A Dated 1989 Kitchen Gets a Dramatic DIY Makeover for Only $9,000

When Amanda Oleri and Jason Staebler purchased their 1989 Nashville home, they set out to remodel the entire space, including the kitchen. But unlike most kitchen renovations, the couple tackled every one of the projects without hiring any professional help. 

“Since we’re doing this all ourselves, we usually just start a project and design as we go,” Oleri explains. “It’s amazing because we’re always discovering new ideas or finding fresh inspiration that influences our work.”

The original kitchen was “quite small” and had some undesirable elements. “The cabinets were dark wood, and mice had built a little castle inside the bottom ones,” she admits. But these factors wouldn’t get in the way of creating their dream kitchen. The goal was to brighten and modernize the kitchen, and they got straight to it. 

“The sky was the limit with our kitchen renovation. The first thing we chose was the reddish-brown handmade tile — we absolutely fell in love with it,” Oleri says. “We knew we wanted open shelving to showcase our collection of vintage glassware and kitchenware that we’ve gathered over the years.”

Thanks to the custom rounded upper shelves crafted from ash wood that Staebler DIY’ed, they could display their collection of kitchen items. They also added some other shelves to display their trailing plants to be close to the sunlight. (He also built their kitchen table the day before Thanksgiving 2022 using salvaged materials.)

The stunning shelves weren’t the only clever addition to the kitchen. The focal point of the room is arguably the custom oven range hood. Several pieces of wood were cut into different sizes and “meticulously milled by hand” to create a striking, wavy design. But another standout element is the built-in spice cabinet, inspired by a project in their bathroom. 

“One day, we were brainstorming and came up with the idea for this charming little spice rack. It was such a sweet and simple detail to execute,” she shares. “We used scrap wood from other projects, so it cost us next to nothing to add. It brings so much character to the kitchen, and everyone always gravitates towards it when they first enter the space.”

Oleri and Staebler work full-time, so they only worked on the kitchen renovation on weekends, taking around six months from start to finish. The entire DIY remodel cost the couple around $9,000.  

“We love everything about the kitchen and spend so much time in it! Every detail was designed and built by us, making it a true reflection of our passion and creativity,” Oleri says. “It’s the hub of the house and where everyone gravitates when we have guests over. From cooking together to sharing meals and conversations, the kitchen is the heart of our home.”

This wasn’t the only room in their home that received a facelift. If you’re interested in seeing more, visit the full home tour on Apartment Therapy. 

This post originally ran on The Kitchn. See it there: Before & After: This Dated ’80s Kitchen Gets a Dramatic Renovation for Only $9,000 (the Red Tiles!)