Kitchen | Claire Douglas

DIY Kitchen Makeovers & Updates

Budget Kitchen Makeover

There are lots of changes you can make without replacing the kitchen on a shoestring budget too. Pop over to the blog post here where I shared the results of my own budget DIY kitchen makeover and you can read all my top tips for making a big impact on a small budget. Some are obvious like painting & updating cabinets or upgrading the handles, but I also completed some more unusual projects like microcementing my worktops, filling the gap above the cabinets and building a DIY fridge surround.

Repair Kitchen Damage

Over time, the kitchen can take a bit of a battering which can cause hinges and fixings to become unreliable and even fail completely. Before you start a DIY kitchen makeover, it's worth spending a bit of time fixing these issues to take the stress out of being in the kitchen. I found hinge repair plates to be super useful for fixing dodgy doors, you can read more about that here...

DIY Kitchen Makeover Tips

Paint makes a huge difference for a start and you can paint almost everything in the kitchen, cabinets, tiles even window and doors. uPVC paint tutorial here. New hardware (handles, knobs, taps, switches and sockets) can really elevate a space and there are lots of low budget options that pack a style-punch. Removing upper units can really change the feel of the space and can improve the light too. .

Get creative

Sometimes a DIY kitchen makeover requires creative thinking to overcome your kitchen bugbears.

Ugly under-counter appliances? Make a skirtain to hide them. Fridge is looking a bit lost? Build a surround to house it in. If you can't afford flashy new worktops, why not create your own with microcement. Or perhaps think of ways to decorate spaces like above the cabinets, above the worktop, or creating a DIY coffee station.