I did it! Kitchen Remodel on a budget...

5 years ago

I posted about a month and a half back some pictures of my outdated kitchen, looking for some input for a remodel on a budget. Although I got some unexpected heat for trying to tackle such a big project on such a small budget, as well as for trying to change the laminate, I took some of the helpful advice as well and decided not to be deterred. I am glad to say I think it worked out pretty good and I am more than excited and happy with the results. Did I end up with a fancy, HGTV kitchen? Not really, but I am cooking more in it, it works beautifully with the flow of the house now, and I think I got some bang for my buck.

I actually came in under my 2k budget, so with the spare funds I'm getting the stools for the kitchen island and maybe some under cabinet lighting.

I obviously had some help, but a lot of the work was from my hands. Patience and determination can definitely pay off. Also, do your research and ask for advice. Just be ready to hear some things you may not want to, consider it all, and then do what you feel is right because in the end you have to live with it, not everyone else.

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D. Vzq
Original Author

5 years ago

@salonva ok- here's the list and breakdown of costs, rounding up if under!

$100- Sanding and Painting of Cabinets
$364- Kitchen counters, glue and window moulding
$105- Backsplash and grout
$375- Low Profile Microwave/Hood
$96- Hardware for Cabinets
$90- Faucet
$175- Sink
$105- Sputnik Chandelier
$430- Kitchen Island and paint stain for top
$8- Kitchen Curtain fabric and Ribbon
Total: $1,848

Of course, we did the work with the assistance of some family members (my father is a super handyman, used to make kitchen cabinets, electrician, plummer...) so he helped with many of the things that might cost in labor. I also had my niece, husband and father in law pitching in. That definitely helped keep the costs to parts only.

Hopefully that helps.

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Comments (43)

Hillside House
5 years ago
Looks like it doubled in size. Great job!
nansaidh
5 years ago
Fabulous! Hard to believe it's the same kitchen.
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Wow, absolutely gorgeous! I need to study this in much more detail later for my planned kitchen reno (still planning...) , but for now, did you look into the distance between that range and the 15" deep uppers? I had asked here, https://www.houzz.com/discussions/dilemma-pro-range-hood-and-ikea-15-uppers-dsvw-vd~5416025 I had asked, So, the plan was to get a 30" Viking gas range, 36" hood, and IKEA cabinets, which are 15" deep for the uppers. Kind of like this but wider hood. Reading the installation guide, I now see that a minimum of 18" distance between range and hood (check) as well as 6" side clearance are required if the uppers are deeper than 13" (which they are). I was basically told that this set up above is a no no with IKEA's new deeper uppers unless I pull the base cabs forward.
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Great topic crl_ ! I spent a couple years figuring out what I wanted in my new kitchen. I had a pretty good kitchen before my reno, but there were definitely improvements to be made. My best changes: Drawers! Love lifting dinnerware up from drawer rather than down from upper cabinet. Love having my coffee cups in drawer immediately below coffee machine. Love not having to crawl around on the floor to access whatever is at the bottom and back of a cabinet. Induction! Probably the best surprise of my new kitchen, for all the same reasons listed above. Wall ovens! I don't know if I love my ovens because they are at the perfect height for me, or because I finally splurged on good equipment. Probably a combination of the two. I can tell you that my waist line is paying the price though! Big single sink. There's lots of discussion here about this. I grew up with double sinks, thought I'd probably get a low divide (best of both worlds, right?) but bit the bullet and got the single. It was, for me, the right decision.
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@Beth, first thanks for all your tips and ideas on the hardware. Good idea to mark them out and good to know that 4" is the min (they sell 3 and 3.5, which are cheaper, so I wondered if that would work. thanks) I know; You had a lot of good ideas on painting. Thank you. I am still waffling on what to do. I guess my concerns w/ the painted floors are the effort to do it and the maintenance (I have wear patterns on my front porch and the kitchen gets more traffic). Plus I want to limit my exposure to chemicals. FWIW, this morning I emailed my house painter to check his schedule if I choose to have him repaint the cabs. (he's a much better painter than I am) Painting would allow me to fix the placement of the holes on some of the cabs (currently, most of the cabs do not have holes). I could also put a cab to the left of the stove. And I made an appt next week with the interior designer who was going to help me pick finish materials etc with the big remodel....to get his opinion of a scaled-down remodel. i.e. how to make this house a better version of what it is without spending a ton of money since I may move in a few years....thanks for all your help! I don't want this to be all about $$$, but everything is so $$$ and I hate the idea of investing a lot of excessive $ that I won't get when I sell. (when my former realtor came over this summer, she kept saying "do what *you* want; do what makes you happy; you don't need to do anything to fix this house to sell it" etc). So I guess my dilemma: what can make it more live-able for me for the next few years. (but possibly longer? who knows?)
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D. Vzq
Original Author
5 years ago
Thank you! Here's additional pics. Pardon the mess, I took them right before I started working on it.
Missi (4b IA)
5 years ago
So, what kind of paint did you end up using? How did you do your diy curtain there/
psg_newhomeowner
5 years ago
Stunning transformation! Did you redo the counter top?
D. Vzq
Original Author
5 years ago
Missi, I used Valspar paint primer and Cabinet Rescue for the laminate. So far it looks great in person and it has been easy to clean. I primed the hell out of them though!

