Thursday 30 October 2008

Kitchen Corner

Slowly, slowly the dreadful kitchen is turning into one of my favourite places to be at home.
The walls have gone from gaudy, canary yellow to soft, sagey green. The cupboards are now cream with wooden handles instead of gold with a typical '80s grey trim. The stalwart of the thrify makeover (yes tile paint!) has turned the yucky navy & white tiles to calming ivory.
The new floor has transformed the room the most, goodbye grim navy lino and hello to a bargain remnant. Not bad for me, half an hour's grappling and Grandma Alice's old butter knife to help slide it under the cupboards!
My thrifty kitchen revamp came in at a bargain £130, with most of the money going on a new sink and the floor. Still a bit more painting and the new work tops to fit (which were going begging at dad's firm!) but it's almost there.
I've used the curtains that hung in the laundry at our old house to line the glass doors, make a curtain to hide the dishwasher and the mess of recylcing and some old bamboo blinds with a vintage trim will be going up at the windows. It'll do us for a few years and I'm really looking forward to rustling up lunch for our friends who are coming to stay this weekend in our cosy new kitchen.
The view from our kitchen window was wonderful this week.
Frost sparkeld across the garden and the view has really opened out across the hills as the leaves fall.
The boys and I enjoyed a half-term pyjama day, far too cold to go out for my two laid up with colds. So we turfed out toy boxes, sorted out jumble and snuggled up on the vintage sofa to watch the snow fall and the garden birds flock back to our bird table.
Just perfect.

39 comments:

Phillippa said...

Your kitchen looks really homey= can you come and sort mine?

Anna @ The Shady Pine said...

wow what a bargain makeover! Well done it looks lovely!

our shabby cottage said...

Wow, it looks great and for a bargain price too! I love the curtains and the new floor!

Tinyholder said...

Well done! it looks fab. I've done a make do and mend on our bathroom just to tide us over for a couple of years while we try and come up with the money for a new one. I think it's better to take your time and live in a house for a while and then decide what suits it. I made the mistake in our last house of doing loads of work within a week of moving in and then changed my mind!

Heart in the country said...

I love the curtaining you have put up in the cupboards. Style on a shoestring personified!
kx

Sal said...

Your kitchen looks fantastic!You've done such a good job ;-)

driftwood said...

fantastic makeover! hope the half term colds have recovered.

Funkymonkey said...

Your kitchen is looking so pretty and country cottagey now. I bet it will look even lovelier at Christmas. I was hoping to do something similar with my wooden kitchen units but they are so wibbly wobbly now I think I might have to save for anew one. I love the photograph of your dining table - and the cloth you have on it.

A Thrifty Mrs said...

Pretty kitchen, I really like it, great bargain too.

Just Original said...

Great makeover!

You must be really pleased with yourself.

Vanessa x

This Vintage Life... said...

It's amazing how paint can transform anything isn't it? Great choice of colours..green, cream and red; my kitchen too!
Debx

Leisa said...

Your kitchen is looking great. Good on you for all the hard work in renovating. It's always lovely to tackle a project that has been in the making for awhile. The icy view from your window today made me feel lovely and cool after a very hot day here today! A happy weekend to you!

Poppy said...

The kitchen looks lovely! lou x

Pink Feather Paradise said...

It looks fabulous, how easy was the tile paint to use and is the effect good? I have awful black tiles in my kitchen and if I could paint them it would be perfect....
I have a tiled floor and no heating in the kitchen and it is freezing cold.... I think a large rug is on the cards! along with a big back door curtain....

Anonymous said...

You've done a great job with that kitchen, have a good weekend with your friends.

gayle said...

I love the photos of the kitchen, well done! I have rejoined the blogland again, sorry I was away so long but I did come and read regularly!

P. said...

Lovely kitchen.

Alfazema

Anonymous said...

Hi I love your new kitchen,we have navy tiles I can not believe I have lived with them for 7 years,did the tile paint work well?Looks like it did!Love the walls and the curtains!you have given me the inspiration I needed,and the view from your window!Wow!!!I love your blog,I must start mine again!

cathleen said...

You have a very cozy kitchen and your blog banner is really lovely and unique.

Anonymous said...

your kitchen looks great - did you paint the kitchen cupboards too? Love the green - you are welcome to come and makeover my kitchen anytime - I'm sure your boys would have fun with mine :-)
lisa x

claire said...

Your kitchen looks great Steph :)
Well done you on tackling the flooring - we have a bargain piece for the bathroom that neither of us have the courage to tackle!!!

Unknown said...

Hi Steph, your kitchen looks just how I want the one in this house to look, I love cream kitchens.
Rosie x

Joanne said...

Oh wow I love the kitchen make over and for such a small price. I love the colour on the walls. This has given me the push to get my kitchen sorted before christmas.

Pipany said...

That is amazing Steph - oh, and hello! Your kitchen is beautiful and I love the shelves of books at the end. Just lovely. Gorgeous pics of the garden too - can't believe you've had snow! We haven't even had a frost here in Cornwall yet. Hope the little ones are all better xx

Anonymous said...

Oh a bargain kitchen makeover, fab. It is looking so sweet.
Love Alison x

Kathy said...

Your kitchen looks great Steph, well done. Love the colour combination-it looks really cosy and homely. The pjama day sounded fab too! Kathyx

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Cottage1945 said...

Your kitchen is coming together nicely. Looks great!

julia said...

It looks fabulous, what an acheivement for so little money! Love the gingham curtains too!
Julia xx

Miss sew n sew said...

What a transformation your kitchen looks lovely, what a bargain spend to. The curtains look really pretty.
Sarahx

Claire said...

You have done a fab job turning it into a pretty country kitchen!! Your garden pics are gorgeous! Hows your job going? Claire xx

Reginas Cottage said...

Hello
What a beautiful kitchen.It looks very warm and cosy.And your garden
is a dream.
Greetings from Germany
Regina

karen said...

wow your kitchens looking great i'd love one that size mine's only tiny.

mollycupcakes said...

Gorgeous kitchen revamp hun.
Can't wait to see the finished look.
Hope both the boys are now cold free and bouncing back around the place.
Fab PJ day, I'd love one of those lol do you have to be ill really?
Many hugs.
Catherine x

Deb said...

What a gorgeous post steph. Your kitchen looks amazing - I love the sage green paint on the walls and the red and white check curtains behind the glass doors! Wonderful job!

DESIGN BY CATHLEEN said...

Sweet Vintage look, Nice blog, glad I found you.
Cathleen :-)

Lesley's Creations said...

Wow, your new kitchen make over looks wonderful! Your an inspiration to all, showing what can be done on such a tight budget! xx

prettyshabby said...

Hi Steph,it's surprising how easy it is to transform an existing kitchen with a pot of paint or two and by changing the floor and worktops.. what a transformation! I love the garden sign and the gingham fabric behind the doors is really lovely. x

Unknown said...

Ahhh, sounds lovely! Your Kitchen looks lovely! I especially like the curtains behind the cupboard doors, I was thinking about doing that to my wall unit doors...after seeing yours done I just might now!! I have just bought a remnant of the oilcloth fabric that you are using as a table cloth cloth above..its lovely isnt it!!