Low cost
Kitchen ISLAND Makeover
Ideas before you paint
A PICTURE IS WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS!
The before and after of this Kitchen Island Makeover is so striking that I can’t possibly keep you waiting. Check out these before and afters and then I’ll tell you how we changed the cabinetry for only $330!
YES! I DID SAY $330 UP THERE!
When we got our tax returns I was super excited to update this island. As you can see in the before pics, the shape was so terrible. It was like an 80’s pixelated letter “J”. It had very little surface area, yet managed to take up the whole kitchen and make my walk ways incredibly tight. Especially when the fridge was opened! To make it worse the top was tiled! Yuck! My kiddos couldn’t even do homework on it without their pencil slipping into grout lines and distorting their writing.
We knew the counter was going to be the most expensive piece of the whole kitchen remodel, so we got that quote first….my heart sunk when it ate up our entire tax return. Yet I still went and got a quote for cabinets…. $6,000 dollar people!!!!! FOR JUST THE ISLAND CABINETS! That is insane! I wanted to cry! The problem was I had been scouring Pinterest and kitchen magazines and I had already decided what I wanted… and it wasn’t cheap! I didn’t just want to “update” the island by adding a few pieces of trim, and I didn’t want a plain builder grade look…. I actually drew up what I wanted (to my husbands dismay). It had to fit 5 barstools, have trim, legs and pillars. All while getting the biggest island possible with my walkways open….
When there is a will there is a way…
One day my husband was so done with me going back and forth, he knew I wanted to do it but couldn’t justify the cost….So he grabbed a hammer went into the kitchen and smashed all the tiles on the counter….then he said ” There ya go, now you have to get a new island!” I’m sure my face was a perfect mixture between “Thank you” and ” What the CRAP!”
I am actually quite determined but this definitely solidified it for me! However, I have to admit that I can’t take all the credit! I was so bummed out, excited, and overwhelmed about costs that I just prayed! It’s the truth! Long story short, I ended up at a cabinet warehouse where I found old used cabinet pieces that fit my vision. These legs were a little beat up but nothing I couldn’t patch and only $10 each! I had searched the web and stores like crazy,there were not new pieces for the price I wanted. BUT! All those old cabinets end up somewhere! Give it a google, you might be surprised and amazed what kind of warehouses you find in your area!
Putting the pieces together
Now for the fun part! Here are the supplies we ended up using to build the island!
1- Existing Cabinets-$0
2- Warehouse Old Legs-$40
3-Baseboards-$60
4-2×4’s-$30
5-Cabinet Skin-$8
6- 4×8 Melamine White Panel Board-$40
First step was to straighten out the cabinets, then we framed in the space behind them to give them the depth we needed. Next we added the new skin to the side of the exposed cabinetry and attached the melamine board to the back of the frame we built. Last we screwed the legs in the ground to support the overhang of the island.
ADDING TRIM
Now for the trim work! I wanted to dress up the trim work a little. Rather than just clean straight edges my husband had the idea of using a baseboard around the bottom as well as the same base to frame squares on the open, exposed sides. I love the way it turned out!
Next step Sanding
After we got the trim all up it was time to sand. I initially cleaned with TSP, filled the wood grain and any blemishes and then gave it a really good sand. You can read all my details and tips on finishing the cabinetry here…
PRime, Paint and Hardware…
The title says it all. We primed, painted and added hardware. We loved using Sherwin Williams Emerald Urethane Trim Enamel. It’s a hard drying water based paint. It went on so smooth and clean. We used the color Iron Ore on the island. After purchasing the primer, paint and hardware our total was $330!!!! I could definitely handle $330 over budget!! Again be sure to check out our post on refinishing cabinets here!
You can check out the whole kitchen remodel
See how we updated the whole kitchen! Adding glass cabinets to the ceiling, open shelving, backsplash and more…
So what do you think?!
Isn’t it just gorgeous! It was a ton of work but I’m so happy with the way it turned out and a Kitchen Island Makeover for $330!! You can’t beat that!
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