I used this tutorial plus another one from Pinterest for the shade. I added ribbon in 2 different colors and textures to make it stand out more in person, but it was inexpensive from Walmart.
D. Vzq
Original Author
5 years ago
Psg- I did! $364 total from Home Depot. It's their stock Typhoon Ice laminate which my mom has had for over 8 years and it still looks brand new.
salonva
5 years ago
amazing . can you list what you did? we are in awe.
ilovecomputers
5 years ago
Very nice. Pat yourself on the back now :)
Anne in Virginia
5 years ago
Beautiful! Maybe you should go into the kitchen design business! I especially like your cabinet handles, the overhead light, and the shade on the window!
tackykat
5 years ago
Looks really nice!
Keiko Childs
5 years ago
Looks great! I love seeing budget renovations on here too. You've done some lovely updates to your kitchen.
ci_lantro
5 years ago
Nice job. Doesn't look like the same room. I like the soffit corner detail that you did.
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Debbi Washburn
5 years ago
Well done! Enjoy it!
Donna E
5 years ago
It looks amazing!
tartanmeup
5 years ago
Looks fantastic!! Bravo.
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Interiors By Jasmina
5 years ago
Good job and nice
Deborah B.
5 years ago
You did a great job! You should be very proud! That was a ton of work! Enjoy your new kitchen!
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Ancient Stone
5 years ago
Beautiful! You did a great job!
D. Vzq
Original Author
5 years ago
Thank you everyone for the support! I am so glad I did it now!
Mrs. S
5 years ago
That is SO inspirational! I love this transformation. I too light how your ceiling fixture fills up that recessed ceiling space. I love it!
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EBL Interiors
5 years ago
Quite the transformation! Congratulations. Enjoy!
sheepla
5 years ago
Thank you for posting results. I'm glad you were able to sort through the negativity from some commentors and focus on the helpful information provided on these boards. Fantastic new kitchen!
nicole___
5 years ago
You had great vision and great follow through. Marvelous outcome!
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Carolina Kitchen & Bath
5 years ago
Wonderful! Take yourself out and celebrate with the money you saved!
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Design West
5 years ago
Great job!!
mama goose_gw zn6OH
5 years ago
I love a good, budget, DIY reno. You deserve to take a bow!
cat_ky
5 years ago
I love good budget reno's too. You did a very good job. Congratulations, and enjoy that new kitchen.
silicon74
5 years ago
great job!! I'm glad you didn't listen to some of the nasties who post on gardenweb these days.
kariered
5 years ago
Your kitchen looks to be a very similar layout to mine! I have repainted my cabinets white.

I still need to do the backsplash and change out the lighting. I have one light done, but I still have the 70s sunshine ceiling lighting.

where did you get the Sputnik light? that would be perfect for my kitchen ceiling as well!
kariered
5 years ago
Here is my kitchen. The soffits in mine look like they stick out farther than yours and my appliances are white. I also have a popcorn ceiling. :( My main thing right now is I want to get rid of the ceiling light!
D. Vzq
Original Author
5 years ago
@Kariered that is a really similar layout! I got mine on Amazon. Just look up Sputnik chandeliers and there's a bunch of different options for a really good price!
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Designer Drains
5 years ago
Love the flare the brass adds to your new kitchen, enjoy!
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OTM Designs & Remodeling Inc.
5 years ago
Looks awesome!
tuckerdc
5 years ago
Great job! Would really like to hear more details about refinishing/painting your cabinets. I want to...but am a bit 'afeared'......It would be a one-person job. Am I up to it???
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Gialluisi Custom Homes
5 years ago
Great work, love the new kitchen!! Go to www.gialluisihomes.com to get inspired for your next renovation projects.
User
5 years ago
Beautiful kitchen! Those curtains are especially nice, and the lighting too!
D. Vzq
Original Author
5 years ago
@tuckerdc I will try to be what I wanted to hear when I was tackling this. It's gonna be tough, but if you are determined, you can do it. I will say this. I watched a ton of renovation videos, a lot of videos on YouTube about painting laminate cabinets and what brushes and paints to use for the best results. I did a lot of Pinteresting through this (my username is MrsDVazquez if you want to follow my renovations board), and read a lot of articles. I'm also pretty handy and have tackled other renovations before, though much smaller than this.
I would strongly suggest getting some help from friends that might know a bit more or that at least can help with the lifting and working of things (like our countertops) as these are not projects you can do alone. In the absence of that, consider task rabbit if you can't afford a professional, though I would highly recommend a professional with some knowledge. My dad used to make cabinets many years ago, so I had good assistance with that.
Take your time planning so when you are ready, you know where to start. And have a clear vision for what you want. Look up photos anywhere you can of the full vision to see if it makes sense in the end. Make sure you stay on budget, read tons of reviews on the products you are using, and then be ready for some hard, but rewarding work. Good luck to you!
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Norwood Architects
5 years ago
That is quite a transformation. Really like that the base cabinets and upper cabinets are different colors. Your ceiling mounted light fixtures fits really well!
cliffordhome
5 years ago
Good for you! It looks really bright and open now, I bet you are happier to cook in there!
threebyfivebt
5 years ago
fantastic job! Thanks for the inspiration.
jillybean103
5 years ago
THAT is impressive!!! Nice job!! Can’t get over the transformation let alone on the budget you said. Very talented.

I did it! Kitchen Remodel on a budget...

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