Our kitchen is the heart of our home, where we spend most of our days. We cook and prepare almost all our meals at home and only dine out when necessary. Additionally, we frequently host family gatherings and parties, making the kitchen the first area we transformed to suit our needs.

Where we started

Being new to DIY projects, we had just begun painting the walls in the living room when we decided to dive headfirst into renovating the kitchen. Our home, a manufactured one, came with cabinets of less-than-ideal quality. Despite our desire to rip everything apart and start new, we realized that wasn’t feasible. I was three months postpartum, Jacob had recently started his career path after graduating, and as new homeowners on a tight budget, we were also inexperienced in such projects. Little sleep, no experience, no free time, and little funds—no bueno! So instead of demolishing everything, possibly opening a can of worms, we chose to work with what we had until we were ready for a full-scale renovation.

It’s amazing how much I adore our kitchen now compared to its depressing beginnings. Those dark fake wood cabinets, the sad beige counters, and the dingy peel-and-stick floors were just so uninspiring.

We started by priming and painting the walls around cabinets and ripping off trim and backsplash. Then we debated spraying the cabinets or rolling. We didn’t own a sprayer and the thought of spraying paint all over the house sounded terrifying. So we opted for rolling. For primer, we used Kilz All Purpose Primer and did one coat on the cabinets. We didn’t bother taking the doors off to paint them because we were rolling and hand-brushing. We did, however, remove doors on a few of the cabinets to get that open-shelf look.

Once we were satisfied with a solid coat of primer, we chose a paint color. Opting for Dusty Olive by Behr was a decision I haven’t regretted; it’s a gorgeous and timeless shade. I’ll probably use it again when we install new cabinets. For the walls we choose the same color as throughout our house, Blank Canvas by Behr.

I took on removing the old handles and spray-painted them black. However, I regret not using Rust-Oleum for this task. On the drawers that are heavily used, there’s lots of peeling because we didn’t thoroughly research the brands beforehand. I’ve had great experiences with Rust-Oleum in other projects, like using it on bathroom faucets and doorknobs, where it holds up incredibly well.

When deciding on the backsplash and counters, I initially leaned towards vibrant tiles and beautiful woods. However, considering our budget and the temporary nature of the project, we opted for simple rectangle tiles and Formica laminate counters. Jacob, who had no prior experience with these tasks, surprised me with his initiative. Despite being a first-timer, he did a fantastic job, and both the backsplash and counters turned out great, with only minor mistakes that weren’t noticeable.

We snagged our sink on Black Friday, and it’s proven to be incredibly functional. It’s the largest size that fits our counter space-perfect for bathing Ben, watering my plants, and loading it down with dishes when we have others over. My brother, who’s a plumber, took on the task of installing it.

To maximize space, we DIYed a pull-out trash can. Our island had shelves we didn’t need on one side, so Jacob removed them. With clearance wood from Home Depot and supplies we already had, we transformed the space into a useful addition.

We didn’t change the flooring until we renovated the whole house, which bothered me endlessly. However, once we did, it brightened up the space so much!

The island lighting, counter stools, dishwasher, and other odds and ends were all affordable finds from Dirt Cheap and Facebook Marketplace. I paid only $10 for the island lighting and $40 for the pristine dishwasher! The accent rug I found at Dirt Cheap for a mere $9!

I’ve toyed with the idea of jazzing up our fridge and other appliances with funky wraps, but then I chicken out. I mean, why bother when we’ll swap them out later anyway. They’re chugging along just fine for now, and besides looks, there’s no real urgency. Still, that doesn’t halt my pleading with my hubby for that snazzy green and orange custom fridge every time we stroll through Home Depot.

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“Good food and a warm kitchen are what makes a house a home.”

-Rachel Rae

Isn’t it wild how this kitchen has transformed? Every time I step in here, it’s like a mini oasis. And flipping through old pics? It’s like a blast from the past, seeing how this space has blossomed right along with us. The memories we’ve created around the island with friends and family during holidays, birthdays, and dinners are ones we’ll treasure for years to come.