TL;DR
Get home appliances delivered free with Prime
- Fast, free delivery on millions of items
- Prime Video, Amazon Music and more included
- Member-only deals all year
Andrew and David Harrison-Colley refreshed their existing kitchen for under £400, about $542, according to Apartment Therapy. The temporary makeover included painted lower cabinets, open shelving, wall paneling, a replacement oven and a linen skirt; the couple say some features will move into their planned kitchen extension.
Andrew and David Harrison-Colley refreshed their beige kitchen for under £400, or about $542, while waiting for a planned kitchen extension, Apartment Therapy reported. Their interim makeover kept the existing lower cabinets but changed their finish, replaced upper cabinets with open shelving and covered old tile with painted paneling.
The couple, who share home projects through the Instagram account @the_home_boys, began by removing the peeling, light-oak-effect thermofoil from the lower cabinets. David wrote that the underlying MDF cabinets remained in good condition. They used a hairdryer to loosen the surface layer, filled holes, sanded, primed and painted the cabinets Farrow & Ball’s “Pigeon,” a gray shade.
They took down the upper cabinets and installed open shelving across the wall. Apartment Therapy reported that the couple plan to reuse the shelves, a new faucet and a cupboard built to conceal the refrigerator in the new kitchen. Those planned future uses helped shape the project as a lower-cost update rather than a full renovation.
The walls and paneling received a creamy tan paint, Coat Paint’s “Good Intentions.” The paneling covers the existing white square tiles. The couple said on Instagram they chose not to remove the tiles because doing so could damage the walls. They also replaced water-damaged countertops with an oak slab, sealed with Osmo TopOil, and replaced a nonworking oven with one found on Facebook Marketplace. A linen skirt conceals the washing machine.
A Lower-Cost Kitchen While They Wait
The project shows how the couple made their existing kitchen more usable during a long renovation wait without treating every improvement as permanent. Several changes, including the open shelving and faucet, are intended to be reused in the planned extension, while paint, paneling and a secondhand oven provided practical updates to the current room.
The reported total is also a useful reference point, but it is specific to this project and its circumstances. The couple retained the lower cabinets, found a replacement oven through Facebook Marketplace and kept the old tiles in place beneath paneling. Their result does not establish what a similar makeover would cost elsewhere, especially where materials, labor or repairs differ.
Products Worth Considering
Logitech MX Master 4 Ergonomic Wireless Mouse with Haptic Feedback, Graphite
DJI Osmo Mobile 7P Gimbal Stabilizer with Mic Mini Transmitter, Infinity Black
LG UltraGear 25G590B-B 25-Inch Full HD 1000Hz Gaming Monitor
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
An Interim Update Before an Extension
Apartment Therapy’s report describes the kitchen as the one that came with the couple’s home. Andrew and David are planning a new kitchen extension, but the construction was not happening quickly enough to solve the needs of daily cooking in the meantime. They decided to improve the smaller existing kitchen while keeping the budget low.
The makeover had been in use for about two years, according to the couple’s account as relayed by Apartment Therapy. They said the sealed oak countertop had held up well over that period. The source presents the work as a before-and-after home project, rather than a building-industry study or independently verified cost assessment.
“The cabinets were still in great condition.”
— David Harrison-Colley, in an Instagram post, as quoted by Apartment Therapy
What the Report Does Not Specify
Apartment Therapy gives the project total as under £400, approximately $542, but the supplied report does not provide a complete itemized budget. It does not break out the cost of the oak countertop, paint, paneling, shelving, faucet or oven, or say whether the total includes tools and any labor. The dollar figure is an approximate conversion, not a separate U.S. project price.
The article also does not give a completion date or construction schedule for the planned extension. It says the couple intend to reuse some elements, but does not confirm which items have been transferred or whether the new kitchen has been completed. The countertop’s performance is reported by the couple, not based on an independent assessment.
The Planned Kitchen Extension
The next major development is the couple’s planned kitchen extension. According to Apartment Therapy, they expect to bring the open shelves, faucet and refrigerator-concealing cupboard into that new space. The source does not state when construction will begin or when the extension is expected to be finished.
Until those details are available, the existing makeover remains an interim solution that the couple say has supported everyday use. Any update on the extension would clarify which of the current kitchen’s features are reused and how the temporary room gives way to the planned new layout.
Key Questions
How much did the kitchen makeover cost?
Apartment Therapy reported that the project cost under £400, or about $542. The source does not provide a full itemized breakdown, and the dollar amount is an approximate conversion.
What happened to the original lower cabinets?
The couple removed the peeling thermofoil from the existing MDF cabinets, patched and sanded them, then primed and painted them Farrow & Ball’s “Pigeon”. David said the cabinets were still in good condition.
How did they update the old tiled backsplash?
They covered the existing white square tiles with paneling painted creamy tan. The couple said they did not want to risk damaging the walls by removing the tiles.
Which features do they plan to reuse?
Apartment Therapy reported that the couple plan to move the open shelves, faucet and cupboard built to conceal the refrigerator into their planned kitchen extension. The report does not confirm that the extension has been completed.
Source: apartmenttherapy.com
