I know the readers of YHOB are a creative bunch! Remember when you helped Laura with her kitchen redesign on a budget? She’s still in love with her kitchen!
Now my friend Melissa in Indiana needs some help. In short, she’s ready to set the roosters free and find a new style for her kitchen. And because we all like a good challenge, she doesn’t want to spend more than $500. The good news is that she and her husband plan to do most of the work themselves.
Can we get a shout out from the DIY crowd!?!?!?
Melissa defines her style as “country, but not TOO country.” Guess we can add a little Rock and Roll to her kitchen, hmmmm?
Ok, so here is her current space (and we have a little surprise for her at the end of this post).
She has lots of counter space. While she would love to remove the lower counter on the island, there is not spousal consent. I think I have to agree with her other half on this one. The lower shelf is ideal for buffet style dinners.
Another view…
They have black appliances, and new appliances are NOT in the budget.
Now before you go thinking contemporary thoughts, I should tell you that they love their Thomas Kincaid painting in the adjoining family room. It would be nice if the color palate plays nice with it, without being too country.
The wallpaper in the eat-in area is cream, green, purple & raspberry plaid. And yes, it’s going. The floors are Fireside Oak laminate.
Now there is wainscoting all along the kitchen/family room.
But perhaps the biggest absolute is the orange brick wall. It stays. There is a rule that “unless both parties agree to the painting of said brick, it stays.” Feel free to suggest otherwise, just letting you know the current status. 😉
What would YOU do to spruce up this kitchen for $500?
Ok, I promised a surprise for Melissa – here it is. Although I no longer live in Evansville, IN, I know a FABULOUS designer in her town who has volunteered to help her turn all the ideas you give her into an actionable plan!
Brenda Pelz from Focal Point Home Staging and Redesign helps homeowners beautify their surroundings using things they already own to improve their quality of life no matter what phase they may be in (even if it’s a rooster phase).
{Thank You Brenda!}
So please leave your two cents, or a dime, whatever…and let’s help Melissa with her kitchen!
11 comments
maybe while you have the paint brushes handy, you can paint out that black vent hood… a cheap fix until you have the budget to replace it with a sleeker/updated style. Maybe paint it in the same colour as the upper cabinets to make it ‘disappear’ a little more …OR… paint it in the colour that you choose as your accent to make it pop…
Update: the paint begins this weekend with the cabinets first!! 30 yr old wallpaper glue is alot of work to get off the walls so there has been a little delay! good news though I have added new blinds to the budget!!
very interesting and really awesome i love this.
very interesting and really awesome i love this.
I’d like to thank everyone for your wonderful ideas! I am super excited about getting started! Just a little background.My mother moved in with us last May and i have tried (unsuccessfully) to incorporate some of her things with mine (& keep finding little things added) to make her comfortable here. I am hoping this makeover will motivate us both to rethink some of our choices.
Again! keep the ideas coming, I am almost ready to get underway. I hope to have this project completed in 4-6 weeks!
btw I’ve almost got Matt talked into painting the fireplace (orange brick walls!) keep your fingers crossed!
As the “Laura” referenced in this post, I obviously have been through this before. However, that by no means qualifies me as a design expert – I never could have done it without Susan and all her great reader ideas. Now that I’ve had my “new” kitchen for 1+ years, I will share what I love the most about my makeover (beyond the way it looks): 1) keeping it light up top (I also had a border – we removed it and carried the paint color from the upper cabinets all the way to the ceiling); 2) having a “splash” color – we chose red for my kitchen and finding my “splashes of red” really helped me get creative with the whole process – I really like the pretty blue in the painting but don’t know if that will work (country, but not too country); 3) having a place for everything and everything in its place – I have not had clutter issues at all since the project and highly recommend taking EVERYTHING out of the kitchen before starting the work, even if you don’t need to – being required to evaluate every item before I put it away after the kitchen was finished was one of the best exercises and we identified “homes” for everything based upon how frequently we used each item – the less often we needed something, the further away from the kitchen we stored it. I really can’t wait to see how this turns out! Good luck!!
I could see how that lower shelf might seem to get in the way. Perhaps a basket there giving a home to something that’s needed one?
The Kincade print is beautiful. Perhaps a creamy light yellow wall paint? Kincade is known as the “Painter of Light.” Maybe bring a soft yellow light into the room? It’s still a little country – without going all bold yellow.
As for the appliances, there are some companies that do magnets – both solid and artwork. One company is http://www.decomags.com/ I don’t know them – just googled.
Looking forward to seeing the After!
Good luck, Melissa!
We’re also getting some feedback via Facebook – here are some more great ideas:
First I would take the wallpaper border off and the huge black vent, then I would refinish the cabinet doors: paint and install new hardware (after the old holes are filled and sanded). The next step would be installing a new backsplash and counter top and paint the entire kitchen in a warm, light grey. And replace the vent.
Grey is a neutral that goes with almost anything. And yes, grey does take over the beiges and creams big time. Love it.
Hi Donna – thanks so much for your ideas! Yes, it is indeed a challenge to make a big impact on a tight budget. Melissa thinks she can implement the plan in 4-6 weeks, so we will definitely nag her until completion to get after pics.
How to get a total kitchen makeover and great color for under $500?? Your killing me here with this 🙂
Seriously though, from looking at the decor in the rest of the home, less is more. I’d go with a very universal Benjamin Moore color, Shaker Beige, HC-45. This color will coordinate with her tile and just neutralize the kitchen. I would change out the kitchen hardware to a brushed nickel, remove the wallpaper border and do a bit of staging. This will make a HUGE difference and can be done for under $500. Good luck and let’s see some after pictures 🙂
Donna Frasca
Color Expert, Charlotte, NC