When Rachel sent us photos of her recent DIY kitchen makeover, we had to share the transformation. Here’s her note:
To say there are touches of YHL in our renovated kitchen and dining room would be an understatement — I borrowed many of your ideas. First, we removed the upper half of the wall separating the kitchen from the dining room to open the space. After stripping the dated wallpaper, we painted both rooms using a five-gallon bucket of Valspar to keep costs down. We removed the upper cabinet doors to create an open look while sanding, priming, and repainting the original lower cabinet doors. We installed new hinges and hardware, and added a beadboard backsplash to draw attention away from the original Formica countertops that we couldn’t replace yet. We also scored a cast iron sink with a faucet on Craigslist for $30. The dining room pendant and the wall shelves were YHL-inspired finds (the light mirrors a CB2 style and the Ikea shelves are similar to those you featured). Overall, the project cost under $1,000 and we did it ourselves with help from my handy carpenter dad and my husband. I relied heavily on your advice and before-and-after photos during the renovation — I couldn’t have done it without your site. Thanks so much! — Rachel
Here are the before photos of Rachel’s previously closed-in kitchen and dining room:
And here are the after photos of her brightened, more open kitchen and dining area:
Isn’t that fantastic? We love that Rachel wasn’t afraid to take down part of the wall to create a much airier, more connected space. Stretching a budget to under $1,000 while updating the backsplash, hinges, hardware, and even adding a cast iron sink is impressive — especially since she kept costs down by repainting existing cabinetry and removing the upper doors. That figure also covers the dining area updates: the pass-through, the pendant light, floating shelves, and window treatments. It’s a beautiful two-room makeover achieved through creativity, elbow grease, and smart bargain hunting at Craigslist and Ikea.
What do you think? Didn’t Rachel do an incredible job expanding the feel of her home without spending a fortune? What’s your favorite detail? We especially love the open flow between the two rooms — though those cheerful red accents in the kitchen and the airy red curtains in the dining room are pretty charming too.