We took a quick trip to our house in NC last week and I jumped into tackling some projects to dress up our dated kitchen while there! At some point we’d love to do a full kitchen remodel with new countertops, appliances, etc. but after just putting a bunch of money into our master bathroom addition in CT, that’s going to be a bit down the road. For now my goal was just to make our kitchen feel a little less dated and a little more like us without spending a lot of money.
I only had five days to get it done and I barely made it but I’m so happy with the new look and wanted to share the details with you! Hopefully it will give you an idea or two for updating your kitchen even if you’re on a tight budget. Ready to see?! (post includes affiliate links; full disclosure statement available {here})
Let’s throw it back a week and remember what our kitchen looked like before I started:
Here’s its new look!:
These are the five budget-friendly changes I made in knocking this kitchen makeover project out…
1. Added Wallpaper Backsplash
The first thing I did was remove the dated, stained wallpaper which gave it an instant update but the space looked a bit too ultra-white and sterile without anything on the walls. I already had {this patterned blue wallpaper} that I was planning to use for a different project but decided to use it in my kitchen instead as a wallpaper backsplash. Wallpapering around the arched windows in the corner definitely challenged my wallpapering skills but it added a fun pop of color and really made my white cabinets and windows pop:
I got it all done using one roll of wallpaper with a good bit to spare so it’s a great spot to use a wallpaper that you love but might be too pricey for a full room where multiple rolls are needed. I plan to coat it with {this flat varnish} once it’s restocked – it’s perfect for wallpapers that could be exposed to water and moisture in kitchen and bathrooms. Check out {this post} with the details of how I used it in our guest bathroom.
You might notice that I didn’t add wallpaper back to the soffits – instead I painted those (I used Benjamin Moore Simply White in flat) which kept the kitchen feeling more airy and open.
Other ideas for updating your kitchen backsplash on a budget are to use peel and stick subway tile stickers like {these} or tile stickers like you can find {here}. My favorite tile stickers that I’ve come across are {these beautiful tile stickers} that mimic Moroccan tile:
2. Painted Cabinet Frames & Trim
One of the biggest things that was dating our kitchen is the yellowed trim and cabinet framing in several spots – it was most obvious in the area around our oven and microwave:
You can see from this close-up what a color difference there was between some of the trim/framing and the cabinet doors and sides:
I’m assuming it’s because they’re different materials that were prone to yellowing with age. Even our microwave had yellowed with time! There were other spots in the kitchen where this was an issue too so I took all of the upper cabinet doors off,
lightly sanded all of the cabinet frames with 220 grit sandpaper, used a towel and then a tack cloth to get all of the dust off, and then primed them with {this bonding primer} that’s made to stick to almost any surface (I even used it when I painted our tile bathroom floors and it has held up beautifully!):
I used a combination of a paint brush and mini roller to brush/roll it on but I ended up mostly using my paint brush and could have gotten away without using a roller at all. Once the primer had dried and I’d allowed enough time to re-coat, I very lightly sanded again and then painted with Benjamin Moore Advance paint in Simply White (satin finish). I swear by Advance – it’s expensive but so worth it. Any brush marks you leave end up leveling out and virtually disappearing! The only thing to be aware of is that you need to wait a LONG time before re-coating – 16 hours! After two coats of the Advance paint, my cabinet framing and trim looked like new and matched the cabinet doors perfectly with no more ugly yellow:
We also got an inexpensive new microwave to replace the 15 year old yellowing one and for a future project I plan to build out some framing around it so it’s more integrated into the cabinet frame without the gaps surrounding it.
3. Sprayed Recessed Lighting Trim
I’ve been making my way around our house spraying the yellowed recessed lighting trim white – it makes such a difference! Here’s what our recessed lighting trim use to look like:
With just a single bottle of {this high heat spray paint} I was able to whiten the trim of all 14 recessed lights in our kitchen area – it’s super quick and easy to do! Simply unscrew the light bulb, remove the trim, spray it outside (I do two coats), and put it back a day or two later. These are the same two lights with a fresh newly whitened look:
4. Swapped Out Cabinet Knobs
A change in cabinet hardware is an easy way to make a big difference! We have knobs on all of our cabinets – personally I like a mix of knobs and pulls but adding pulls to the drawers would require filling old holes and repainting the cabinet doors which didn’t seem worth it. Our old knobs were a shiny brass in a dated style:
I feel like these were the knobs that were put in 80% of kitchens in the ’90s right?! I swapped them out with {these knobs} in the 1 5/16 size & Golden Champagne finish which is a really beautiful matte brass:
I love the simple yet updated style of them and at around $5 each the price is right too! If you have a mix of knobs and pulls in your kitchen {these pulls} that I used when we remodeled our kitchen in CT would complement them nicely.
5. White Washed Countertop Edge
Did you notice one other change from the pics of my old and new knobs? I white washed the wood edge on our countertop to get rid of the orangey tone and make it blend in with the countertops and cabinets a bit more. To do this, I simply sanded the wood down well (first with 60 grit sandpaper and then with 220 grit sandpaper),
and coated the wood edge with {this wood conditioner} and then a coat of {this Simply White stain}:
I’m considering adding a second coat but am going to live with it like this for a bit before deciding whether to whiten it a bit more. I also need to refinish the wood edge on our island countertop – I ran out of time for getting that done!
