Before and After: Pops of Pastel Bring Spring Cheer to This $10K White Kitchen
Tired of all-white? Honja‘s kitchen remodel proves the trend still has legs, especially when paired with cheerful spring pastels. Their kitchen was blessed with good bones, but also cursed with a purple laminate counter—and swinging saloon doors. “We knew it had all kinds of potential down the road,” she says.
She saved for three years to afford this streamlined $10,000 remodel, and elected for a do-it-yourself renovation. “We decided if we DIYed the project ourselves, we could move up our renovation timeline quite a bit from what we originally estimated,” she says. “Two small kids meant a lot of late, late nights fueled by Doritos and Oreos.”
Spending three years working in the existing kitchen taught her exactly what changes were needed. “We really got to know the place and made decisions around specific changes we hoped for,” she says. To create the airy, sunny kitchen of her dreams, Honja removed the bulkhead over the cabinets and extended the uppers to the ceiling. “I love how bright and welcoming the space is now.”
They also enlarged the doorway, shortened (and fattened) the peninsula, and moved the fridge to add a full-length pantry. “We don’t have 10-feet ceilings or custom cabinets or a glamorous island, but I’m thankful for what we were able to accomplish and I really enjoy living and cooking in this space,” Honja says. “I’m thankful for our ‘after’ home, but I am just as thankful for the memories in the ‘before’ home!”
The key to the cheap remodel: IKEA. (Are you surprised?) Their cabinets, countertops, and appliances made the renovation affordable and beautiful.
Honja kept the all-white from feeling oppressive with smart accessorizing and material choices. Matching mint stools and pendant lights add a hint of color, and the subtly-patterned backsplash brings depth. Gray countertops balance the room and the on-trend greige paint—and make keeping the space pristine less of a chore. The final touch? Plenty of greenery to bring the space alive.
Thanks for sharing, Honja!