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Kitchen reno on a budget

Stuardo
Becoming a Leader

Kitchen reno on a budget

01 Kitch Fin B.jpg

My old kitchen was dated, the doors were swollen chipboard and the laminate peeling off. A peninsular stuck out opposite the fridge so when you opened the fridge door you bashed your arm on the cupboard. Time for a Reno.

01 Kitchen B.jpg

Using a kitchen planner first is the best way to decide what cabinets fit where, what sizes were needed and what the final look could be. Accurate measurements of the walls and where the plumbing and existing power points are, as well as windows and doors makes the positioning and function of the cabinets more reliable when you fit them in the real world.

02 Kitchen.jpg

Think of the cabinets as just empty boxes and how many are needed to fit in a space. Flat-Pack cabinets come in a range of standard sizes that can be combined to fill a space. You can then decide whether they have doors or drawers and what function they will serve. Putting a carousel in the corner cabinet was my best decision to hold the pots and pans beside the stove.

02 Kitchen C.jpg

I worked on one wall at a time and one section at a time so the kitchen was still functional. The sink and the appliances were still in good order so I was able to re-use what I had to save money on the most expensive parts of a kitchen. New appliances can be purchased and replace the old later on.

New paint on the walls is the cheapest and most effective way to make a clean, new look for any space. I went from a dirty cream colour, (could have been cigarette tar), to a light blue/grey. With the money I saved I spent on the tile backsplash to give a bit more impact on a basic kitchen design.

01 Kitch Fin A.jpg01 Kitch Fin C.jpg

I’m very happy with the results. More room to move, better functional use of storage in cupboards and drawers and better useable counter space in a small kitchen.

Stuart.

Noyade
Kind of a Big Deal

Re: Kitchen Reno on a Budget

Looks great. 👍

But from the photo I even like your old kitchen. :smile:

 

MitchellMc
Bunnings Team Member
Bunnings Team Member

Re: Kitchen Reno on a Budget

Fantastic results Stuart (@Stuardo)!

 

I really like that you have removed that return and opened up space. I don't feel you've lost much storage either as corner cupboards are really not that practical. The choices you've made on the cabinetry and splashback are great and complement each other very well.

 

Many thanks for sharing. I trust your project will be of wonderful inspiration to others.

 

Mitchell

 

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Jason
Community Manager
Community Manager

Re: Kitchen reno on a budget

Fantastic work @Stuardo, thanks so much for sharing your reno project with us. Great job.

 

Jason

 

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KatieC
Retired Team Member
Retired Team Member

Re: Kitchen reno on a budget

This is a great kitchen reno @Stuardo !

I really love your backsplash and how it contrasts with the dark cabinets to really make them stand out. The carousel cupboard is a very clever idea as well. 

 

What did you end up going with for your countertops?

 

Katie

 

 

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Stuardo
Becoming a Leader

Re: Kitchen reno on a budget

Hi @KatieC and thanks, I was happy with the end result and I do love the tiles too.

 

The original design was for oak doors on the top cupboards and oak countertops but the oak countertops were on back-order coming from overseas last year. I liked these laminate benchtops that had a black concrete design and so I changed the doors to black as well which really changed the mood of the kitchen, in a good way. It was a bit out of my comfort zone but we all need to be a bit bold every now and then.

 

I read recently that dark kitchens are trendy so maybe I'm half on trend before my time.

 

Stuart.

KatieC
Retired Team Member
Retired Team Member

Re: Kitchen reno on a budget

Hi @Stuardo 

 

Yes, darker kitchens are very trendy right now! I have recently seen them on TV and featured in popular magazines. It was a very bold move indeed.


Katie

 

 

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