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Dreams + Coffee

North Carolina Healthy Living + Style Blogger

How We Refreshed Our Kitchen On a Budget Of $300

August 16, 2017 Leave a Comment

kitchen cabinet refresh on a budget

When we bought our home in Memphis, it checked off most of the requirements we had for our second home. Big, fenced-in backyard…5 bedrooms…spacious kitchen…two-car garage…etc. The only things I knew I wanted to change ASAP were the paint colors throughout (boring beige) and painting our kitchen cabinets. They were a terrible beige/brown color, and the last owner put some type of glaze on them – not sure if they thought it would make the cabinets look better or what, but let’s just say I was reminded how much I wanted to paint them every time I opened a cabinet door. 🙂

While I really wanted to roll up my sleeves and get started on the kitchen refresh right away last year, I was six months pregnant when we moved in and between working and chasing a toddler, home projects were the last thing on my mind at the end of a busy day! And then Blakely was born, and again, we felt like things were too busy to get started on such a big project.

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So, FINALLY, we decided to start the cabinet project this April while my mom was visiting. I knew there was no way we’d be able to put in a lot of work if it was just Michael and I trying to juggle watching the kids while sanding, priming and painting – so we quickly got started a few days after my mom arrived! I’d already read a LOT about the process of painting cabinets, since I’d been wanting to do it for over a year 😉 I used a combination of tips and advice from articles I read and from friends who had also painted their cabinets – and here’s how we completed our kitchen on a budget:

  • The first step is taking off the cabinet doors and hardware – and labeling them. We initially tried labeling each door and cabinet box with corresponding sticky notes, but they weren’t sticking well to the doors. We ended up writing the corresponding number in one of the door hinge holes with a Sharpie (you wouldn’t see that when the hardware is back on).kitchen cabinet refresh on a budget
  • We took all of the doors out to the garage. This is also where we sanded and painted these.kitchen cabinet refresh on a budget
  • If you are changing hardware placement, now is the time to fill any unneeded holes with wood filler putty (so you can sand it down before painting). Cost: $6
  • We bought a $30 orbital sander to sand the cabinet boxes and doors. While you can certainly sand by hand, having this tool saved us quite a bit of time on the sanding process and provided a smoother finish. Some tutorials suggested bypassing the sanding process if you use certain types of primer/paint, but I wanted to ensure the smoothest and most durable finish…so we sanded. And it really wasn’t that terrible! Cost: $30kitchen cabinet refresh on a budget
  • When you’re sanding, the cabinet boxes, cover up all areas you aren’t working on to avoid spreading dust (this is especially true when using an electric sander). We actually used plastic dropcloths to enclose the kitchen area, which helped a ton with containing the dust. Cost: $5kitchen cabinet refresh on a budget
  • If you’re able to, sand the doors outside or in your garage. It will cut down on the amount of dust in your house!
  • When you’re done sanding the cabinet boxes and doors, take the time to carefully vacuum everything. You don’t want any of the dust to end up in the fresh paint!
  • Grab a couple of tack cloths – you’ll need these to wipe down all of the cabinet surfaces before you start priming/painting. And for your own good, wear a pair of rubber gloves while handing this cloth…it’s basically soaked in glue and it’s near impossible to remove the residue from your hands if you touch it! Cost: $4kitchen cabinet refresh on a budget
  • Before we started painting, we made a trip to Lowe’s to grab boards to sit the cabinet doors on. Lowe’s will give you the small pieces of wood that are used as part of the pallet/storage for boards – all you have to do is ask someone in the lumber department. Cost: $0kitchen cabinet refresh on a budget
  • When you’ve sanded and wiped everything down, it’s time to begin priming. We went with KILZ oil-based primer, based on some advice I’d read online. However, if I were to do it again, I would use KILZ latex primer – the odor of oil-based paint is terrible and we ended up having to leave the windows open all afternoon! Cost: $22
  • I admit I usually don’t splurge on the priciest paintbrushes, but for this project, I wanted to ensure we did everything perfectly, so we ended up going with these highly-recommended Purdy paintbrushes. Cost: $30-40, depending on size and quantity
  • Same goes for the paint roller – these Purdy rollers were recommended for the smoothest paint finish. You also have to buy the Purdy roller handle, since the roller covers don’t fit other brands… Cost: $20-30, depending on how many rollers you end up needing to buy.
  • We had to do two coats of primer because the original color of our cabinets was pretty dark and we planned to paint them white. We only had to wait a few hours before applying the second coat, luckily.
  • We purchased Benjamin Moore Advance paint in a Satin finish, at the recommendation of many tutorials and several friends. I’d also heard of several other types of paint that worked well for this type of project – but so far, we’ve been happy with the results. We have two little girls running around slamming cabinet doors and banging on them and the paint still looks perfect! Cost: $60
  • We painted the cabinet boxes first, then moved on to the cabinet doors. The doors are a little more complicated, because you have to paint one side and let it dry completely before flipping it over. Always start the process with the doors face-down propped up on boards, painting the backs first, so if they get smudged at all when you turn them over, you won’t see it on the cabinet fronts.
  • I used the roller and Michael went behind me and used the paintbrush to fill in the areas I couldn’t reach. This saves time, if you have someone to help you!
  • We also did two coats of paint on the cabinets and cabinet boxes – and truthfully, a third coat couldn’t have hurt…but I’m d.o.n.e. with this project 🙂
  • We decided to change the hardware on our cabinets, as we’re slowly transitioning all of our fixtures over to oil rubbed bronze. We got these knobs and these drawer pulls – and they are really great quality! Cost: $70
  • Since we changed the hardware, we had to drill a new hole in each cabinet door for the cabinet knobs. Do this before you put the doors back on! Michael created a template to follow, to ensure the holes were even on every cabinet.
  • Once you’ve rehung the doors and drawer fronts, you can begin putting your hardware back on.
  • You can also add these soft-close cabinet bumpers to cut down on the noise when closing cabinet doors. They work like a charm! Cost: $8
  • You made it! Now enjoy your “new” kitchen that cost less than $300!

