $419.00 (30% off sale)
- Bar Reclaimed Wood – Stikwood – $560
- Farmhouse Sink – IKEA – $312.98
- Sink Faucet – Amazon – $187.20
- Barstools – Target – $143.97 for all three (40% off sale)
- Striped Jute Runner – Target – $43.24 (30% off sale + 10% off coupon)
- Cake Stand – World Market – $0 using loyalty rewards points
- Storage Jars – Walmart – $59.80 for all five
- “Antique” Kitchen Scale – Thrifted – $16
- Mug Drying Rack – World Market – $16.99
- Large Pastry Board – World Market – $34.99
- Small Cutting Board – World Market – $0 using loyalty rewards points
- Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer – $0 Christmas present
- Blue Striped Dish Towels – World Market – $0 using loyalty rewards points
- Gray Striped Dish Towels – World Market – $7.98 for both
- Wooden Spoon Holder – Kirkland’s – $0 gifted
- Galvanized Tiered Stand – Curtis Creations – $35
- Wall Planter Baskets – already owned (similar linked)
- Galvanized Tray – Walmart – $7.94
- White Pitchers – Thrifted – $6 for both
- Glass Pitcher – $0 wedding gift
(If I left anything out, please let me know because this is quite a list.)
TOTAL: $2,567.10
I went completely bug-eyed when I calculated our final cost of this makeover. This was definitely the most expensive room we’ve ever done. But considering we got a new stove, new sink/faucet, new countertops, backsplash, painted cabinets, stools, and lighting, plus all of the small decor items added in, that was a pretty tall order to begin with. Our kitchen is 20′ x 12′ so size played a major part in that too.
In the end, I think we spent nearly as much eating out during the 3 month process while this room was periodically out of commission for cooking meals.
Are you as excited as I am to stick a fork in this thing?! Feel free to join us for the virtual dance party. 😉
Have you ever tackled a huge kitchen makeover before? Or plan on one in the future? I’d love to hear any budget tips you’ve used in your own kitchen reno so we can all help each other out. And if you’ve ever felt intimidated to makeover a huge space, you can do this! Just take it one step at a time. It’s incredible what just paint alone can do.
Absolutely gorgeous! Great job. You should stand there in the kitchen and stare. I would too.
Haha! Oh, I do. 🙂 Thank you, Claudia!
Looks great!!
Thank you, Colleen!
Just stunning. Love everything!!
Enjoy.
Thank you!
Everything is just gorgeous! I’d love to know how you made the farmers market sign, I definitely thought it was store bought!
Thanks, Laura! I’ll share the tutorial on Remodelaholic in another month or two, but basically, I just painted a 1×12 board white, stenciled the lettering with black chalk paint, sanded with coarse grit on my mouse sander, and hung up. It was super easy. 🙂
If you like it that’s all that counts. I am not into white kitchen cabinets I love the way the kitchen looked before, but that’s just me. You did a wonderful job and if you like it that’s all that counts
White kitchens are definitely not for everyone. 🙂 I can appreciate pretty wood cabinets, but they’re just not “me” and felt too dark in our window-less space.
It’s absolutely stunning! I think you should keep the tile floors. I thought they looked a lot like wood at first glance. I am pinning this to use as inspiration for what I want in my kitchen!
Thank you, Crystal! We’ll definitely be keeping the floors for quite a while. We’re in no rush. 🙂
Just fantastic, Lauren. I LOVE it. So well thought out and executed. And I am even more proud that you do everything with cash and no debt. That is amazing. Well done!
Thank you, Lisa! Yeah, definitely can’t be accumulating the debt on home makeovers. For a renovation on an old house with an equity loan, I can understand. For our situation, that wouldn’t make much sense.
Your kitchen is what dreams are made of. I love how it all came together. I’ve been wanting concrete counters forever. Maybe in my next home!!
Thank you so much! We’re so thrilled to see it all completed. 🙂
What an amazing transformation, great job and a lot of hard work. We are planing to paint our cupboards white in the near future as well, always inspiring to see the before and after !!
Thank you, Sandra! Painting ours was definitely the most massive transformation. Hope yours turn out well! I’m sure you’ll love it. 🙂
Congratulations to you and your husband, Lauren, on transforming your kitchen into such a delightful place to cook, bake, and entertain. It’s bright, cheery, and oh so modern-farmhouse beautiful. Cheers, Ardith
Thank you so much, Ardith!
It’s all gorgeous, Lauren! Great job!
Thank you, Polly!
Awesome job, Lauren! I love all of it! Will you be posting a tutorial on your Farmer’s Market sign? I want to make one and was wondering what materials you used! Deet, please! Also I think your end total is unbelievable for everything you did…my husband and I did a complete (-ly necessary) gut job of our kitchen and I honestly don’t know how much it cost but it took us 2 years to pay it off! 🙁 Good for you for getting what you want for not a lot of moola. It is just beautiful!!
