Kitchen Home Projects

You’d never guess the "new" cabinets are from 1988.

And it’s renter-friendly!

It’s totally renter-friendly.

It was all DIY, and it cost about $800.

You don’t have to spend a fortune to have a fancy kitchen.

The 200-square-foot kitchen “feels more open and light,” the homeowner says.

Wisconsin-based interior designer Emily Winters of Peabody’s Interiors was tasked with an all-too-classic mission: An outdated kitchen from the late 1990s to early 2000s was in need of a modern makeover — and a much more functional layout.“It was a sea of natural maple cabinetry with sponge-painted walls and Corian countertops,” Winters says of the original kitchen.

It cost $10,000 to renovate.

“It was a blank slate with so much potential to become something stylish, fun, and functional,” the homeowner says.

“The bench is both functional and pretty,” the DIYer says.

It's an homage to Jackson Pollock and Lee Krasner.

Before, there was barely any cabinet storage.

It’s entirely DIY.

“Everything had to be renter-friendly,” the DIYer says.

Even though you might not live in a rental home forever, that doesn’t mean you have to grin and bear it if you’re not loving the look and feel. There are plenty of smart ways you can update a space in a reversible, temporary way. Renter Sarah Bryant (@sarahlouwho) knows this well. After moving into a charming 1901 apartment in Brooklyn’s Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood, Sarah decided to make some changes to what she guessed was an “early 2000s” kitchen.

This is proof that a small budget can make a big impact.

It's so much brighter.

Plus, how to save on costs in a big way.

The original East Atlanta garage was built in 1950, but you’d never be able to tell because the space is so modern now.

The homeowner saved up for four years to make it happen.

Paint for the win!

See how the “builder-grade, landlord-special kitchen” took a turn for the colorful and whimsical.

This homeowner loves her little galley kitchen — she’s totally over open-concept.

There are clever DIY ideas to borrow whether your kitchen is a temporary or forever place to cook.