TL;DR
Andrew and David Harrison-Colley refreshed their existing kitchen for under £400, about $542, while waiting for a planned kitchen extension. Their changes included repainting the lower cabinets, replacing upper cabinets with open shelving, covering the tiled backsplash with painted paneling and adding a linen skirt to hide the washing machine.
Andrew and David Harrison-Colley refreshed their existing kitchen for under £400, or about $542, while they wait for a planned kitchen extension, according to Apartment Therapy. The update kept the lower cabinets, removed their peeling outer layer, added open shelving and painted paneling, and made the small kitchen more usable in the meantime.
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The couple, who share home projects as @the_home_boys, said the light oak-look thermofoil on the cabinet fronts was beginning to peel. Rather than replace the lower cabinets, they used a hairdryer to remove the covering, patched holes in the MDF, sanded and primed the surfaces, then painted them Farrow & Ball’s “Pigeon” gray. David wrote on Instagram that the cabinets underneath were “still in great condition.”
They removed the upper cabinets and installed open shelving across the wall. To update the backsplash without risking damage to the wall, the couple covered the existing white square tiles with paneling and painted the walls and paneling a creamy tan, Coat Paint’s “Good Intentions.” Apartment Therapy reported that the vertical panel lines and shelving help the room feel taller.
The makeover also addressed practical needs. The couple replaced water-damaged countertops with an oak slab, sealed with Osmo TopOil, and said it had held up well over the two-year interim. They replaced a broken oven with one found on Facebook Marketplace and made a linen skirt to conceal the white washing machine. The reported total was less than £400; the article gives an approximate US equivalent of $542, rather than an exact final dollar bill.
A Temporary Kitchen Gets Daily Use
The project shows how the couple adapted an existing kitchen while a larger renovation is pending, rather than treating the interim room as a full replacement project. Reusing the sound lower cabinets, working over the existing tiles and sourcing a replacement oven through Facebook Marketplace helped keep the reported cost below £400.
Some choices are intended to outlast this kitchen. According to Apartment Therapy, the couple plan to reuse the shelves, faucet and cupboard built to conceal the fridge in the new kitchen. That makes the makeover more than a cosmetic stopgap: at least some of its parts are planned for the future space, though the extension has not yet been completed.
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Changes Made While Awaiting an Extension
Apartment Therapy’s Before & After report describes the kitchen as the one that came with the couple’s home. Andrew and David are planning a new kitchen extension, but renovations take time, so they updated the smaller existing room for use during the wait. The article presents the work as largely temporary and says the couple aimed to keep costs low.
The makeover retained some existing elements and avoided removing the original backsplash tiles. The couple explained on Instagram that they did not want to risk damaging the walls by taking the tiles off, so they covered them with painted paneling. The report does not provide a full itemized budget, but identifies the total as under £400 and notes that the countertop was a paid replacement.
““were still in great condition””
— David Harrison-Colley, writing on Instagram, as quoted by Apartment Therapy
Budget and Extension Details Remain Limited
Apartment Therapy reports the total as under £400, approximately $542, but does not publish an item-by-item breakdown or specify the exact amount spent on each part. The report also does not say when the planned extension will begin or be completed, or provide details such as its final design and cost.
The couple’s account that the oak countertop has stood up well refers to their experience during a two-year interim period; it is not an independent durability assessment. The article also does not establish whether every item in the present kitchen will be reused in the extension. It identifies the shelves, faucet and fridge-concealing cupboard as pieces the couple plan to bring forward.
Planned Extension Is the Next Milestone
The next major development is the couple’s planned kitchen extension. Apartment Therapy says the shelves, faucet and cupboard made to conceal the fridge are expected to move into the new kitchen, but the report gives no construction schedule. Until the extension is completed, the refreshed existing kitchen remains the couple’s working space.
Any further information about the project’s timing, finished layout or final cost would clarify how the temporary makeover fits into the completed renovation. For now, the confirmed details are the reported under-£400 budget, the changes made to the existing room and the couple’s stated intention to reuse several features.
Key Questions
How much did the kitchen makeover cost?
Apartment Therapy reports that the work cost under £400, or about $542. It does not provide a complete itemized budget.
What happened to the lower cabinets?
The couple kept them. They removed the peeling thermofoil, repaired and sanded the MDF, then primed and painted the cabinets Farrow & Ball’s “Pigeon” gray.
How did they update the backsplash?
They covered the existing white square tiles with paneling and painted it a creamy tan. The couple said they avoided removing the tiles because they did not want to risk damaging the walls.
Which features are planned for the new kitchen?
According to Apartment Therapy, the couple plan to reuse the open shelves, faucet and cupboard built to conceal the fridge in their planned kitchen extension. The report does not give a timeline for that project.
Source: apartmenttherapy.com
