The Design Blog
The Simple Kitchen Makeover
How to prep cabinets, paint cabinets and install new hardware.
If you are someone who is interested in buying investment properties to flip and then sell, or you absolutely love DIY projects for the home, then you are in the right spot! In this “Flip House” series we are going to dive right into messy DIY, Do’s and Don'ts in the fixer upper realm, the reality of flipping properties, and renovation projects that you can follow along, learn from, and hopefully get excited for your own projects!
If you are like me, you spend a decent amount of time in the kitchen. From cooking to entertaining guests, kitchens are the heart of the home. 💖 I will say I am not particularly a “chef” when it comes to cooking, but a girl’s got to eat! We also love having friends and family over when we can. So there’s a reason why most of your home’s value is stored in the kitchen. Whether your overall kitchen design follows what is on trend or showcases beautiful quality kitchen appliances.
One of the easiest ways to improve your outdated kitchen is to paint the cabinets. All new cabinets installed in a medium sized kitchen, roughly 240-360 sq. ft., can cost anywhere from $2,000 to $25,000. And it would largely depend on the type of cabinetry and the material. Type of cabinetry is fully custom cabinets (local carpenter who builds them from scratch), semi-custom (ordering from a local cabinet store) and ready-made cabinets (what you would find at a place like Home Depot). The second easiest way to update your kitchen would be to update the cabinet doors and drawers hardware. Hardware refers to the decorative knobs, pulls and hinges. For affordable hardware, I tend to look through Amazon or Wayfair. They have decent quality for the price you pay with many sizes so you can have a custom look.
There are more ways to do it yourself when it comes to painting your kitchen cabinets that look more professional, but here I wanted to show how anyone can update their kitchen and keep it under $150.
Finished Look
Just made breakfast! I wish I had taken more pictures… The paint finish is in a satin and a 1.25” paint brush was used throughout.
Step 1: Prepping Your Cabinets
You will want to make sure your surface areas are cleaned off and you have a space prepared to 1. deep clean 2. sand and 3. paint. The original cabinets that were in the home, shown in this picture, were inexpensive ready-made cabinets. The goal is to remove all of the grease and residue on the surfaces we will be painting.
Lay down some plastic if you need to or use the floor in your garage where it is easy to clean up when you are done.
Use your 3M painters tape to tape off the walls around your upper cabinets. I also taped where the base cabinets met the walls and around appliances. If you can remove the appliance (like your range) I would do that. This is the most time consuming part, but in the end this type of detail will make all the difference in the in the overall look of your project. Unless you are planning to paint your walls after, I would not skip this step.
At the end of these instructions, I have created a supply list of everything I used to create this look. Screenshot on your phone to save the list and use for shopping. I also have added links to all the supplies you would need to make your shopping easier. DISCLAIMER: **I do make a small commission on everything that I have linked.**
Step 2: Remove Doors And Drawers
With your screwdriver, remove all doors and drawers from your cabinet and make sure to label each one. This will help when it’s time to put the doors back. Trust me, it will save you a headache down the road. To do this use a piece of tape and a sharpie and write “B-S”. Tape the door for now and lay out them out in your work space. The shorthand translates to base sink cabinet. Or use whatever makes the most sense for you to help you remember. When you start working on them, you will then move the labels above each door & drawer.
While removing your doors and drawers, sure to save each screw from the cabinet hinges in a bag or bowl and set aside.
TIP: You can lay out your doors and drawers in the order of how your kitchen is laid out to help you remember where they go. Use your phone to take a picture so you are not traveling back and forth.
Step 3: Sand
Your doors and drawer fronts should be dry and clean before this step.
I lightly hand sanded my cabinets with 150 grit sandpaper and then 220 grit because I did not want to ruin the details of the cabinets. Depending on if you have shaker cabinets or more ornate cabinets will help you determine what would work best for your project. Use a sander for the larger areas and by hand to reach areas in the trim pieces. Be careful not to sand down the trim, use a really light hand. That is something you will notice after painting. Just remember the goal here is to remove most of the finish to create a surface that the paint will adhere to. Be aware that some inexpensive cabinets will have a veneer or thermofoil that was glued to your cabinets and you will need a heat gun to remove that before sanding.
You can also use varnish remover if you have a lot of buildup. My favorite to use is the can from Minwax. It does not strip the varnish completely off down to bare wood. You can also use Ready-Strip from Sunnyside Corp. It changes color when it is ready to remove with a scraper and/or cloth.
