Small Kitchen Remodel: A Cost Effective Plan
A small kitchen remodel can bring significant changes to a home. This before and after shows the difference in a small kitchen remodel. Take a closer look at the kitchen reveal. A small kitchen remodel is possible to do on a budget. Read here to learn how to save both time and money. Keep reading and watch the video to see our Small Kitchen Remodel!
In case you’re in a hurry…
These custom wood doors are the best quality, wood cabinet doors online!
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Small Kitchen Remodel on a Budget
A cost-effective plan for a small kitchen remodel can be accomplished by using paint, light fixtures, and cabinet hardware to change the look. There are benefits to painting over the high cost of installing new cabinets in kitchen remodels. Here’s how to get started.
Small U-Shape Kitchen Remodel
Our kitchen is a u-shape which made it difficult to redesign. We had blind cabinets on the lower and upper cabinets. I hate blind cabinets. Everything gets lost in them. However, with our redesign, I wanted to keep some cabinets with doors so we can hide the “junk” lol.
The upper corner cabinets are regular cabinets that we turned into blind cabinets. We removed one door and used a piece of wood as a separator so it looks like a blind cabinet.
I hated our kitchen before and I honestly thought we’d end up doing a complete gut job when we had the funds to remodel. I’m glad we didn’t end up going that route though because this way was less interruption and the costs were over time instead of one big lump sum.
The first thing I did was paint our cabinets, got a new fridge, updated the pantry door, and removed the upper cabinet above the bar. I also added a Dollar Tree Peel and Stick subway tile backsplash.
It definitely had the farmhouse vibes (in 2019).
We had granite counters installed shortly after the above photo was taken and since we had new (expensive) granite installed, that meant those lower cabinets were staying for a while!
Then one day I decided to paint the lower cabinets dark (this color is called Rock Bottom by Benjamin Moore) and around the same time, we bought a new stove and a new dishwasher.
And then we finally ripped out the upper cabinets, and ceiling lights, and installed this FRESH design.
NEXT UP: New Doors for lowers and uppers, new hardware, and (fingers crossed!) new floors 🙂
I also have a plan to DIY inserts for the lower blind cabinets so stay tuned!
Cabinet Ideas for a Small Kitchen
Although we didn’t consider this when redesigning our kitchen, I would love to turn this area into an appliance garage one day. It may or may not be possible but the plan would be to add doors on the lower half so all our appliances are hidden on the counter.
Kitchen Remodel Cabinet Doors
COMING SOON! We plan to update our 1980’s Cabinet Doors with Fast Cabinet Doors next and I can’t wait to share the reveal when it’s complete!
Kitchen Remodel Lighting
We added several lighting additions to our kitchen. When we removed the upper cabinets above the bar area, we installed pendant lights above the bar.
We removed the 1980’s florescent light fixtures from the center of the kitchen ceiling and installed can lights. My hubby is very experienced in electrical work and he did everything! If we hired an electrician, it would’ve cost several hundred dollars to add these lights.
My hubby installed an electrical outlet in the upper cabinet and we installed a puck light system under the cabinets.
We also made sure to add the under-cabinet lights and we added a dimmer to the main kitchen lights so it can be super bright or soft and cozy 🙂
Kitchen Renovation Modern Hood Range
My design plan for the range hood was to keep it modern and simple. We lost the cabinet storage space above the range hood, but it turned out okay. We never used the cabinets above the stove anyway!
We purchased a range hood system that was flat (so it’s hidden) and my hubby built a frame around it using 2 x 4’s, then finished it with drywall and paint.
Kitchen Remodel Floating Shelves on Tile
So… the tile that we used on our backsplash had been sitting in our garage for 2 years. It was the longest that we have ever put off on a project! The reason why we kept putting it off was that I kept changing my mind about the design. Then when I was ready, life happened and we never got around to it.
Honestly, I LOVE tiling and could do it every day, hahaha. Just don’t ask me to come to your house and tile your kitchen though 😉
So we tiled the wall and then added these floating shelves… although technically they are NOT floating because they are attached to the sides for support.
We used 2 x 12 pine for the shelves. Yes, that type of wood is already very heavy so if you decide to use it too, make sure you have good support for your shelves! We tried using floating shelf brackets but thankfully, my design allowed us to attach the wood shelves to the sides to give it the best support.
By the way, that stain color on the shelves is Golden Oak.
Small Kitchen Remodel Backsplash Ideas
I LOVE this tile from Floor and Decor ( you can find similar tile at Home Depot too). This picket tile comes as a sheet so installation is very easy (unlike those single subway tiles!).
The grout color is white but we mixed our grout too thin so we used a bit of silver grout in it to thicken it up. I know, I know… try matching that color again, lol! So I’ll just say it’s white grout although you can clearly see it’s a bit darker than a true white.
Wrap up for Small Kitchen Makeover
If you are looking for ways to remodel your kitchen without breaking the budget, a small remodel may be the solution. We show how you can change your old kitchen with some simple steps. Got a budget for a small kitchen to remodel but aren’t sure what to do? Follow these simple tips to remodel a small kitchen on a tight budget and with great results.
Links to Products Shown
- Fast-Cabinet Shaker Doors
- Dash Electric Kettle
- LG Double Oven Electric Range
- Dishwasher
- Range Hood Insert
- Corner CabinetsÂ
- Coffee Maker
- Picket Tile Backsplash
- Under Cabinet Lights
- Washable Rug
- Magnetic Knife Holder
Don’t forget…
These custom wood doors are the best quality, wood cabinet doors online!
Shop Our Kitchen
Here are More Home Improvement Tips You Might Like…
Easy To Follow DIY Instructions For Painting Two-Toned Kitchen Cabinets
10 Cheap Home Hacks That’ll Make Your House Look So Much Better
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