Renovating your kitchen is notoriously costly, but one savvy DIY lover has shared how she got creative and subsequently saved 'thousands' on her kitchen transformation.
62-year-old Deborah Kirby hadn't had a new kitchen for over 20 years and had been dreaming of giving it a modern update. However, as her kitchen was in good condition, she was reluctant to rip it out.
Deborah, who runs a dog boarding business, decided to use paint to transform her kitchen units for less. Telling Latest Deals how she pulled off the transformation, she said: "I have had my farmhouse-type kitchen for over 20 years. It is well made and all the cupboards, drawers and doors are still in great condition. But we all dream of that new kitchen and I have often looked at new designs in magazines, shops etc. However, when the kitchen you have is in good condition, it doesn’t really make much sense to rip it out.
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"For a long while I have thought about how I could give my kitchen a facelift and bring it up to date. A friend of mine had recently introduced me to the Frenchic line of paint for kitchens and furniture, so I joined their Facebook group to learn more.
"I then needed a new fridge, followed by a new microwave. To top it all off, my oven ended up being condemned, so I decided to redecorate on top of getting new appliances - all as cheaply as possible.
"I got started by thinking about the Frenchic colour range. I visited a local garden centre that stocked the paint. I knew I wanted a light colour as we have a porch area covering the kitchen window which stops natural light from coming in. I settled for the shade Swanky Pants, a light grey, for the units. Then I picked out the shade Ole Blue Eyes for the trim and kickboards."
After getting the paint she needed, it was time for Deborah to get to work and start creating the kitchen of her dreams. She said: "When my husband went away on holiday, I decided the time was right to give it a go.
"I washed down the kitchen units with sugar soap and elbow grease. I removed the cabinets and drawers next to the oven, but I couldn’t remove the oven hob or cupboard sides. However, the end effect was still just as good for the areas where I kept them in place while I worked on them.
"I used a metal scrubbing pad instead of fine sandpaper. I lightly sanded down everywhere I wanted to paint to prepare it. The paint goes on so well - it dries in one hour and I was able to do a second coat two hours later. There is no smell with this paint, which is fantastic when working in a food prep room.
"It took me 10 days and two to three coats of paint on each unit. I used three tins of paint, which were 750ml and £19.95 each. I then bought three rolls of D-C sticky back plastic to cover the countertops at £6.50 per roll.
"So, with about £60 spent on paint, £8 on brushes and sugar soap and £20 on sticky-back plastic, I got a new kitchen – which is what the husband thought when he got back from holiday!
The end result of Deborah's project was so impressive that her husband thought they had a brand new kitchen. She added: "On his return I knew I had done a good job because he had to actually ask if it was a new kitchen - I could see him panicking at the cost.
"The money I had saved by doing this makeover meant that I could buy a new fridge and range cooker. I bought these from a shop that deals in ex-display, slightly marked white goods and saved over £800 on these appliances. For example, the oven retails at £1400 but I only paid £800."
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