TL;DR
Get business pricing on tools and workshop supplies
- Business-only prices and quantity discounts
- Tax-exempt purchasing
- Multiple users, one account, clear invoices
Andrew and David Harrison-Colley refreshed the small kitchen in their home for less than £400, about $542, according to Apartment Therapy. Their update included painted lower cabinets, open shelving, wall paneling, a replacement countertop and a linen skirt, while they wait for a planned kitchen extension.
Andrew and David Harrison-Colley updated the small kitchen in their home for less than £400, or about $542, while they wait for a planned kitchen extension, Apartment Therapy reported. The makeover kept the existing lower cabinets but changed their finish, replaced the upper cabinets with open shelving and added paneling, offering a lower-cost way to make the room more useful in the meantime.
The couple began with the lower cabinets, whose light oak-look thermofoil was peeling. David wrote on Instagram that the cabinets themselves were still in good condition. They used a hairdryer to remove the outer layer, then patched holes in the medium-density fiberboard, sanded and primed the surfaces, and painted them Farrow & Ball’s Pigeon, a gray shade.
They removed the upper cabinets and installed open shelving across the wall. The couple says they plan to reuse the shelves, a new faucet and a cupboard built to conceal the refrigerator in the kitchen extension they are planning. They also changed the wall treatment: creamy tan paneling, painted in Coat Paint’s Good Intentions, covers the existing white square tiles. They said they chose not to remove the tiles because doing so might damage the walls.
The project also included replacing water-damaged countertops with an oak slab sealed with Osmo TopOil. According to the couple, the surface has held up during the roughly two-year interim period. They replaced a nonworking oven with one found on Facebook Marketplace and made a linen skirt to cover the washing machine. Apartment Therapy reported the total cost as under £400; its U.S. dollar equivalent was about $542 at the time of the report.
A Makeover Built for the Waiting Period
The project’s stated purpose was practical as well as visual: the couple wanted a more functional kitchen for everyday use while waiting for a larger renovation. Their approach separates changes they expect to reuse from adjustments that make the current room work better now. According to Apartment Therapy, the shelves, faucet and refrigerator cupboard are planned for the future kitchen, rather than being treated as throwaway improvements.
The reported budget also gives readers a concrete example of a partial renovation that did not involve replacing every cabinet. Keeping lower cabinets that were still in good condition meant changing their exterior finish rather than buying a new set. The couple did spend on a replacement countertop after water damage, so the under-£400 total reflects this particular project and its choices, not a guaranteed cost for similar work elsewhere.
There are practical trade-offs behind the look. Open shelves put items within reach but leave them visible, while paneling concealed the old tile without removing it. The reported makeover shows how those choices can address specific conditions in one kitchen; it does not establish that every finish or material will perform the same way in another home.
Popular right now
Vitamix 5200 Blender with 64 oz. Container, Black
DREAME A3 AWD 1000 LiDAR Robot Lawn Mower
Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Generation) Wireless Earbuds with USB‑C Charging, Up to 2X More Active Noise Cancelling, Transparency Mode, Adaptive
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
The Kitchen Before the Extension
Apartment Therapy’s report describes the makeover as an interim project. The couple is planning a new kitchen extension, but, as the report puts it, that renovation is not happening overnight. They made changes to the existing, relatively small kitchen so it would be more appealing and useful during the wait.
The work responded to several existing problems rather than starting from a blank room: the cabinet covering was peeling, the countertop had water damage, the oven no longer worked, and the tiled wall was something the couple did not want to risk removing. Their solutions were tailored to those conditions. The source describes the countertop and oven as replacements, while the lower cabinets remained in place beneath their new painted finish.
Apartment Therapy says the kitchen has been serving as an interim space for about two years. The report does not give a full itemized breakdown of the spending. Its stated total is under £400, converted in the article to approximately $542, while noting that prices were accurate at the time of publication.
“were still in great condition”
— David Harrison-Colley, in a post on Instagram, as quoted by Apartment Therapy
Project Costs and Extension Timeline
Apartment Therapy reports the overall cost as under £400, but the supplied report does not provide a line-by-line budget or clarify exactly which materials and purchases were included in that figure. It also does not specify how the amount was divided between the cabinet work, shelving, paneling, countertop, faucet, oven and other changes. The approximately $542 figure is a conversion reported with the story, not a separate project estimate.
The couple says they are planning a kitchen extension and intend to carry several features into it, but the report does not give a construction start date, completion date or final design. It also relays the couple’s assessment that the sealed oak countertop has stood up well over about two years; no independent testing or long-term performance information is provided. The available account documents their experience, not a general guarantee about durability or cost.
Planned Reuse in the New Kitchen
The next major step described in the report is the couple’s planned kitchen extension. They say they intend to bring the open shelves, faucet and cupboard concealing the refrigerator into the new kitchen. Apartment Therapy does not report a construction schedule or any confirmed date for the extension, so its timing remains unknown.
Until work begins, the current kitchen continues to serve as the household’s working space. The report leaves open which other elements, including the countertop and painted cabinets, may be retained or replaced as the larger project takes shape. Any future account of the extension could clarify how the interim choices fit into the final design.
Key Questions
How much did the kitchen makeover cost?
Apartment Therapy reported that the project cost less than £400, or about $542 at the time of its report. The article does not provide a complete itemized budget.
What did the couple change?
They stripped the peeling thermofoil from the lower cabinets and painted them, replaced upper cabinets with open shelving, covered the existing tile with painted paneling, installed an oak countertop and added a faucet, a used replacement oven and a linen washing-machine skirt.
Did they replace the lower kitchen cabinets?
No. According to David Harrison-Colley, the cabinets were still in good condition. The couple removed the peeling outer layer, prepared the MDF and painted the cabinet fronts.
Why did they cover the tiles instead of removing them?
The couple said they did not want to risk damaging the walls by taking the tiles off. They installed paneling over the existing square tiles and painted it a creamy tan.
Is the makeover part of a permanent kitchen renovation?
It was described as an interim update while the couple plans a larger kitchen extension. They say they intend to reuse the shelves, faucet and refrigerator cupboard, but the report does not give a construction schedule.
Source: apartmenttherapy.com
