I’m a DIY fan – I made my dated kitchen modern rustic AND saved £5k on the work in the process
WITH the cost of living on the rise it’s becoming more difficult to be able to stretch your pay cheque - especially when it comes to doing up your home.
However, with some savvy tricks and money saving tips to hand it means transforming your home can become more reasonable.
Leanne Ward, 33, from Derbyshire has managed to do just by herself, and saving around £5k compared to if she got someone professional in to complete the jobs.
She completely transformed her kitchen from dated to modern rustic with just a £200 budget.
Leanne and her husband Ash renovated their kitchen on a tiny budget and documented their journey on .
Leanne describes her style as "Eclectic Boho with a modern Deco twist", but says she "always finds it so hard to pin down my style".
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Speaking to Leanne says: “When we moved in, the kitchen was the one area that I thought we were going to have to rip out and start completely from scratch.
“Our plan was to live with it whilst we saved, then look at removing the adjoining wall and making a kitchen diner space.
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“I think I lasted around eight months before looking at budget friendly ways to update it.
“I took inspiration from Instagram and Pinterest originally just focusing on the tiles and cupboards for a quick fix, as I could afford to buy more and collect more ideas.
“I then moved onto the tile trim, the worktops, floor etc.
“Even if you can afford to only do a little bit at a time, small changes can still make a big difference."
When speaking of transforming a space on a budget she says her top tip would be to "do your research on products.”
She continues: “There are so many options available nowadays it doesn’t always mean the most expensive is the best."
Here is how Leanne completely transformed her kitchen for £200.
- Cupboard paint Frenchic in Black jack £20
- Tile paint Rustoleum White £15
- Cupboard handles £1.25 each from a local DIY store.
- Worktop Vinyl £45
- Floor paint B&Q £22
- Terrazzo chips Rustoleum £17
- Floor Sealant HG £16
- Tile trim and Splashback D-mould £35
Speaking about her favourite transformation, Leanne says: "My favourite part of the kitchen has to either be the open shelving or the Terrazzo effect floor.
“I think both were integral parts of the design that has made the Kitchen feel more modern.
“The end kitchen unit had glass doors originally with old fashioned lead trim, by simply removing the cupboards doors and painting the inside black it has created a more on trend ‘open shelving’ area for me to display accessories and plants.
"The floor was the last job I did.
“I was a little nervous about painting over the original tiles but knew it would make all the difference to the overall feel off the kitchen.
“I saw a couple of people on Instagram who had done similar so decided to take the risk, it’s been done 18 months now and it hasn’t budged.”
Leanne's top decorating tip would be to "just say ‘go for it’.”
She says: “At the end of the day it's only paint, some ideas don’t always work but there isn’t much that can’t be painted over or sanded back."
Leanne continues: “Sometimes it can be scary to make drastic changes or there are limitations with rental properties etc, however they are ways to update a space that aren’t permanent.
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“Artwork and soft furnishing are a great way to bring colour and pattern into a space without commitment, also there are some great products on the market such as removable wallpaper and vinyl.
“There are always ways to create a happy space without breaking the bank."