🖼️
The project:
After living with our 1970's renovated kitchen for 15 years, it was time for a complete transformation. We wanted to preserve the warm timber elements of the original 1940s home while introducing light, modern finishes.
Although the copper rangehood and tiled benchtop were quirky and kind of cool - the pink walls were not - and the kitchen was dark, old and falling apart.
- Materials:
Timber floor pad
Cabots CFP clear gloss
Clean up rags
Aquadhere PVA Wood Glue
Duratile 30cm x 60cm Calcutta Gloss wall tiles
Dulux ceiling white
No More Gaps
Premixed Resaflex Tile Adhesive
Paintbrushes
Paint rollers and trays
- Tools:
For Hire: Floor Sander
For Hire: Floor Edger
For Hire: 600mm Hand Tile Cutter
Square Notch Handyman Adhesive Trowel
Grout Float
Crossline Laser
Jigsaw
Double Sided Step Ladder
Pliers
Screwdrivers
Impact drill
Set square
Hammer
Caulking gun
Circular saw
- Step 1:
Demolition quickly became a journey into our home's history.
We began by removing the old cabinetry, uncovering random holes, layers of paint from previous renovations and some lovely green retro wallpaper. Like many 1940s homes however, we discovered the floor tiles were stuck to asbestos sheeting. This stalled our progress for a short time while we had this professionally removed.
A plumber disconnected the gas cooker, tap and sink, while my electrician husband took care of the power points.
Under the cabinets, some of the floorboards were completely missing, and we could see straight through to the dirt under the house. We also discovered the gas pipes under the house would need to be replaced before we could reconnect the oven.
- Step 2:
The Bunnings Kitchen Design consultant came to our home, where we discussed all aspects of the design, including using our existing oven, space for a bigger fridge, more storage and finally a dishwasher!
Wanting to keep the warmth and character of the home while introducing a fresh finish, we chose Kaboodle cabinets in Vanilla Essence with discreet handles in chrome, while for the wall and benchtop cabinets we went for push to open hinges.
We decided to delete cabinets opposite the fridge cavity from the original design, and this was changed without any problem.
- Step 3:
The new design took some space from the dining area and under the old pink carpet we found stubborn underlay glued to the floorboards, along with hundreds of tacks from previous lino installations.
After a quite a few scrapers, drum and corner sander hire and lots of patience we were able to clean it up and get a couple of coats of clear gloss on the floor.
A plasterer repaired the wall, ceiling and bulkhead.
- Step 4:
Repurposing old curtains for some of the drop sheets, we said goodbye to the old pink walls with floral border.
Painting the ceiling, a few coats of Dulux acrylic sealer undercoat and top coats of a low sheen white on the walls made all the difference!
We chose a semi-gloss for the architraves, skirting boards, window and door frames.
- Step 5:
At last, it was time for the fun part - to installing the cabinetry.
Guided by the Kaboodle installation videos, detailed design plans and a laser level, we mapped out the starting point and the rest flowed from there.
It quickly became a family project, with my husband and I assembling the cabinets while our son fitted the doors, drawers, runners, shelves and handles.
- Step 6:
We chose the 40mm pencil edge Next Gen Stone benchtop in Sierra Bianca.
Detailed instructions supplied by Next Gen allowed us to put in the MDF substrate and after an assessment the benchtop was installed.
The plumber returned to connect our previous oven, tap, new sink and dishwasher.
We installed the wall cabinets, and my husband put in double power points at each end of the benchtop, perfect for charging the family's phones.
- Step 7:
We installed the last wall cabinet and rangehood - choosing the splashback was up to me.
Another trip to our local Bunnings I found 30cm x 60cm Duratile in Calcutta Gloss which perfectly matched our benchtop. The larger tiles meant less grout lines and cutting the tiles was easy.
- Step 8:
For this renovation, we wanted to have a modern, uncluttered design that preserved the original character, but created lighter functional spaces. Also allowing for greenery and small personal touches.
Being our first DIY project of this size, we are so happy how it turned out. Particularly that we were able to do it ourselves.
Our next project will be the bathroom!
