How To Make Simple Updates To a Dark, Dreary Kitchen on a Budget

When the boys were in High School, over Spring Break I took a trip to my moms while they visited the in-laws. Mom and I spent an extended weekend (roughly 5 days) busting our butts getting her kitchen overhauled. The plan was to spend as little as possible and just freshen it up. It's such a small, dark space so automatically we knew the cabinets had to be painted. We also opted to put down a new floor and add a backsplash. Mom ended up changing out the countertops and sink as well. It really turned out great and we got to spend some quality time together. It was lots of hard work but we had a blast!

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10 Ways To Update Your Kitchen On A Budget

Before, dark and dreary!  The cabinets are in great shape just really, really dark. The space is so cramped we just needed to brighten it up and make it appear larger, open and airy (removing clutter wouldn't hurt either).

Here it is with the new paint job, counters and sink plus the backsplash. Just a few more finishing touches and it'll be done.

The floor made such a huge difference. We made a simple valance from the fabric you see sitting on the counter.

The cabinets over the peninsula were solid doors and kept the room even darker. We changed them out for glass (they open on both sides) allowing more light in. Such a small thing that made a huge difference!   (We put them on upside down to start, ooops!  Took us a little while to realize it and get them turned around). 

We sanded, primed, 2 coats of paint and added a glaze using a chocolate brown color watered down and then rubbed on.

Here's the backsplash. Simple project, we used cheaper, plain tiles and added accent tiles to spruce it up. A great way to save some money and still get a custom look.

Another view. Amazing how it transformed. Still a small space but feels so much brighter.

After I left they finished off the trim work around the new flooring and got it put back together.  It was a lot of work but the result is really fabulous.  Just what we were going for.

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10 Ways To Update Your Kitchen On A Budget