A mum of two renovated her kitchen for just £100, thanks to supplies from B&Q. After realising that a professional kitchen transformation would cost £6,000, Melissa Preston decided to take matters into her own hands and take on the project herself.
The 44-year-old, who owns a cleaning company, used budget paint and vinyl from B&Q to revamp her walls, floor and units, and even made a stylish breakfast bar from an old wardrobe. Sharing her experience in the DIY On A Budget UK Facebook group, Melissa said: "My kitchen was looking tired and tatty and didn't go with the rest of the house. I had some green paint left from last year when I painted my living room and hallway, so I thought I would use that up and then decided on the colour scheme for the rest from there."
Savvy Melissa reworked items that would have otherwise gone to waste and even found budget-friendly vinyl to avoid splurging on new tiles and worktops. She headed to DIY store B&Q to source the materials for her kitchen's incredible transformation.
Melissa said: "I decided on painting the units dark grey and had some gold handles spare and used them. I originally wanted to get vinyl for the worktops to match the floor, but I didn't find anything that I thought matched, so instead I went for a grey-brown wood effect, which I feel goes very well.
"As my tiles were very old and I couldn't afford to get new tiles, I started to hunt for stick-on tiles, but I didn't like the options and the reviews were not great. Instead, I found a vinyl that has a tile effect and I fell in love with the pattern, style and colours. I used an old wardrobe door to make a kitchen breakfast bar and covered this in black vinyl.
"I used V33 paint which was £29, painted the walls in the same colour as the hallway with leftover paint, covered the worktops in vinyl for £30, covered the tiles in vinyl for £30, and covered the breakfast bar in vinyl for £10. The paint and vinyl were all from B&Q."
Melissa couldn't be happier with the end result, and has shared her top tips on how people can transform their kitchen space on a budget. She said: "Remember that the hairdryer is your friend when using the DC Fix vinyl. Clean, clean and clean a bit more with sugar soap before you even start. This will allow for a better finish and make lighter work in the end. Remove all sealants and re-seal for a smarter and neater finish.
"Take your time! Remember you will make mistakes and want to throw the towel in, but it will be so worth it once you have finished. I'm so happy with the results as it all blends very well together. I love it! If I were to have a whole new kitchen, it would have cost me about £6,000. I feel fantastic about saving such a huge amount as now I can make other home improvements with the savings."
