Before and After: A Stylish $50 Kitchen Island Redo Done in a Day

Not every kitchen makeover has to be a whole kitchen makeover. Swapping out hardware, changing up lighting, or even just adding in a new faucet can totally change up the look of your cook space. In Zoe and Andrew Hunt’s kitchen, the big island was definitely in need of a change-up. “Our kitchen island was exactly what you’d imagine a builder-grade island to be: bland,” says Zoe. “There was nothing special about it other than the fact that it was a kitchen island.” And, aside from the lack of interest, Zoe says, the flat paint was a “magnet for jean marks and dirt.”

“Our island constantly looked dirty,” Zoe says. “Since we needed a practical change, we decided it should be a style upgrade, too.” The couple experimented with painting it black, but that was a DIY fail: ” It sucked all of the light out the room, so we knew we had to repaint it,” Zoe says. Rather than choosing a bold color to cover over it, they took the island back to white—but with a little extra interest.

First, Zoe and Andrew sketched out a pattern on the island in chalk using wood screen moulding cut to size to create a cool criss-cross pattern on the back of the island. They glued it in place with liquid nails, caulked the gaps, then painted everything white (Sherwin-Williams’ Extra White in semi-gloss). “Going from black to white wasn’t the easiest paint job we’ve ever done, but it was the right choice for us!” Zoe says. The whole thing took less than a day and only $50 to complete—with impressive results.

“The pattern on the island makes it feel so much more custom,” Zoe says. “The blank canvas that was our kitchen island before always made it feel like the space was missing something, but now it feels complete.”

Zoe’s advice for anyone eyeing this upgrade? “DO IT! This transformation will make a big difference in the way your home feels, but it won’t cost you very much in terms of time or money.”

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