A Queenslander kitchen renovated with Kaboodle cabinets, a dishwasher, new tiles, vinyl flooring and fresh paint.
The project
My little low-set Queenslander had been used as a rental for a number of years and was badly in need of some love. But we only had a pretty slim budget. The back kitchen/living area was gutted, with walls removed. (We found asbestos. That took a huge chunk out of the budget).
New beams were installed, walls insulated and replastered, and new flooring was put down. Then the fun part began.
Designing the kitchen was like putting a jigsaw puzzle together. I bought the Kaboodle units from Bunnings, assembled them, then rearranged them until I had a workable design. I called in my builder to level and fix them in place, attach the bench and install the sink. For the cupboard doors I chose Alpine profile with a macaroon finish. The top cupboards I ordered in raw board and painted myself as it was quicker than waiting for the factory finished doors to be available.
The splashback tiles are basic white subway tiles from Bunnings, and the shelves are cut lengths of timber attached to timber brackets, also Bunnings. The walls are painted with Dulux Ice Princess.
I found a slimline dishwasher at Bunnings which fitted in perfectly and voila, I had a kitchen. The total kitchen cost, including tradesmen, stove, dishwasher, tiles and taps was approximately $8400 and I am thrilled with the result. Unfortunately, I had to lose the frosted window in the alcove so I could fit everything in. I scored the chopping board thing from a garage sale. It was very orangey, so I painted the base, and it fitted in well.
The rest of the house is beautiful. We have polished timber floors but unfortunately the back section of the house was a mismatch of timber, plywood and boards so I had to install a new floor. Would have loved timber but the budget dictated vinyl flooring.
Before and after
