I transformed my drab kitchen into a trendy space with an exposed brick bar for £100 using Facebook Market bargains
A MUM-OF-THREE has revealed how she transformed her kitchen for just £100 using bargains form Facebook Market and AliExpress.
Dorota Kuzmicka, 34, from the West Midlands, said the makeover would have set her back £1,000 if done professionally, but she managed to save £900 doing it herself.
The creative mum used lots of second hand goodies that she found on Facebook Market and bargain buys on AliExpress to give her kitchen a new lease of life.
Dorota told money-saving Facebook group DIY On A Budget UK: "A few years ago, when we moved to the UK, we only had our own clothes.
"I made our first furniture from wooden boxes and pallets, then I bought second-hand things from charity shops or found something on the street and so I started my adventure with DIY.
"I love changes, I love old furniture and mixed styles. Not everyone will like it, but I'm glad that we can live, in part, the way we want, not the way we have to.
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"I work from home as an insurance agent and I am a mother of three wonderful children and I love creating their little worlds out of nothing.
“Everything is second-hand things bought for pennies or for free from Facebook Marketplace.
"Paints, veneers and wallpapers are normally bought from The Range and most of the accessories I buy for the children's rooms are often ordered from Aliexpress."
Dorota started the redesign by painting the kitchen cupboard doors white and using stick-on vinyl to transform her countertops, kitchen island and splashback.
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She added: “The changes to the kitchen cost us much less than £100. In the beginning, we cleaned the entire kitchen.
“We took off the fronts of the cabinets and painted them with white paint, then I degreased the countertops and tiles and glued the self-adhesive veneer on them.
“It would have cost well over £1,000 to do professionally, but we did it for under £100.
“It took me a day to transform the kitchen.
“It feels perfect to have saved so much money and that we have created a wonderful and safe place for our family on a budget.
“There was no door on the island, so we made it with a piece of a pallet. We used brick wallpaper on the other side.
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“I used marble self-adhesive wallpaper from The Range for £6 a roll, AliExpress handles that cost £1, self-adhesive geometric wallpaper for the tiles at £10 a roll, and brick wallpaper from ebay for £8.
"We made the chandelier from an old ladder, so that was free, and I painted the cabinets and tiles with Johnstone's wood and metal paint, which cost £9.
The mum always checks in with her landlord before altering any designs, and says she always tries to find the cheapest way possible.
"It doesn't matter that you rent a house, it is important what kind of place you create for your family!" She added.
Tom Church, co-founder of , comments: “Looking at these before and after pictures, I would never have dreamed that this transformation cost less than £100.
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“It looks like it cost thousands!
“Dorota’s clever work has just proven that if you work hard and harness your creativity, you can totally transform a space for less."