I plan to seal the wood edge with {this wax} that I’ve used in the past to seal our wood tables (more on that in {this post}). The benefit of using wax instead of using a polyurethane sealer is that the clear wax doesn’t darken the wood as much as polyurethane would.
There was also one last change that was part of the makeover but definitely not included in the “budget” category – I added a pair of {these gorgeous counter stools}. They were actually ordered a few months ago to replace the stools that the previous owner left behind and had been waiting for us in boxes for weeks until we were able to get down to NC. I LOVE how their woven nature ties this main kitchen area…
together with our kitchen breakfast nook:
Sources: Woven pendant | Round white table | Dining chairs | Rug | Tiered server
There’s definitely still work to be done in our kitchen but with its newly refreshed look, I feel like I can more patiently wait until the time is right for a larger kitchen remodel. And most importantly, our home now feels more like “us” than someone else’s home that we’re living in 🙂
Let me know if you have any questions about our newly made-over space or if there’s anything I missed (if you want to see the whole makeover process go down day by day, I have it saved in an Instagram Stories highlight {here})! And be sure to hop over to my post on the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale if it’s one that you like to shop – starting today it’s open to everyone (including all non-cardholders). You can see my full post on my tried and true favorites plus the new pieces I’ve been eyeing in {this post}. Here’s a sneak peak:
Long blush cardigan | Marble & wood serving board | CozyChic gray cardigan | Zella leggings | Stripe embroidered tote | Earrings | Natori Rose Dream Bra | Tassel pillow | Faux fur throw | T3 curling iron | Spotted mules | Mango wood cheese board
Thanks for stopping by today!
What an incredible transformation! I can’t believe you were able to get it all done in 5 days! It looks fantastic!
This looks great! And welcome to NC! I used to live in Wilmington and loved it! I live about an hour away but it is just a wonderful place to be.
The kitchen looks so updated! Nice job. Love the wall paper. ( I would paint the oak trim white. It truly dates the kitchen as that style has not been done for a long time.)
Best!cc
Thank you! I considered painting the trim white but am actually loving the white washed look for now as something different. I might paint the trim of the island white though!
Hi Your changes look great! Much more updated! I noticed you replaced your sink. I would like to know more about your sink, brand and type? Thanks and keep up the good work!!!!! Gwen
Actually the sink is the same (I would LOVE to replace it though because I’m not a fan of divided sinks…) but I did change out the faucet – here’s the affiliate link to that (it’s pretty nice for the price!): https://rstyle.me/+NZysQFsEoaptE4Z3v7Goag
You always mix the metals which I am always afraid to do! You do it well!
I love how you’ve explained exactly what you’ve done on a budget. These ideas are great! Thank you!
Kris, when I first saw your kitchen improvement, I noticed the dark box around the microwave, I was thinking you could cut some thin plywood to the adequate dimensions, cover them in your lovely wallpaper and ‘pop’ them in place behind the microwave. This would also cover the electrical cord A quick solution ( before you get around to building a new box-in cabinet front). Love your work. Love your style. Pam
Looks great! And thanks so much for the tip on spray painting the light trim. I need to do this to many around our house.
Great idea not to paint soffits! We are doing same thing in S.C. Before larger remodel. Just changed out divided kitchen sink and it’s been life changing!!
I was curious if your cabinets are a thermofoil? I have thermofoil in my mudroom and bathroom. The parts that have yellowed are a laminated pressboard vs the thermofoil portion. Thanks. Ana
They are kind of a mix of everything. The cabinet frames are wood but some portions of the fronts of the frames are laminated. And some of the cabinet fronts are thermofoil while others aren’t. A total hodgepodge!
Beautiful job Kris! Great idea to paint the soffits white. It really does extend the cabinets visually. I’ve used that same primer on cabinets and have been very happy with it! Love the bar stools too!
Shelley
It looks great!! My neighbor painted the wood trim around the countertop white with the same paint that was used to spray their cabinets!! Now they don’t mind the old countertop anymore!! Taking that line away really updates the space- just a thought!
I actually considered that and even did an Instagram poll having followers vote on white paint vs whitewash. I decided to go with the reader vote and try out the white wash for something different. I might try white on my desk area though and see how it looks there.
Where did you get the rug in front of your sink? I am looking for something similar.
It’s actually the same rug as the one we put in our master bedroom (I had bought a small version of it first to make sure I liked it and ended up finding a home for it here). It’s linked in this post: https://www.drivenbydecor.com/jute-rug/
Until you painted them white, I didn’t even notice the soffets!
looks amazing!! are the kitchen cabinets laminate?
The cabinets and frames are actually a mix of thermofoil, laminate, and wood!
Gorgeous – as always. And so inspirational. Already have my weekend planned now 🙂
Can you share from where you purchased the bar stools? They are fabulous! Thanks!
Sandra
Thank you so much Sandra! They are from Serena & Lily – the direct link to the exact ones is right above the picture of them near the end of my post. 🙂
What an amazing job, you are so talented!
That’s very kind – thank you!
You are truly amazing. I wish I had your energy. It is lovely.
I would like to copy the nook dining area! Where can I purchase the table and chairs? Thank you
The updates made a huge difference. It all looks so good. I am going to update my kitchen (painting cabinets) in a few years but I need to purchase a kitchen table. I wanted to get something that would not look so bad for a few years until I do the work. I am eyeing an white cottage table from Create Barrell. Do u think white will look ok with my old oak cabinets? I haven’t picked out chairs yet. I enjoy your blog and you master bath is gorgeous.
Thanks
Renee