Kitchen Home Projects

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Wisconsin-based interior designer Emily Winters of Peabody’s Interiors was tasked with an all-too-classic mission: An outdated kitchen from the late 1990s to early 2000s was in need of a modern makeover — and a much more functional layout.“It was a sea of natural maple cabinetry with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

The details are everything.

“I was drawn to a simple, classic, and subtle nautical look,” the homeowner says.

The project included several DIY “firsts” for the homeowners.

Plus, there’s cool new texture and hardware.

The DIYer’s grandpa built the kitchen cabinets.

"I had been getting really inspired by rich burgundy tones in homes," the DIYer says.

“We didn’t want to pour money into a rental, so it had to be budget-friendly,” the DIYer says.

For $1,700!

“I cannot believe how we were prepping meals before the renovation,” the homeowner says.

Goodbye, brown cabinets.

It made me totally rethink white cabinetry.

The DIYer didn’t like the brown cabinets at first.

They look so much better after the makeover.

Function came first, but style wasn’t forgotten.

The pop of pink paint is a must-see.

The new look makes it feel bigger, too.

A disco ball in the kitchen? Sounds like a party!

It only took about a month!

The cabinets! The natural light! The island!

The “after” is so charming.

The original kitchen felt “dark and very boxed in.”

Greens and grays mesh perfectly.

There’s zero paint!

The DIYers thought of every detail.

The renter didn't let her lease stop her from personalizing the kitchen.

I can’t believe I didn’t think of it before.

The space looks “brand-new, without the effort and expense of installing a new kitchen,” the DIYer says.

“We needed more storage and more space. And perhaps a bit more glam!" the homeowner says.

The project “saved me hundreds of dollars,” the DIYer says.

The new backsplash is so clever.

The backsplash is inspired by Morocco.

A 2-foot transformation made the kitchen look a little more bespoke.

“Creativity beats cash, and a little stubbornness can make even a landlord-friendly kitchen feel luxurious,” the DIYer says.

Before, the kitchen was closed-off with shutter-style doors.

It adds instant patina.

It’s gorgeous!

My partner and I had to decide where to splurge and where to save.

It’s wonderfully wild!

As with most DIY projects, there were surprises along the way.

“It was a diamond in the rough," the homeowner says.

These kitchen cabinets are stunning.

The paint color is enveloping.

The floors were a labor of love.

It looks way more expensive than it is.

She did the entire thing herself!

This interior decorator is allergic to white walls.

Before, it looked bad, and it smelled even worse. 

It only cost $400.

It’s very nostalgic.

The kitchen "had all the character but needed some depth,” the renter says.