DIY Mum Transforms Bland Kitchen For Just £90, Saving £1000s
- Lisa Wood, 35, wanted to treat her mum to a brand new kitchen without breaking the bank
- She used MDF from B&Q, Frenchic paint and handles from ebay
- Lisa pulled off a stunning transformation for just £90
If you despair at the state of your kitchen but don’t have thousands of pounds to install a new one, get inspired by this budget overhaul.
Lisa Wood, 35, a nail technician and mum of one from Surrey, wanted to treat her mum to a brand new kitchen without breaking the bank.
Using MDF from B&Q, Frenchic paint and handles from ebay, she pulled off a stunning transformation for just £90.
Lisa told money-saving Facebook group DIY On A Budget UK: "I actually did my own kitchen myself two years ago with this method, which is still going strong!
"My mum always loved my kitchen when she has visited and hers is pretty basic and really needed an update.
"With mum being disabled it’s not something she could take on herself so while I had a few days off I thought I would tackle it for her.
"I wanted to help her make her kitchen a bit more of a nice place to be in.
"I just thought 'I wonder if that would work' and decided to give it a try on a cupboard that was in a pretty bad state so had nothing to lose.
"I was surprised to find it looked great!
"I used one sheet of 6mm thick MDF purchased from B&Q for £24, which they cut for free into 7cm width strips for me.
"I cut them down myself at home to the required lengths using a chop saw.
"First I gave everything a really good scrub with sugar soap, then I attached the MDF strips to the cupboard doors with a nail gun.
“Then I filled in any minor gaps with decorator's caulk before reattaching the cupboard doors back to their frames.
"I painted the doors using Frenchic paint from the Alfresco range.
"To achieve this colour I mixed the two shades Cool Beans and Wise Old Sage half and half.
"I used one tin and did three coats on all the doors and cupboard frames.
"I then attached some basic bronze cup handles purchased from eBay for around £10.
"I also painted the tiles with Frenchic paint in the shade Dazzle Me and covered the work surface with DC Fix sticky back plastic.
"This went on like a dream and was so easy to do – just make sure you peel back a little at a time and go slowly.
"The whole makeover took a couple of days to complete.
"I’m so pleased with how the kitchen turned out! It really looks like a brand new kitchen.
"My mum is over the moon with the results. As for any tips I would say just give it a go!
"Nothing is really permanent and if you attach a bit of MDF wonkily you can always pull it off and reapply.
"I love DIY projects and will give anything a go.
"The whole makeover cost under £90.
"I think it saved a few thousand pounds compared to replacing the entire kitchen.
"I also feel it’s better for the environment to try and up-cycle things that are still functioning perfectly fine.
"It feels great to be able to give my mum a ‘new’ kitchen for such a little cost!”
Tom Church, co-founder of LatestDeals.co.uk, comments: “Kitchen makeovers can be such an expensive investment, but Lisa has proven that you can get the look for less.
“Using budget materials such as DC Fix, Frenchic paint and MDF, she’s really kept the costs down, but without sacrificing on style!"
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