Looking to have a kitchen makeover ? Have a look at our Kitchen Make-Over (Budget Friendly) and you might find some inspiration on how to save money!

FINALLY – The Kitchen is done !! Get ready for lots of photos of our kitchen Make-Over (Budget-Friendly) – I’ll try to keep my usual ramblings to a limit….

***One thing before we get started: The point of our make-over was to spend as little money as possible and to re-use old things for a new purpose and also rather to make things ourselves rather than buy new. The only item I REALLY splurged on.. yep, the glass mosaic tiles.***

BEFORE: the tiles must go ! Tired of the red after 18 years ..nothing is organized!

• First photo top left – open counter to the laundry/dish washing area
• Photo on the far right(top) – two end (top/bottom) cabinets to be removed and the steel shelf used to store all the small appliances to move to laundry
• The photo far left(bottom) – old storage area for spices, under the breakfast bar!
• Center photo (bottom) – tiny island to move up against the wall where the fridge are now
• Bottom far right – Fridge to move to the area in the photo right above (where the 2 cabinets will be removed and together with the steel shelves move to the laundry)

• Wall tiles have been removed and painted a light grey – drawer/cabinet handles and trim (all plastic) spray-painted with Rust-O-Leum for Plastic (BLACK).
• Kickplates painted black. We installed a strip (150mm high) of glass mosaic tiles all-round the kitchen walls.
• Made and installed the KITCHEN COOKBOOK SHELF on the right next to the entrance to the laundry.
• We also fixed the existing cornices, painted these and the ceiling a fresh coat of white PVA.

Easy curtains:

I made a simple no-frill (hang straight) curtain from the same fabric as I used for the old toy-box turned KITCHEN BENCH seen in the photo just before the above.

The lunch-making station has moved from under the window to the counter above the Kitchen Bench.

We made and installed the DIY GROCERY SLIDER next to the fridge – now in it’s new corner.

All the spices was moved from under the breakfast bar to new spaces which opened up thanks to the Grocery Slider acting as a “pantry” now.

There are Bar stools (see photo further down) on the other side of the breakfast bar. By opening up the counter for this area the kitchen appeared larger immediately. (This was done a year or two ago already!)

• Just turning the view a bit to the left – Beverage- Lunch making- stations now in the corner left.
• A piece of my prep area can be seen on the left (the flowers are on the counter dividing the kitchen from the laundry/sink area).

This is the view when sitting at the breakfast bar or when passing in the passage. I left the Grocery Slider a little open in this shot.

Same view as previous photo, but the Grocery Slider is closed. (it is flush with the fridge even though it doesn’t seem like it!) Blame it on the photographer.. uhm,,,which is me.

View from the passage:

I took this photo from the passage showing the bar stools at the breakfast bar as well as the one entrance into the kitchen. There is another entrance next to the fridge from the dining room.

One can see the different wall color here – most of the walls in the house are painted GRECIAN WHITE.

1.) We kept our old light – I like it as one can direct the light whichever way it is needed

2.) Just a cute “Kitchen Rules” wall ornament I picked up at Crazy Store this morning!

3.) I Love my “CHEFS” collection ! This hangs above the breakfast bar (on the kitchen side). The breadman is standing tall next to the bread bin. And the chef with the menu board as well as the one holding the toothpicks are on the breakfast bar.

4.) The lights above the breakfast bar.

Decor items and printables:

1.) A Framed brass collection of our Big 5. We won this in a raffle (not really my taste, but it goes with the curtain etc fabric..) and the ticket only cost five rand.

2.) Thanks to OVER THE BIG MOON for the free printables you can find HERE. I framed them with simple clip glass frames.

3.) Above the extractor fan, over the electric stove, is a wooden fork/spoon set – also a five rand raffle prize.

4.) I used to grow parsley on the window sill, but decided on Violets this time. The little tea-pot is a Red Cross Store find. My Wire-hen always has eggs in her tummy .. but the Fruit bowl is, unfortunately, not always packed !

Decor and more:

1.) Take-Away condiments and all sorts of sauces ! Yes, I keep them, one never knows who is craving what restaurant’s sauce or salad dressing. (I even keep the little packets of sugar and salt – many a time we’ve run out, usually in the morning, and then they come in handy).

I used to throw them into a drawer, but that started to work on my nerves. So, I took a glass jar, some velvet ribbon around the neck and an old “Rose” shaped perfume cap stolen from Cheri’s room, and glued that to the top.

2.) Those little glass cloches are for jams etc, but I like to keep mints and other sweeties in there. The knife block which I spray-painted – go HERE to see how I did this (a paper towel holder and a cup holder as well).

3.) Ah, my KITCHEN COOKBOOK SHELF – I am so glad we made this ! It looks lovely and keeps my books out of the way, but within easy reach. But above all CLEAN as I used to keep them on the counter near the prep sink.

4.) A little collection of tea-light holders, together with some votive candles I bought ( I might need to re-spray them, the sun has faded them a bit…).

Last printable on the wall (directly above the entrance to the laundry) – but definitely the most important and dearest to me ! I hung it where I can see and read it every day. This I found on the sweet Michelle’s blog, over at PRINTABELLE as a free printable (go HERE to see this).

After I told her I was going to use it in my kitchen, we had some e-mails exchanged and I found out that we have quite a lot in common as well as the same feeling regarding responsibility.

Kitchen Make-Over (Budget Friendly)

And finally … BEFORE and AFTER next to each other !

I am leaving you with a last photo in this post. It is a TINY, TINY peak into our laundry, (on the other side of the counter on which the flowers are) which I hope the post will go up soon.

Hope you enjoyed this post and will find some inspiration in re-using goods, and also to have faith that if there’s a will – there is a way!

First take a look at something you want to buy, and then make sure you can’t make it yourself.

LINDA