Before and After: A $450 Redo Makes a Dated Kitchen Look New Again

Kitchen redos can be wildly expensive, when you factor in the cost of new cabinets, countertops, appliances, and more. But there are ways to make an old kitchen look revitalized. Just take this kitchen redo from Anne Chicheportiche, which was achieved for only $450.

Before, Anne says, “the kitchen was just old looking and falling apart. The countertops were getting stained at a drip of coffee, the doors weren’t closing properly, the only appliances that were functioning were the rusty fridge and the oven.”

While Anne had previously been “waiting patiently” for her dream kitchen, once she started spending more time at home and cooking more meals in 2020, she realized she needed a change that would make the kitchen more pleasant to be in.

Anne mostly worked at night while her children slept, and was able to make a big aesthetic impact with small changes.

Painting the cabinets in a fresh white and adding new gold knobs made a huge difference, as did covering the counters with contact paper in a marbled pattern. Anne also used peel-and-stick tiles for both the floor and the backsplash.

But the boldest change was the fridge, which Anne painted light blue. Now, the appliance is a centerpiece that helps add some personality to the otherwise white space.

While she’d hoped to also replace the sink and faucet, she decided to hold off for now; since the plumbing is old, she didn’t want to risk creating a more expensive and involved project.

“I love how bright, functional and easy to clean it all is,” Anne says. “The fridge colors brings happiness to the space when you walk in.”

And all of that was achieved with a budget of just $450 for the tiles, paint, hardware, and contact paper. Plus, the project was something Anne—a creative who plays and teaches violin—enjoyed taking on. “I had to find something that did not involve playing my violin in the middle of the night—which was my only time free—nor baking which I did way too much during the confinement,” she says. “So I found that creating a more functional kitchen brought me joy and peace.”

Inspired? Submit your own project here.