Before and After: Tiny Tweaks Give This Kitchen Major Cheer

We love color. Love it! But sometimes moving into a new place means you’re working with colors you’re not wild about—like, say, the lime green and black tile in Lissi Walker’s kitchen in Leicestershire, UK. Although the size and layout of the kitchen were on point, the design wasn’t exactly Lissi’s taste. Aside from the checkered tile, the kitchen also had blah beige floors and orangey wood cabinets. Finally, Lissi and her husband decided a transformation was in order, but the budget would have to be small: “We couldn’t live with the existing lime green and black color scheme but were planning major building works, so there was almost no budget for a kitchen renovation too!”

First up, Lissi painted the tiles white, which seriously helped the look of the kitchen. She knew she wanted to paint the cabinets, since they were in great shape, but when she went to a company she was quoted £3,500 for the job—not going to happen! Lissi did the work herself instead, removing the doors, sanding them, priming them, painting them, and then rehanging them.

A pretty blue was just the right amount of color for the base cabinets; white on the uppers helps them blend into the wall for an airy look. Lissi replaced the hardware, too, choosing more modern pulls. Powder pink on the pot rack was a game changer—flanked by art, it’s functional organization that looks like decor. The total cost for the cabinet and tile refresher? Just £400.

Later, Lissi and her husband had the floors in the entire open kitchen/living room replaced with large porcelain tiles; a gridded rug on top makes the kitchen feel extra cozy.

“I love the two tone cabinets,” Lissi says. “The lighter color on the top cabinets gives a feeling of space. Eventually we’d love to add a big island, but for now, this kitchen is definitely where you’ll find everyone at a party!”

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