With the cost-of-living crisis putting a strain on our disposable income, many homeowners are being forced to put their home renovations on the back burner. But one couple have shown that home makeovers are still possible during the current climate as they managed to completely transform their kitchen on a tiny budget.
Leanne Ward, 33, and her husband Ash moved into a new home and disliked their dated kitchen. The couple thought they may have to spend a large amount of money ripping the entire room out before discovering budget-friendly ways to update it.
By shopping around for bargain products from their local DIY stores and B&Q and taking inspiration from Instagram and Pinterest, the pair turned their once lifeless kitchen into a modern Boho-style space whilst spending just £200.
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"When we moved in, the kitchen was the one area that I thought we were going to have to rip out and start completely from scratch," Leanne told Joseph Joseph.
"Our plan was to live with it whilst we saved, then we looked at removing the adjoining wall and making a kitchen diner space - I think I lasted around 8 months before looking at budget friendly ways to update it.
"I took inspiration from Instagram and Pinterest originally just focussing on the tiles and cupboards for a quick fix, as I could afford to buy more and collect more ideas.
"I then moved onto the tile trim, the worktops, floor etc. Even if you can afford to only do a little bit at a time, small changes can still make a big difference."
When transforming a space on a budget, Leanne says her top tip would be to 'do your research' on products.
"There are so many options available nowadays it doesn’t always mean the most expensive is the best," she said.
Leanne bought cupboard paint Frenchic in colour black jack for £20, tile paint in rustoleum white for £15 and floor paint from B&Q for £22.
Other bargain buys included cupboard handles which were £1.25 each from a local DIY store, worktop vinyl for £45 and terrazzo chips for £17.
"My favourite part of the kitchen has to either be the open shelving or the Terrazzo effect floor, I think both were integral parts of the design that has made the Kitchen feel more modern," Leanne said.
"The end kitchen unit had glass doors originally with old fashioned lead trim, by simply removing the cupboards doors and painting the inside black it has created a more on trend ‘open shelving’ area for me to display accessories and plants.
"The floor was the last job I did, I was a little nervous about painting over the original tiles but knew it would make all the difference to the overall feel off the kitchen. I saw a couple of people on Instagram who has done similar so decided to take the risk."
Leanne says her top decorating tip would be to 'just go for it’.
"Sometimes it can be scary to make drastic changes or there are limitations with rental properties etc, however there are always ways to create a happy space without breaking the bank," she said.
"At the end of the day it's only paint, some ideas don’t always work (believe me I have had few disasters) but there isn’t much that can’t be painted over or sanded back."
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