Woman gives faded kitchen an on-trend makeover for just £40
A woman totally transformed her bland kitchen into a vibrant green sanctuary on an impressively small budget of just £40.
Over time kitchen cupboards can start to look tired and dated with the cost of installing sparkling new units putting many people off tackling a makeover.
But Heidi Vanacore, 30, has offered proof that you don't have to fork out thousands for an impressive upgrade.
The primary school teacher from Middlesbrough was desperate to give her space a smart makeover, while keeping within a tight budget.
"Some of my kitchen cupboards were discoloured - I’m assuming from sunlight over time - so I wanted to change them, so they were all the same colour," she tells money saving community, LatestDeals.co.uk.
"I had previously used Frenchic paint to up-cycle an old kitchen table and that worked well."
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Having also seen people changing their cabinets with either vinyl or paint, the keen DIYer decided to give her cupboards a fresh lick of paint.
"The idea of painting seemed much easier to complete myself," she explains. "I think I might have needed someone to come and help me to lay vinyl on properly without getting any bubbles or creases."
When it came to design inspiration, Vanacore immediately knew the colour scheme she wanted to go for.
"I have always loved the colour green," she explains. "My mum’s kitchen walls are currently a dark green and I love it.
"I was fed up with seeing lots of grey and neutral rooms. [Although] I do tend to choose having white walls and accessorising with colour as I find it easier when redecorating."
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Before moving into her first home, Vanacore had upcycled a kitchen table using white Frenchic paint and covered the seats with a green leaf design material, and this inspired her to opt for a similar palate.
"I also love all the botanical designs at the moment," she adds. "As my kitchen is small, I thought keeping it minimalistic was the best idea. While I do prefer more unique designs, this one suited the style of cabinets that were already installed."
The next step was sourcing supplies, which she managed to do pretty cheaply.
The Frenchic paint she used on the cabinets was purchased from a nearby supplier called Junk4Joy.
"In the end I purchased a 750ml and a 250ml tin of the paint, which cost me £29.90 in total," Vanacore explains.
"I used some sugar soap which I had previously purchased from B&M when I upcycled my table, and I borrowed my dad’s electric sander to help sand the large areas.
"I used sandpaper from B&M for the smaller areas. I already had a Frenchic brush and purchased some foam rollers from B&M too for £7 a set.
"I had previously used Dulux Silk Emulsion in my bedroom when I did some panelling. I had lots left over so used this for my kitchen walls."
Watch: How to clean kitchen cabinets.
When it came to the transformation Vanacore says the process was relatively simple.
"First I painted my kitchen walls pure white as they were previously off white and they needed a refresh," she explains.
"The following week I painted my cabinets. I did this by removing a few cabinet doors from their hinges and taking off the handles.
"I cleaned the doors using sugar soap and then sanded them down until they had more of a matte look - as they were previously high shine gloss. I then applied four layers of paint to everything. Between each coat, I waited two hours before applying the next one."
While most things went to plan, Vanacore says the project wasn't entirely without issues.
"One challenge I faced was having the space to lay out all of the doors," she explains. "As it started to rain, I couldn’t leave any of them outside to dry. This meant it took longer than expected. I could only remove up to three doors at a time. Luckily, the drawers could be painted whilst still attached to their fittings."
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Another challenge was getting the integrated fridge and freezer doors back on in the correct position, but thankfully her parents were on hand to help out with that hurdle.
"Overall, I don’t think there would have been anything that I could have done differently," she adds.
Vanacore says she didn't get a professional quote for the project because she loved the idea of completing the makeover herself.
"As I love creating things, I loved the idea of changing the colour of my kitchen," she says. "I have done lots of budget DIY projects such as painting my door, panelling and upcycling furniture."
Commenting on the impressive transformation, Tom Church, co-founder of LatestDeals.co.uk, said: "Heidi’s kitchen transformation will no doubt be an inspiration for those who want to freshen up their cabinets, doors and drawers on the cheap.
"It’s great how a few coats of paint can completely change a room!"
