Before and After: A $500 Kitchen Makeover

In tough times, an interior designer tests how far she can stretch a dollar.

Massachusetts-based interior designer Linda Merrill has spent almost a decade cooking in a tiny kitchen -- and dreaming of the day when she had the time and budget to renovate it. When she first moved in, she replaced the kitchen floor with graphic black-and-white checkerboard patterned tile, but she didn't do much else. The cabinets were dated, there was little counterspace, and she was tired of having a kitchen that's "small with only two fairly useless drawers," she says. It was especially tough because she sees so many beautiful kitchens as an interior designer.

It wasn't as though she didn't have big ideas and lofty plans. The problem? She didn't have the money to design the kitchen of her dreams. Her budget was only $300.

Ouch. Still, Linda was determined to get a beautiful space with some sweat equity. She employed the help of a friend and rolled up her sleeves and got to work.

First, she scraped off the dated popcorn ceiling, sanded, primed and painted, which cost about $50. She then purchased some embossed beadboard wallpaper which cost $25/roll (4 rolls total) and was much easier and cheaper to install than real beadboard. She painted the paper with a glossy trim paint. (You can see it in the above photo -- on the right wall.) It looks like real beadboard, doesn't it?

Linda cleaned and painted the cabinets inside and out. She painted the cabinet exteriors herself in a two step-process, with two different shades of dark green paint, and then sanded with steel wool to give them a distressed look.

The 20 glass knobs were purchased on eBay for $50 total, which saved her from purchasing much more expensive antique crystal knobs. She and her helper also built a new counter (almost like an island bordering the kitchen wall) with an old closet door that was taking up space in Linda's garage. The new counter has a skirt made of environmentally-friendly burlap, and Linda had enough extra material to make a matching window shade for a total of $17.

Linda spent an additional $200 on paint and other supplies, which brings her total to about $500 (not including the appliances, which she received on a trade). "As with all home reno projects, it takes longer and costs more than anticipated," Linda says, but doing it herself saved her at least $2000 in labor costs for a painter, carpenter and electrician.

The biggest challenge Linda faced with this renovation besides her budget was time. Although she had help, her friend was only available on Sunday afternoons, and Linda's schedule was jam-packed, so the entire project was stretched out over a period of a few months.

Want to try out your own $500 renovation? It's possible, says Linda.

"Learning how to do things oneself is a huge money saver," she says. "Even if it's just on the demolition and debris removal end of things." Also, spending some time looking into your options will also help you save -- Linda wanted crystal cabinet knobs, but knew they weren't in her budget. "Instead of just passing on the idea and picking any old cheap knob, I researched online for the best deal I could find and found some in my budget with the exact look I wanted." All you need to do is spend some time comparing prices and doing some shopping on eBay or Craigslist. You might even be able to find items at local garage sales.

It's also important to be creative and "reuse what you have," she says. It's good for the environment and the pocket book. "Furniture can be reupholstered, cabinets repainted, doors can be turned into kitchen counters," she says. A fresh coat of paint isn't expensive but offers the biggest bang for your buck.

And finally, if you know someone who is a plumber, electrician or other professional, take advantage of that and make a trade. Maybe you're an accountant and can help them with their taxes in exchange for some rewiring?

From the very start Linda knew she could create a beautiful kitchen with a limited budget. She believes that knowing what she wanted up front was "instrumental in all the decisions made along the way...every decision I made was done with great care and consideration of the practical needs of the space." So, if you know how your space functions and what you want, there's no limit to what you can do in your space, even when times are tough.

Want to learn how to do things on your own to save money? Check out our sister site, DIY Life.
Plus...
Open House: What Room Renovation Is the Most Valuable?
A Doll In The Kitchen
Kitchen Makeover on a Budget: Before & After