"Just remember the goal here is to remove most of the finish to create a surface that the paint will adhere to."
Step 5: Paint!
Once everything is sanded down, it is time to get your paint ready. First, I tested out the colors I picked out on the side of my upper cabinet. I am big believer in trying out paint colors before determining the one I love. If you want to know more about how I pick out paint, let me know in the comments. 🙃 Then once I had everything prepped, I started painting the cabinet doors and drawers first so that they could dry while I was painting the cabinet boxes. Double check with the manufacturer for dry time.
The best paint finish for cabinets in my opinion is a satin. I love how the light reflects off of a satin finish, and it is easier to clean. Kitchen messes can get crazy! Plus who wants to worry about ruining your cabinets while creating a delicious meal to feed your family?
I highly recommend painting two coats of paint to get the truest color and cover anything you might of missed in the first coat. Sometimes paint manufactures will advertise one coat, but I would still do two coats. You can also read the instructions on the paint bucket to see what the manufacturer recommends.
Once you are finished painting all of your cabinets, it is time to let them sit overnight before moving onto the next step. I know your are excited to finish! But, you will want to do this so that the paint completely dries before installing them back. If you end up installing the doors before they have had proper time to dry they will stick and your paint could chip. Even if it is dry to the touch.
If you want to see what paint is my favorite, see the shopping list below and the paint color.
In this picture I am testing out the paint color to make sure I am happy with the look. ➡️
Step 6: Install New Hardware
Now for the best part! It is time to install your new hardware!This is really easy if you are doing a project like this one because the holes are already there. We do not have to predrill holes in our cabinets, and you can accomplish this step will just a handheld screwdriver.
In the both of these pictures I purchased the round knobs from CB2, but they are no longer available. Here is a similar one I found on Amazon for just under $6 each.
Then for all of the cabinet doors, I chose to do a modern farmhouse style pull from Amazon that are very affordable and come in a pack of 30. To pick out pulls that are the correct size, use a tape measure to measure the distance from one hole to the next. Then use that measurement to get the hole measurement you will use for shopping. For example, my cabinets had a 3 inch length from hole center to hole center. The pulls I picked are 5 inches in total length with a 3 inch hole measurement.
If you do not have holes already, you will use the same concept above when you were picking out pulls but backwards. ✨The world is your oyster!✨ You can chose if you want a longer or small pull style. Then you will use the hole measurement the company says to use when installing their hardware to mark off where you will be pre-drilling holes on your doors. Most manufacturers will have detailed instructions to help you. DON’T FORGET this measurement will be center to center. So use a pencil to mark your holes before you drill holes.
There are tools you can purchase like this Kreg installation jig mounting template from Amazon, but I don’t think you absolutely need one.
Here is the final look! 🤍🛠️
Supplies You Will Need:
Screw driver or electric screwdriver
Local store: Benjamin Moore Advance Paint for Cabinets - Finish in Satin
Color is White Dove
I encourage you to step out of your comfort zone and pick a color that brings you happiness and excitement. Or do a two-toned look. An example would be painting your kitchen island a deep green or pop of turquoise blue. This is a fun time updating your kitchen! And just think, you can always paint over it if you end up hating it or changing your mind down the road. :)
If you want to read about the reasons we picked this home, read my first post from this series and watch the video walkthrough! All of your support is amazing, and I am so thankful you are here! :)Watch The First Phase Below:
I really hope this has helped you with your projects or future ideas. Please follow along for a deeper look into our first flip house and our journey along the way. I would love to see some of the projects you are currently working on below!
Happy Styling! :)
Kitchen Update Plan| Flip House
Kitchens are truly my favorite spaces and can really set the tone for the whole house. A ton happens in the kitchen, meal prep, cooking/baking, entertaining, messes, cleaning, etc. So I really wanted to do the most upgrades, including cosmetically, in this space.
If you are someone who is interested in buying investment properties to flip and then sell, or you absolutely love DIY projects for the home, then you are in the right spot! In this “Flip House” series we are going to dive right into messy DIY, Do’s and Don'ts in the fixer upper realm, the reality of flipping properties, and renovation projects that you can follow along, learn from, and hopefully get excited for your own projects!
The Kitchen:
Kitchens are truly my favorite spaces and can really set the tone for the whole house. A ton happens in the kitchen, meal prep, cooking/baking, entertaining, messes, cleaning, etc. So I really wanted to do the most upgrades, including cosmetically, in this space.
