Before and After: A Stale Kitchen Gets a Simple Scandinavian-Inspired Makeover

We had enough of our dated kitchen, so we decided to give it a full-on facelift, while staying on a budget. Follow along with our whole series: Lidy’s Kitchen Makeover.

The Before

Before and After: A Stale Kitchen Gets a Simple Scandinavian-Inspired Makeover

When we first bought our home, the kitchen was quite dull and uninteresting. Which was ok at the time, because we just needed it for practical reasons. And to be honest, after making a big move to a new country, the last thing we wanted to do was tackle the kitchen. Naturally. But after two years, it was starting to take it’s toll. With a very small budget and very limited time, we put our best DIY foot forward and began our kitchen makeover journey.

We tried to make it work the best we could by adding alternative lighting and bringing in different types of furniture. But still. Nothing could hide or distract what was really going on.

Remember those contractor-grade oak cabinets? They were such an eye sore and altered the overall look of the backsplash and floors in a bad way. The peachy pink walls were…well, far from cute. There was limited storage for small kitchen appliances, so we ended up having tons of clutter on the countertops. The tiny back entrance was used on a daily basis, so we inevitably tripped over shoes and piles galore. You didn’t have to convince us, it was time for change!

The After

Today our space feels fresh, modern, and most importantly, it complements the rest of our home all in all. With our small budget, we managed to repaint our cabinets a bold black, while painting the walls a crisp white and install shiplap panels. We designed a built-in bench for extra seating and storage and gave our little mudroom a mini makeover too. Best part is, we only spent roughly $600, which is pretty impressive as far as kitchen makeovers are concerned. We are thrilled with the result and can’t wait to show off our new kitchen! You can peek at the behind-the-scenes making of this kitchen renovation, then check out the beautiful after shots!