Thanks, Amy! Yes, I will be sharing a tutorial of our sign. It will go live on Remodelaholic in a month or two, and I’ll post the link to it when it’s ready. Yeah, kitchens are definitely not cheap! Not having to do a gut job helped a lot. I can’t imagine! I’m sure you’re so glad yours is done.
What is the price of the Stikwood?
It depends on what kind you get, but ours was $14/sq ft.
Do you like it? Is it holding up well? I just discovered it and am hoping that it is as wonderful as it seems.
So far so good! It’s holding up perfectly. 🙂
It’s absolutely gorgeous! You are sooo talented and I’m totally going to steal some of your ideas! I really, really want to paint my cabinets and had it on my “to do” list for this summer but other “family” issues have come up and need to take top priority! The only suggestion I would make is to add a bracket under the end of the kitchen cabinet (like the ones under the bar) to finish off the brick backsplash! Otherwise, you nailed it, girlfriend!
Thank you, Debbi! Maybe the fall would be better to paint cabinets anyway. Not as hot. 😉 I finished ours in May right before the crazy Southern summer heat and whew! I’m so glad I decided to tackle ours in the cooler spring weather.
Looks amazing! Still waiting to finish ours, ours was almost a complete gut so it’s taking a bit longer. The end product will be so sweet, though 🙂 Congratulations on a beautiful kitchen!
Whew! Yeah, I can’t even imagine the gut job makeovers. I’m sure it’s very overwhelming but so worth it in the end. 🙂 Thanks, Erin!
I totally LOVE it!! Great job guys! Appreciate your efforts to inspire….I’m inspired 🙂 Thank you!
Thank you, Heather!
Absolutely stunning transformation Lauren! Yes, the totals when they add up like that can make a gal go bugged eyed and a little anxiety set in as well, but I can tell you, having just redone my kitchen (hood still needs to be installed and the backsplash) that you saved and scored MAJOR in your DIY remodel and it looks just as amazing as if you’d redone it all with new! Way to rock it!! So love visiting your blog! You are a total inspiration to me! And the fact that you can do what you do on a budget and still have it look as awesome as it all does, gives me courage to keep pressing on and not get discouraged because it proves that you can totally have a designer look without the designer price tag! Big thumbs up and high five’s!
Aw thank you SO much, Jana! I am so completely thrilled to hear that. 🙂 Thank you for making my day!
WOW!!!!! No wonder you are so excited! AMAZING. So beautiful. My husband and I painted our stock kitchen cabinets two years ago following instructions from John and Sherry Petersik on Young House Love and I’ve never regretted it. They honestly look as good today as they did when we did them – and wiping off is all they need for clean up. Congratulations on your beautiful “new” kitchen,
Thank you, Linda! Yes, John and Sherry are chock full of so many great tutorials. They were the ones who convinced me to choose the Benjamin Moore Advanced paint and they were so right. It is SUPER durable. Cleaning them so far has been really easy for us too.
Congratulations, If I was there I would dance all over that kitchen with you. Everything is perfect! Everything!!! And I also noticed how you pared down the chalkboard. It looks so much better now that it is framed. My dear, what are you going to do when you are finished with the house? Maybe come over to mine?
Thank you so much, Mary! Yes, we pared down the chalkboard to give it a more authentic vintage style. I was tempted to even paint over the entire wall altogether, but I still love the function of it for keeping track of meal planning. I would pay you a visit in a heartbeat! Hope to at least give you a big hug at a blogging conference one day. 🙂
Hi Lauren
It looks beautiful! So happy for you that you finally got your white kitchen cabinets that you have been dreaming of for so long!
I’m also planning on painting our kitchen cabinets white, at the moment it is South African 1970’s style steel kitchen cabinets in icky mustard yellow… You just gave me the guts to really go for it!
Thank you, Junette! Yes! Go for it! Paint those bad boys. 😉
Hi Lauren! I’m LOVING everything you and your hubby did to make your kitchen just stunning! I really want to make the farmers market sign! Can you please give me some pointers?! How’d you do the letters?!
Could you email me?
Farrahjoy3@gmail.com
Hi Farrah! The sign tutorial plus the letter printables will be going live next week on Remodelaholic! I’ll be sharing the link here when it’s up.
Hi I love the concrete overlay and have bought the materials to do mine I’m just wondering how that are holding up
Beautifully! Just a few spots around the stove where grease splattered and seeped through because we didn’t stay on top of sealing it. If you keep up with sealing it twice a year, you should be okay. 🙂 We moved out of this house last year, but we went back and visited the new homeowners there a couple of months ago and it still looked as great as the day we moved out.