When Rachel sent us photos of her recent DIY kitchen makeover, we were excited to share the results. Below is her note describing the renovation and the choices she made along the way.
There are definitely touches inspired by Young House Love throughout our newly renovated kitchen and dining room. I borrowed many of those ideas while keeping the project budget-friendly. First, we opened up the space by removing the upper half of the wall that separated the kitchen from the dining room. After taking down the dated wallpaper, we painted both rooms using a five-gallon bucket of Valspar paint to save on costs.
In the kitchen we removed the upper cabinet doors to create an open, airy look, but kept the original lower cabinet doors. Those lower doors were sanded, primed, and repainted, and we added new hinges and hardware to refresh the cabinetry without replacing it. To distract from the original laminate countertops we couldn’t afford to replace yet, we installed a beadboard backsplash that draws the eye upward. We also found a cast iron sink on Craigslist for $30 that came with a faucet — a real score.
The dining room features a pendant light and wall shelves inspired by designs we love; the shelves are similar to simple floating units, and the light has the same clean, modern feel as popular retailer styles. Overall, the entire project cost under $1,000 and was completed by our small team: my handy carpenter dad and my amazing husband. I referred to renovation tips and before-and-after photos throughout the process, and I couldn’t have done it without that guidance. There are more photos and a few images of our two little helpers on my personal blog — we tackled this renovation with an almost three-year-old and an eight-month-old underfoot! — Rachel
Below are the before photos of the closed-in kitchen and dining room that show the original layout and finishes prior to the remodel.
And here are the after photos documenting the transformed, more open kitchen and dining area after the changes were completed.
This transformation is a great example of how thoughtful, budget-conscious renovations can deliver major impact. By removing part of the dividing wall, Rachel and her family created a much more open, connected space that improves circulation and allows light to travel between rooms. Repainting existing cabinets instead of replacing them, opting for an open-shelf look on the uppers, and adding a beadboard backsplash were smart, cost-effective choices that elevated the kitchen’s look without a large investment.
Hunting for secondhand fixtures and materials paid off, too: a Craigslist sink and faucet combo, affordable lighting that echoed designer styles, and simple shelving all helped stretch the renovation budget. Small updates — new hinges, fresh hardware, and coordinated textiles like the red curtains in the dining room — added personality and polish to the space while keeping costs down. The red accents throughout the kitchen and dining area create a cohesive, cheerful palette that contrasts nicely with the light, airy backdrop.
What stands out most is how much value can be gained from creativity and elbow grease rather than a big spend. Rachel’s project highlights practical steps homeowners can take when planning a DIY kitchen makeover: open up sightlines when possible, refresh existing elements instead of replacing them, add targeted details like a backsplash or new hardware, and search secondhand marketplaces for affordable fixtures.
What do you think of this two-room renovation? Which element would you copy in your own home — the open pass-through, the beadboard backsplash, the painted cabinets, or the bold red accents?