Here’s the BEFORE

kitchen cabinet refresh on a budget kitchen cabinet refresh on a budget kitchen cabinet refresh on a budget kitchen cabinet refresh on a budget

And the AFTER

white kitchen cabinet refresh on a budget white kitchen cabinet refresh on a budget white kitchen cabinet refresh on a budget white kitchen cabinet refresh on a budget white kitchen cabinet refresh on a budget white kitchen cabinet refresh on a budget white kitchen cabinet refresh on a budget

How We Revamped Our Kitchen on a Budget

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About Me

Hi y'all! I'm Brittany, a wife, mama to three little ladies and the creator behind Dreams + Coffee, a North Carolina lifestyle blog. Grab a cup of coffee and catch up on my latest family, food, health and lifestyle posts.

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Wife | Girl mama | Pure Barre & Peloton obsessed | Dairy + gluten free | Freelance writer | Owner @somethingbleuclt | CLT | Order GS Cookies ⬇️

Brittany | Mom Life + Style
These beauties went camping at the @schielemuseum These beauties went camping at the @schielemuseum with Troop 2997 last night ⛺️ Proud of them for being brave because when I was their age, you couldn’t catch me sleeping away from home…ever 🤣
Finally took the girls back to our favorite place Finally took the girls back to our favorite place in Virginia — @colonialwmsburg ❤️ We loved it so much, we even took our engagement photos here back in 2011 😉
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Prolon Day 3 | The day started off really good — Prolon Day 3 | The day started off really good — I felt very clear-minded and awake this AM 🥳 Truly, I was nervous because today was a very low-cal day and I wasn’t sure how I’d feel 😅 I did grab a plain iced espresso because my energy was depleting super quickly and that def helped 👌🏼 After lunch, though, I started to hate depriving myself of real food and disliked that I couldn’t push myself in my workouts like I usually do 😒 After dealing with three kids who clearly woke up on the wrong side of the bed 😆, slicing my hand open with a knife and being cranky and irritable because I’ve been hangry for 3 days, I caved. And sorry, not sorry ✌🏼 I just wanted a dang salad and some protein so I can lift heavy things 💪🏼 Moral of the story, listen to your body and what it needs. And maybe try a 1-2 day cleanse/fast because that’s about all mine could handle 🤪
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@prolonfmd Day Two | Overall an easier day than ye @prolonfmd Day Two | Overall an easier day than yesterday 👌🏼 Time went by faster and I didn’t have any nausea from being hungry…I looked forward to and savored all of today’s meals — the black bean soup for dinner was actually really good (esp with a little cumin + paprika!) 🙌🏼 I did @pure_barre this AM and then a @onepeloton walk this afternoon…keeping it light because of how little I’m consuming this week 😅 Not gonna lie, nervous for day 3 because it’s the lightest day of food and I’m already pretty hangry in general 🤣 Interestingly, I’ve felt pretty amazing today other than just craving a real meal 👌🏼 Btw, was so hungry for dinner that I forgot to share it in the reel 🤦🏼‍♀️
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@prolonfmd Day One | The struggle is real 😅 I’ve done cleanses in the past so I’m no stranger to this…but coming off a few weeks of holiday drinks and some indulgences, today was no easy feat 🤣 My energy definitely ebbed and flowed throughout the day, and felt weak and nauseated every now and then from lack of calories and protein 🙈 It was the longest day ever, but I cleaned, vacuumed, mopped and then did a @onepeloton walk & yoga class and still had time left over (side note, why doesn’t every day feel this long?! 😆). Actually feeling good this evening after having a sparkling water ‘mocktail’, energized and clear-minded 👌🏼
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2022 — what a year ✨ It challenged me in so ma 2022 — what a year ✨ It challenged me in so many ways, but I also thrived in many ways. Continuing to grow a business with a husband, three kids, a dog and two cats is not a simple feat but here we are 😏 We adventured a LOT this year - from Girl Scout adventures to family vacations to HHI, the mountains, OBX and more, we had plenty of fun and made lots of memories 😘 The best part of this year was just really allowing myself to live in the moment and not allow stress to overtake me as I’ve allowed it in the past 😅 I also rediscovered my love of running thanks to my @onepeloton Tread and hit big goals at @purebarre_highlandcreek 💪🏼 Here’s to living more in the present, accomplishing bigger goals and dreams and having an amazing 2023 🥂
A little post-Christmas ice skating @birkdalevilla A little post-Christmas ice skating @birkdalevillagenc ❄️❄️❄️
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Merry Christmas, friends🎄🎄🎄 Merry Christmas, friends🎄🎄🎄
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