Right after we purchased our house, our goal was to do small affordable projects while living in the house to save for the larger projects that needed to be done. My husband and I also did not have a timeline planned for how long we would keep this house before selling because we did not want to feel the pressure to turn around and sell right away.
If you want to see the reasons we picked this home, read my first post from this series and watch the video walkthrough! All of your support is amazing, and I am so thankful you are here! :)
Final Look
“I knew there was a lot of life to bring into the kitchen and wanted it to be the largest selling point of the home.”
I knew there was a lot of life to bring into the kitchen and wanted it to be the largest selling point of the home. Overall, the kitchen needed the most work on the main floor. I wanted to make the kitchen feel more open with a more modern look. Then add new appliances and more lighting.
The main goals for the kitchen was 1. not to go overboard because we had a smaller budget for our first home and 2. keep it simple. When people purchase a new home, they want to be able to envision themselves living in it before they purchase. So simplicity is key as well as not to chose a look that leans too trendy when picking out finishes. Plus you still want to make enough profit when you go to sell.
When we moved in this is what the kitchen looked like:
There was sooooo much that needed to be done. 🙃 Taking on a project like this one it can seem overwhelming. Where do you even start? Even though we couldn’t do everything I had wanted to fix up this kitchen, we sure did get a lot checked off the list.
Our Kitchen Renovation Check List:
Get rid of the carpet! Wall to wall carpet installed in every room was really popular in the “shag era”, the 60s and 70s. Even though this house was built in the early 80s, carpet is usually very affordable. Although, I do not find it is not the most ideal in areas like mud rooms, laundry, kitchens, and bathrooms.
Remove all the old hardware (hardware includes items like cabinet pulls, knobs and in this case hinges)
Remove wallpaper boarder
Deep clean and remove current finish on cabinet panels
Unfortunately, it was not within the budget to completely tear out and install new cabinets (even affordable cabinets at the time + lead times were crazy)
Paint cabinets
All new appliances
Pick out new modern hardware
New lighting plan
The house was up on a hill but, unfortunately, does not get as much light during the winter months.
Update trim around window
Update base trim
Install solid flooring with a wood plank look
Update electrical switches to correspond to new lighting plan
Kitchen Mood Board:
If you want to recreate or use any of the items we used to create the look, I’ve added some below. I am not affiliated with any of these companies or get a commission, but I did want to be a source for those who are interested. In the next blog I want to dive into all the steps we did to remodel the kitchen and advice from what we learned along the way.
Links:
Watch The First Phase Below:
I really hope this has helped you with your projects or future ideas. Please follow along for a deeper look into our first flip house and our journey along the way. If you guys also want a budget of our project let me know. I would love to see some of the projects you are currently working on below!
Happy Styling! :)
Our Flip House Renovation/DIY Project Plan
If you are someone who is interested in buying investment properties to flip and then sell, or you absolutely love DIY projects for the home, then you are in the right spot! In this “Flip House” series we are going to dive right into messy DIY, Do’s and Don'ts in the fixer upper realm, the reality of flipping properties, and renovation projects that you can follow along, learn from, and hopefully get excited for your own projects!
Project Beginning:
Right after we purchased our house, our goal was to do small affordable projects while living in the house to save for the larger projects that needed to be done. My husband and I also did not have a timeline planned for how long we would keep this house before selling because we did not want to feel the pressure to turn around and sell right away. As you will find out in my later posts, the bulk of this project happened 6 months prior to putting it on the market. We did not plan this, but we were needing to move across the state at the time and it was necessary the project would be wrapped up within a certain time frame. Not going to lie, it was crazy! My biggest takeaway and advice to give you would be to surround yourself with the best community and family. They are the real champions in helping us achieve our goals and a successful property revamp. We couldn’t be happier with the outcome of the project and everyone involved. So our BIGGEST THANK YOU if you are reading this!!
If you want to see the reasons we picked this home, read my first post from this series and watch the video walkthrough! All of your support is amazing and I am so thankful you are here! :)Mood Board:
For the most part, I wanted to step away from the typical “paint everything white and really brighten the place up” for selling. Since I had planned to paint the cabinets a white paint with warmer undertones, it opened up the possibility to add warmth in the walls and flooring. Also, understanding the area your house is in and the finishes people would gravitate towards really helped in the selection process. When it came to overall style, my thoughts were to keep a slight rustic style while allowing room for other design styles to play off of the house to attract several different buyers.
modern - farmhouse - industrial
Floor Plan - Main Floor
Overall, we were working with 950 sq ft on each level, first level and basement. Our main focus was making the main level as updated as possible and a few areas of the basement.
