After: Lightened in The Same Layout
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Opening up a room doesn't always require knocking down walls. Jillian Woods, owner of a 1970s ranch house in Crowley, Texas, figured that out when faced with her kitchen's dark rust walls and builder-grade cabinets. The appliances and counters were in good shape, and a layout change was beyond the budget, so she focused on simple cosmetic tweaks that would add up to the illusion of a light, airy space. Two weeks after moving in, she brightened the walls with sky-blue paint and a backsplash covered in white beadboard-patterned wallpaper.
Shown: Bright and cheery, the kitchen now has light-reflecting finishes and open shelving.
Before: Dark and Bland
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Then Jillian turned her attention to the cabinets. After removing doors from some of the upper boxes to lighten their look, she and her husband, Derek, installed a header capped with molding to add more height. A two-tone paint job—white on the uppers and gray-green on the base units—gave the cabinets a style boost. To put the finishing "old house" touches on the space, she lightly distressed the cabinets' edges and whitewashed her dinner table's legs. Now the room has a relaxing, more spacious feel. Says Jillian, "The new kitchen even makes cooking less of a chore."
Shown: Rust-colored walls and bland wood cabinetry weighed down the small room.
Same Appliances, Same Places
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The appliances stayed in the same configuration, and all the cabinets were freshened up with paint.
Shown: Gray-green lower cabinets add interest to an otherwise white kitchen.
Old Table, New Old Look
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The table, brought from their last home, got a farmhouse makeover. Jillian stripped off its black paint and refinished it after Derek scored the top with a saw to make it look like vintage barn board.
Like It's Been There for Years
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The dining area, framed by flea market cupboards stocked with servingware, has a casual, lived-in look. A large white mirror reflects light from a fisherman's-style pendant.
The Project Tally
Took the doors off the upper cabinets, giving them less visual weight. $0
Painted the cabinets, table, and walls. $205
Faked custom-look cabinetry with a header made of stock parts. $20
Dressed up the cabinetry with brushed-nickel hard-ware and three brackets. $79
Used beadboard wallpaper as a low-cost backsplash. $20
Furnished an eating nook with a pair of vintage cupboards and a mirror. $180
Replaced stodgy lights with shiny silver pendants. $60
Total $564