A Cabin’s “Small, Disgusting” Kitchen Feels 10x Brighter Thanks to 2 Paint Colors
There are some incredibly beautiful cabins and cabin kitchens out there — but if the rustic homes are on the older side, it’s likely that homeowners have to do a little (or a lot) of renovation work to get them looking beautiful.
When Amy (@homeonwoodlark) and Mitch Disselkoen bought their 1960s cabin, they “knew it was neglected and outdated,” Amy says. (In fact, she called it “small, disgusting, and outdated.”)
A Couple of Budget-Friendly Swaps Made This Kitchen Look New
“I was excited to bring this kitchen up to code and bring it life and a personality,” she adds. The entire electric wiring in the cabin wasn’t up to code, which ate up a lot of budget, but Amy and Mitch also made budget-friendly changes in the kitchen, like painting, making hardware swaps, and adding a plank ceiling.
Plank Ceiling Paneling Is a Nod to the Original Kitchen
Amy says she liked the paneling that the kitchen came with, but she disliked the stained, falling-off ceiling tiles and the ceiling light that was “ugly, outdated, and filled with cobwebs.”
“We started by taking down the ceiling light,” Amy says. “We hired electricians to add in the recessed canned lights and a window company to replace the windows.” Mitch installed the new plank ceiling — and that was a first-time project for him, although he’d installed wood floors and the process was fairly similar. Now, the cabin’s ceiling matches its earthy outside.
Benjamin Moore Paint Refreshed the Walls and Cabinets
Amy says one of the easiest parts of the project was picking her paint colors (Benjamin Moore’s “Simply White” for the walls and “Revere Pewter” for cabinets). “The mismatched paneling doesn’t feel odd now that it’s all painted white,” Amy says. One of the hardest parts was doing the actual painting, which took place mostly over one weekend.
“We lived in our camper with our four kids and our puppy while we renovated the inside,” Amy says. Her best cabinet painting advice? “Use a power sprayer, if possible, because the painting goes faster,” she says. “Make sure to cover your floors well, and plan for overspray.”
One of the other biggest challenges of the kitchen was waiting for the new windows to come in. (They were delayed by two months.) “That set me back, as I had to wait until the windows were installed before I could finish painting the window trim,” Amy says.
Secondhand Kitchenware Saved Money
There are still a couple of projects Amy and Mitch would like to tackle in the kitchen, like upgrading the countertops and kickboards, but so far the kitchen transformation totals about $2,500 (excluding the electrical). Amy and Mitch saved money by sourcing things secondhand and shopping her home. She thrifted a lot of pots, pans, dishes, and silverware, and she and Mitch bought the fridge from Facebook Marketplace.
“I love the thrifted vintage lamp next to the stove and that the new fridge works well for a large family,” Amy says. And overall, she loves that the revamped kitchen “feels charming and cozy.”
For more charming and cozy cabin kitchens, check out this A-frame kitchen and this cheery floral kitchen.
Inspired? Submit your own project here.
Shop This Before & After
PAINT
- Benjamin Moore’s “Simply White“
- Benjamin Moore’s “Revere Pewter“