DIY Cabinets Get a Majorly Organized Makeover in This Kitchen Redo
ABOUT THIS BEFORE & AFTER
HOME TYPE: Apartment
PROJECT TYPE: Kitchen
STYLE: Eclectic, Traditional
SKILL LEVEL: DIY, Professional
RENTAL FRIENDLY: No
Designing a kitchen that works for you is tricky, and when you have a smaller space, it’s even tougher. With less room to work with, appliances can quickly take over your counter, and you can feel like there’s even less room.
Purnima Gosh (@warmthofourigloo) felt like her kitchen layout had become unmanageable and wanted to make some changes. “It was looking very cluttered,” she says. “I also wanted to fit in more appliances and have more practical storage space.”
Purnima wanted to add more functionality to her kitchen.
Finding storage solutions for a “cluttered” kitchen.
Purnima and her husband, Narattam, used what they had to create a space that worked better for them. They got their existing cabinets, which they made on their own, professionally laminated in a matte white color for $418.
“We love the fact that we [already] had cabinets, which is more practical and saved a huge amount of money,” Purnima says.
They got creative to add more storage as well. “We changed the LPG cylinder with a gas pipeline, which gave me a huge storage space under the counter,” she says. Purnima also used leftover plywood and wallpaper to make a wooden pelmet that helps hide the gas line. “It is still easily accessible and not completely hidden for safety reasons,” she adds.
Purnima laid down black and white vinyl tiles for the floor, which she says are “cost effective and removable.”
Creating a functional kitchen on a budget.
Purnima and Narattam did a lot of work themselves to make sure they didn’t spend more money than they needed to on the $600 project. “It was the first time we built our own furniture and used power tools,” Purnima says.
Their DIY skills came in handy to create storage. “We used leftover plywood and scrap wood in a lot of places, like pelmet, the rack above the sink, and under-the-counter storage,” she says. “The finishing might not be like professionals, but I feel that’s the beauty of it,” Purnima adds.
Purnima says the cabinet installation was the toughest part of the project, but they recruited the help of Narattam’s cousin and got it done. With a smaller space, you do make some concessions, though, and Purnima says she sometimes wishes the cabinets were lower. “As of now we have [gotten] used to it and have a very minimal step stool, in case we need it,” she says.
Despite being a little high, the cabinets are part of what makes the space work better now. Open shelving and hidden storage allowed Purnima to add more appliances and make the space more functional.
“I love that it looks neater,” Purnima says. “It has more storage, and it is more practical.”
Inspired? Submit your own project here.
Further Reading
We Tested (and Rated!) All the Sofas at Ashley — Here Are the Best to Suit Your Style and Space
I Just Discovered the Smartest Way to Store Paper Towels in Your Kitchen (It’s a Game-Changer!)