Moving Into The Project:
The very first thing was actually to get all our things moved in. The reality was we needed the home to be livable for our family while we worked on the house. But I wanted to desperately paint everything… Especially, you cannot tell from the before photos, but the house definitely did not have a fresh house smell. Paint is one of the most affordable projects you can tackle. And you do not need to be a professional painted to get the job done. In another blog post I will explain with more detail in a how-to paint your home including kitchen/bathroom cabinets, trim, walls, etc.
View the before photos below —
Project Plan:
If you are starting on a home renovation project or fixer upper home that you might be flipping, here are a few directions that will really make the biggest impact in the outcome of your project and a few extra steps we took to get this specific house to the end. Disclaimer: Please keep in mind (and I will always say), each project is different, every house is different, each set of problems are different. While our steps are helpful, they may not be the best option for your project.
Biggest Parts to Tackle:
Floor removal
New flooring
Repair walls
New wall texture
All new interior doors
All new trim
Fresh paint everywhere
New lighting & replace old lighting fixtures
Electrical - take away and move some light switches, rewire some areas of the home to incorporate new lighting
New lawn in the front yard — where my husband really shines! :)
Make the basement more livable
Install new appliances
I really hope this has helped you with your projects or future ideas. Please follow along for a deeper look into our first flip house and our journey along the way. If you guys also want a budget of our project let me know. I would love to see some of the projects you are currently working on below!
Happy styling! :)
Our First Flip House
Day 1 | Walkthrough of our first flip house project
If you are someone who is interested in buying investment properties to flip and then sell, or you absolutely love DIY projects for the home, then you are in the right spot! In this “Flip House” series we are going to dive right into messy DIYs, Do’s and Don'ts in the fixer upper realm, the reality of flipping properties, and renovation projects that you can follow along, learn from, and hopefully get excited for your own projects!
Day 1: Fixer Upper Before Shot
Here we are, day one of our fixer upper. Annnnnd I can’t tell you how excited we were! Not only was this our first fixer upper, this was our first house we ever owned! I wanted to share our experience and hopefully help someone just starting or is interested in flipping homes.
You can follow along the journey on my YouTube channel. I will be uploading videos in the “Jet Drive Flip House” playlist as we go along. Or check out our IG page for more.
Day 1 | Walkthrough
If you’ve been following along since the beginning, you know my love for random hobbies. I never wanted to be “good” at just one thing. And flipping homes will not be my only venture, but it is a challenge that I do enjoy! When my husband and I initially saw this house, we knew it had a special character about it even though ALL the work that needed to be done.
In this series I will go over the reasons we picked this house, what we started working on first, the interior is one thing but the yard needed some love, and the whole process step by step until the day we sold our first flip house.
When my husband and I initially saw this house, we knew it had a special character...5 Reasons We Picked This House:
#1: First and foremost, this home sold us on the view. In the price range we were looking at, it had the most beautiful view overlooking the town. Right away I knew this home deserved to be brought back to life!
#2: The kitchen size with a window facing the same view we fell in love with.
#3: Double sink in the main level bathroom.
#4: Simplicity of the layout. Perfect for one or four people to live comfortably.
#5: Garage. Hello! We live in Montana. Love it here! But man does it get cold…
Overall, our first flip house was in decent shape and luckily did not have any major problems that needed to be prepared. When it comes to looking for an investment property that you are going to turn around and sell in two years, there are some things to consider.
Here are my tips:
Consider the amount of work that needs done in order for the house to be sellable
Sometimes this can be challenging because it is easy to get carried away on projects…
Is it structurally sound? I would recommend getting a second or third opinion from a professional if you do not have much experience in this area. Since this was our first home, we ended up taking out a loan to purchase this house; therefore, having an inspector go through every inch of the house.
$$ Make a conservative budget. $$ Like I mentioned in my Before You Start Renovating blog, giving yourself an extra 20% over your estimated costs can save you in the end.
DIY is a great way to save on the budget.
Hire a contractor for the big stuff! This includes anything that you are not sure how to do or do not have experience doing. For example: electrical. We don’t want your house accidently starting on fire… 🛠️
Try to plan out the whole project including ordering materials ahead of time.
Write below in the comments! I would love to hear from you guys your renovation project journey and the lessons learned along the way. Let’s make this a space we can share ideas and our experiences.
Happy Styling! :)