Kitchen Transformation for $50??

Threefinchsisters
by Threefinchsisters
8 Materials
$50
3 Days
Medium

we moved into our house in october 2020 and ever since then, i have been talking about repainting my kitchen cabinets. they were a cherry-ish wood color and coupled with the brown and tan granite, made the kitchen look super outdated. i finally worked up the motivation to do the project! here is an easy step by step guide on how i did it. it’s definitely not perfect and mistakes were made, but i do love how they turned out! just be aware before you start the project that it is stinking hard work but worth it if you can push through!

the first step is removing all the existing hardware and removing the doors from the cabinet boxes.

super easy to do with a drill!

because my cabinets were never painted, i just had to buff the top coat off. if your cabinets were previously painted, you have to sand down closer to the bare wood.

i used an electric sander with 180 grit sandpaper for all the flat areas and a sanding block for the detailed spots.

i set up a grid with labels to make sure that i would remember where all the doors came from (i forgot and moved them towards the end of the project making it a challenge to remember where all the cabinets came from lol)

i used a microfiber cloth and lemon oil to wipe the cabinets clean after sanding but if you have access to tack cloth, that’s what i would recommend using! you just need to make sure all the dust is gone before you start painting.

i taped off the cabinet boxes on the walls and around the appliances to make clean up a little easier. don’t forget to remove the tape while the paint is wet, otherwise the tape will take paint off with it when you pull it off.

i used a primer that was recommended by the paint department at home depot. i always ask for their opinion on what kind of paint to get because they know what they are talking about typically! after the primer dried, i went over it with a 220 grit sandpaper just to make sure it was smooth.

time to paint! i used benjamin moore simply what with a 1/4 nap wool roller and a wooster shortcut brush for the cabinet boxes + a sprayer for the doors. it took 3 coats to make sure that everything was solid.

after the paint dries, its time to reattach the hardware! this is the exciting part! i use painters tape to help make sure the my hardware holes are drilled level. use a level to make sure that your tape is level in the location you want to place your hardware. next, use a sharpie or paint on each screw location on the hardware and press it up against the tape. that will provide exact locations for you to drill. then just screw the hardware on! easy!

reattach your hinges and your cabinet doors and stand back to admire your work!

the white cabinets make the kitchen look so much bigger and brighter + i hate the granite soooo much less now! the creamy white of the cabinets and the dark floors make the counter tops look more up to date. isnt that amazing? just a gallon of paint, new hardware, and a lot of sweat and i have an updated kitchen!


check out our instagram @threefinchsisters to see a video of the before and after transformation!

BEFORE!

AFTER!

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  • 17335038 17335038 on Aug 24, 2021

    You listed the cost of the project as $50. Considering that three coats of BM paint went on the doors, I am wondering what exactly was purchased for $50?

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  • Ingrid Ingrid on Sep 13, 2021

    I love what you did!! I would have loved to have that vent-a hood microwave over the stove as you did, but it was to high for me to reach I am so short. I had 40 y/o oak with a Formica butcher block and I stained mine a blue/gray and it is too dark for my small kitchen. Maybe if I get the energy I can paint a lighter color as you did. Not sure I can afford granite might go with butcher block. I love yours, don't change a thing.

    • Threefinchsisters Threefinchsisters on Sep 13, 2021

      i love the look of butcher block! A lot of the design shows I’ve seen recently have used butcher block and it looks beautiful!

  • Ruheena Ruheena on Aug 27, 2022

    You American have big beautiful kitchens but I don’t like the the microwave bring on top of the cooker. Firstly not every one is so tall to see inside it. Accidents have happened as someone was taking out something from it and it was too hot and it slipped from their hand and dropped all the food on the floor. Thirdly if one is using the cooker then they have to keeping aside if some one else needed to use the microwave.

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