Reno Diaries: Mini Kitchen Makeover

When I viewed the house, it was a cold, wet, grey December day – probably the best time to look at houses to see them in their worst light – and although I could see the potential of all the other rooms to be sun-filled and welcoming, I couldn’t get past the pokey, dark kitchen painted crimson red.

Thankfully it wasn’t enough to put me off completely of course as we bought the house and have since started talking about plans to extend the ground floor to the back so we’ll be able to create a dream kitchen/diner. That’s a long way off though as it will cost a lo-hot of money so I started to think about ways I could make our current little kitchen more welcoming.

First of all, the red paint had to go. When we moved in we rushed to get quotes for work because we wanted to make all the changes immediately and of course then realised that we had about 50p to our names and would have to learn to do things ourselves. Armed with some Dulux white kitchen paint and a couple of online tutorials, I decided one Bank Holiday to have a go at decorating.

I’ll admit, patience with this sort of thing isn’t my strong point. I was horrified to discover after one coat that the red showed through and I could see all the brush strokes in the areas that were too small to get a roller in. It looked terrible and I thought maybe painting wasn’t my area of expertise.

But after two days of persevering, the kitchen was finished. I painted the ceiling, all the walls, the woodwork and door and it makes such a difference. The kitchen feels bigger and lighter even when it’s not a sunny day and it looks clean and fresh. I had to scrape a lot of red paint off cabinets and tiles where whoever had painted before hadn’t paid any attention to trying to do it neatly. There’s definitely some OCD in me somewhere!

After the paint had dried, I made a concerted effort to de-clutter to keep the work surfaces more clear and popped a vase of flowers on the windowsill. Now that’s it white and the cupboards are cream, it’s great to have a focal pop of colour drawing the eye to a light source as you come in. We also changed the halogen lights in the ceiling which looked old and discoloured after the ceiling was painted and switched out the black stripy doormats the previous owners had left for a new one.

I’m so pleased with the transformation and to discover that painting is very therapeutic and it looks almost professional. A new gas hob is on its way to replace the ceramic one that I struggle to cook on and our mini kitchen makeover will be complete.

Are there rooms in your house you have or would like to transform on a small scale? Share your links in the comments.

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1 Comment

  1. October 2, 2023 / 3:50 pm

    Right Dear! The kitchen looks fresh and more spacious than before! Good Job!

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