Have you ever wondered how much a kitchen renovation will cost you? I’m here to show you that it is possible to do an amazing DIY kitchen renovation on a budget, and have money left over to do the dining room too!
When we moved in to our home, it was immediately clear that I would want to do a kitchen renovation ASAP: we were lucky to have a high quality solid wood shaker kitchen, however, it was badly laid out, terribly painted, the tiles were a mosaic of multiple shades of yellow, the walls were also yellow, the ceiling and woodwork magnolia, the sink and tap used abused and germ ridden, and the floors a beige stone tile that’s achingly cold underfoot.
But our waking life, and our growing years, were for the most part spent in the kitchen, and until we married, or ran away, it was the common room we shared.
However, a complete kitchen refit was not a feasible option, and will not be something we can consider for at least a few years,therefore I explored Pinterest and to Instagram for as many ideas and as much inspiration as possible on DIY upcycling the kitchen we had. Also needing done was the dining area which adjoins the kitchen via a large archway. Although they are both housed in a relatively small space, the dining room had a different flooring to the kitchen (a pale yellow pine laminate) and a different colour on the walls. To do one and not the other would be silly, so it became one larger project.
All of the work involved in the kitchen renovation would make up multiple blog posts so for today I am only concentrating on detailing all of the individual tasks that we completed as part of the makeover, and associated approximate costs. I am hoping that this goes some way to showing you roughly how much an entire kitchen renovation can be done for, without stretching to the expense of a whole refit. I spent a ling time investigating budget option for the renovation because cost was a big issue for us.
The TOTAL COST of our kitchen diner renovation is estimated to be at about £550. This price does not include the cost of a blind we ordered, a sideboard we decided to replace, and any lighting fixtures. The costs outlaid below are for the fundamental changes to the space plus the cost of upcycling the dining furniture and making our own DIY open shelving.
Walls and Ceilings: Total Cost £50
- White emulsion for ceilings
- Colour match paint for walls (durable matte emulsion)
- Feature wallpaper
Kitchen Cupboards: Total Cost £80
- Sandpaper (medium grain)
- Wood undercoat and primer
- Colour match paint for cupboards (acrylic eggshell)
Wall Tiles: Total Cost £120
- White metro tile, 200mm x 100mm
- Tile cutter
- Adhesive
- Tile file
- Grout
- Tile spacers
- Sponge
Flooring: Total Cost £170
- Self levelling compound
- Wood effect vinyl tiles
- Trims and beading
Woodwork and Doors: Total Cost £6
- Wood undercoat and primer
- White satinwood
- Door handle (for utility room door)
- Sandpaper (medium grain)
Dining Furniture: Total Cost £35
- Sandpaper (all grains)
- Colour match wood paint (acrylic eggshell)
- Reupholstery fabric
- Upholstery stapler and staples
- Wood stain
Shelving & Windowsill: Total Cost £70
- 2 x scaffolding plank
- 2 x set of iron shelf brackets
- Sander and sandpaper (all grades)
- Wood stain
Future plans: I plan on swapping the kitchen sink for a black composite sink, and replacing the old rusty tap for a black one too for which the total cost is £200. I will also be painting the windows until such time a we can afford new ones. Watch this space for more blog posts going in to more detail on each element of the renovation and showing how you too can renovate your kitchen on a budget.