A Very Basement-Like Kitchen Gets a “Frugal” Makeover with Projects Starting at $70
It’s possible to transform your kitchen on a budget, without sweeping renovations, expansions, or re-outfittings. Pasting peel-and-stick tiles, swapping out light fixtures, and utilizing contact paper for countertops can go a long way for way less budget. Partners Taylor Greeley (@tayglo) and Markus Sebastiano made over their 60-square-foot kitchen with wallet-friendly upgrades.
“Overall it felt dated and boring,” Taylor says of the “before.” She and Markus disliked the tile that clashed with the wood living room flooring, the lack of texture in the space — specifically, a backsplash — and the drop ceilings.
The ceiling upgrade was the biggest splurge.
“The main thing that was throwing us off was the drop ceiling,” Taylor says. It was “the drop-style you see in commercial spaces or basements and just didn’t feel right.”
She and Markus met with a contractor, Jeff Abate, who helped them raise the ceiling by 6 inches and add recessed lighting. “It made a HUGE difference,” Taylor says. “Other than that, we mostly did DIY projects to elevate the space.”
The DIYers revived the kitchen floors for about $70.
“The tiles that met with the living room wood floors were dated and an eyesore, but it wasn’t in our budget to replace them this year, so painting saved us,” Taylor says. She and Marcus used a Rustoleum floor paint kit for the job, and it cost just under $70.
Taylor says the flooring upgrade looks great and has held up, but it was the hardest part of the kitchen makeover. “It is tricky to get [the floor] fully clean to apply,” she says. “We also did two coats.”
An $80 backsplash makes the kitchen more luxe.
Taylor and Markus watched tutorials online before painting their floors and before applying the new peel-and-stick backsplash that looks like marble, and the latter was surprisingly easy.
They did have to work around a lightswitch in the corner, but that was the only hiccup. The backsplash cost around $80 from Amazon.
The kitchen now has a “modern, bright, surf style.”
Overall, the kitchen has an airy feel to it; it’s much less basement-like than before. “We knew we could put our spin on transforming this space to be a modern, bright, surf-style space that felt cheerful and calm,” Taylor says — and she’s proud of how quickly and simply it came together.
For finishing touches, she and Markus painted their door from the ’80s white (Sherwin-Williams’ Eider White), added a Wayfair dining table and IKEA dining chairs for a spot to eat, and countertop shelving for a bit of extra storage. “We love the vibe of our beachside oasis,” Taylor says. “Do not be afraid to try the DIY updates before fully committing to deep renovations. “Oftentimes it comes out really well, and will save you tons!”
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