DIY Couple Create Stunning Black Kitchen For Under £850, Saving £1000s

14 February 2022 at 8:00 am

Samantha Harlow, 28, and her partner Adam, 25, wanted to create a black kitchen on a budget
They used budget materials such as DC Fix and Frenchic paint to keep costs down
They pulled off the project for £850, with similar professional jobs costing up to £15k

Fed up with your kitchen but don’t have a huge budget to change it?

Then take inspiration from this DIY-savvy couple, who managed to transform their plain wooden kitchen into a stunning, on-trend black space for just £850.

Samantha Harlow, 28, and her partner Adam, 25, first time buyers from Lancashire who both work in hospitality, used budget materials such as DC Fix and Frenchic paint to keep costs down.

With similar kitchen transformations costing up to £15,000 to do professionally, the couple have saved thousands of pounds by doing it themselves.

Samantha told money-saving Facebook group DIY On A Budget UK: "We knew we wanted a dark kitchen as we got a dog last year and the mud and mess he brings back from walks would ruin a light coloured kitchen.

“We came across a black kitchen in IKEA with 'wooden effect' worktops and we fell in love with it.

“On Facebook, I saw a lot of people were painting kitchen cupboards so I looked up my nearest store that sells the paint and had a chat with the woman in the store.

“She told me what I needed and how to prep the cupboards.

"To prep the cupboards I just cleaned thoroughly with sugar soap solution then lightly sanded them down before applying the first coat.

"I did about five coats per door leaving them to dry in between.

“I did the same prep for the tiles and also painted them in Frenchic paint.

"I then put the Frenchic finishing coat on top.

"The worktops I just cleaned down before applying the vinyl.

“The vinyl I used was DC Fix which I ordered online from createyourworld.co.uk as I couldn't buy five metre long rolls in-store, only online and I didn't want a big join in the middle of the worktop.

“For the black and white wall, I used two pieces of wood from B&Q, which were £3 each.

"I stuck them to the wall using No More Nails glue to get a perfectly straight line but also give a 3d effect which I like.

"I’m thinking of sticking another piece on the top to create a shelf effect and the wall is painted with Dulux in Rich Black at £18.

"I did paint the skirtings in Frenchic Blackjack but as I hoover daily it did scratch so I have since gone over this in black gloss from Home Bargains for £9 which so far hasn't scratched.

“We aren't finished yet! I still plan to change the blinds, add some more shelves, get some pictures for the frames and make it more personal and homely with some decorative items.

"With the leftover Blackjack paint I did end up painting the radiator, the extractor fan and the wooden legs on the white unit which I think finished the kitchen off perfectly.

"The basket with the dog's toys in was originally blue but I got some spray paint from the pound shop to spray the inside of the radiator black that I couldn't reach with a brush.

“Using the leftover spray paint I sprayed the dog's toy basket black.

“The sugar soap solution by Frenchic cost £3.95, then I used three tins of Frenchic Al Fresco in Blackjack at £19.95 a tin.

"For the tiles, I used one tin of Frenchic Al Fresco in Dazzle Me for £19.95 then I used Frenchic's finishing coat for £13.45.

"I used the Frenchic brushes to apply the paint. I bought a square one and the rounded one, which cost £10.95 and £9.95. I personally preferred the rounded one.

"For the worktops, I used DC Fix vinyl in Santana Oak Lime which cost £47.

“The flooring was the only thing we didn't do ourselves.

“We got some laminate effect lino which was put down on top of the laminate that was already down.

“A local carpet shop did that for us for £600 but this goes through the hallway too.

"Overall it cost just under £850 including the flooring.

“I’ve heard of people quoted up to £15,000 for a kitchen not as big as ours!

"As for tips, I would definitely recommend watching videos and doing research on everything beforehand.

"I didn't research much with the vinyl and since fitting the vinyl I have seen videos of people doing it online and I could have made it so much easier had I have seen these beforehand.

"I also used a clear sealant around the sink and at the sides of the oven to prevent water and heat making the vinyl lift and I have bought extra chopping boards to make sure that no cutting is done on the worktops and no hot pans get put directly on the vinyl as I'm not too sure if it would ruin and I wouldn't like to risk it.

"Use Pinterest for ideas, and Facebook groups are amazing for ideas, advice and help too.

"I didn't do it on my own, it was a joint effort with me and my partner.

“I wouldn’t want people getting the wrong idea and thinking I did it all on my own! I'm not that good.

"It's taken us weeks to do it together in between working so on my own it would have taken forever.

"I'm over the moon with how it's turned out, it looks like a completely different kitchen and it was definitely worth the hard work!

"We feel really proud that we actually did it all ourselves. It was hard work but knowing we did it ourselves makes it worth it and we saved a fortune which is amazing!"

Tom Church, co-founder of LatestDeals.co.uk, comments: “This kitchen is so on-trend, with everything from the wooden worktops to the dark cabinets ticking all the Pinterest boxes.