Tips for a Budget Friendly Kitchen Makeover from Cherished Bliss

Hey friends! I’m so happy to be over here for my sweet friend Lauren today. If you’ve never met me or heard of my blog, I’m Ashley and I share DIY projects, Home Decor, and Free Furniture Plans over at Cherished Bliss. Today I’m going to take you on a little trip called “renovating a kitchen on a budget”. Yeah, you’re going to want to grab a cup of coffee.

Kitchens are no joke yall! In our last kitchen remodel, I can’t even tell you how many times I cried. We are looking at redoing our current kitchen so I’ve been rethinking some of the process and I’m not sure if I’m excited or scared, but either way it’s SO worth it in the end!

Here’s a little before and after so you can see what can be accomplished while still staying on a budget.

So let’s talk about how we get from that before to the after without spending tens of thousands of dollars!

Paint the Cabinets Yourself
I don’t think I’ve come across a person yet who begs to paint their kitchen cabinets. It’s just not the most entertaining DIY project, but man does it make a big impact. Grab some paint clothes, coffee, and push through because you will be so happy you did! You can find my tutorial for painting kitchen cabinets here. Lauren also has a tutorial on painting cabinets and she took a different approach, so check them out and see which one works best for you.

Make Adjustments
Sometimes cabinets might not be exactly what we want or be where we want them to be, but with a few power tools and elbow grease you can alter your kitchen cabinets. Obviously this depends on what exactly you are wanting to do, but I have a tutorial that demonstrates how to extend cabinets, and will hopefully inspire you to find ways to make your kitchen work for you!

Focus on the ONE thing you want to change the most
When you are working on a budget sometimes you have to make compromises. Who are we kidding, on a budget you HAVE to make compromises. Our kitchen was actually remodeled in two phases. One of the biggest things for me was to change the countertops and backsplash (Check out Lauren’s Awesome budget friendly backsplash). It was the biggest eye sores and simply had to go. I decided to stick with our white appliances and focus on something that was more important to me. For you it might be appliances, but the point is that you have to choose your biggest desire and work on that.

I actually decided to go with butcher block counters for two reasons. 1) I absolutely LOVE how they look. 2) It’s all we could afford at the time.

I get a lot of questions asking if I’m happy with my butcher block. I don’t actually live in that house anymore but I did live with them for about a year and a half and honestly I’m torn if I would do them again. If money was an issue I would definitely use butcher block again; I do love the look. However, there are a few negatives. They take a little more up keep and aren’t as forgiving as other counters. Keeping them dry is essential. If money wasn’t an issue, I would probably go with a solid surface because cleaning them is easier. If you do choose to go with butcher block I have a tutorial that has a fantastic finish. If I didn’t have this finish on them I wouldn’t have been near as happy with them as I was.

Build it Yourself
When remodeling a lot of the funds go towards the time it takes someone else to do something for you. This remains true when you buy cabinets. If you have ever built anything you know how long it takes and will suddenly realize how much your time is really worth. So in order to cut back on these costs, grab those tools and build yourself your very own Kitchen Island with these easy to follow building plans.

Add a Focal Point
Adding a focal point to your kitchen can drastically enhance the overall look of your kitchen and draw your eyes away from something you might not want people staring at. Not that there is anything in Lauren’s Kitchen you wouldn’t want to stare at all day, but I’m totally smitten with her Reclaimed Wood Bar. It’s such a gorgeous focal point in her kitchen. But perhaps you are doing your kitchen renovations in several phases, or it’s just not in the budget to do everything you want. Making the decision on a focal point is an important one as it can set the tone for your whole kitchen!

Obviously there are tons of ways you can redo your kitchen, but these are some of my favorite and most budget friends ways I know of! Do you have any secret tips that I’m not aware of? I’ll be doing more kitchens in my future and if I’m missing out…well, that’s no fun! Leave a comment if you have a trick up your sleeve!

Thanks so much for having me Lauren, and to all of YOU guys! It’s been fantastic stopping by. I’d love to stay connected, you can find me here… come say HI! : )

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