Before and after: A fresh kitchen makeover

Imogene and Jim’s kitchen makeover is an interim measure until they renovate further down the track, so their objective was to create a liveable space on a budget of $3850 including appliances. The kitchen windows were deliberately left undressed. “The view is like an ever-changing artwork and I didn’t want anything to take away from it,” says Imogene. Ikea ‘Henriksdal’ loose covers, $26 each, were an easy, inexpensive fix for tatty chairs.

Carpet Court’s ‘Design 260’ vinyl flooring in Vacano Black, from $45/sqm, is a practical choice for country life. “I wanted a colour that would hide marks,” says Imogene.

Words Jane Parbury, photography Chris Warnes.

Before: swatches of alarming red paint and orange pine gave way to a crisp new colour scheme.

Dulux Pearl Ash, $74.95/4L, was used for the walls and a low-sheen white for the woodwork.

To stay on budget, the couple retained the original sink and tapware. A simple display area was created with ‘Ekby Oesten’ shelves, $14.99 each, and ‘Ekby Bjaernum’ silver brackets, $20/pair, all Ikea.

Gleaming new drawer pulls sourced from Recollections, $5.95 each, were added to the repainted cabinetry for a final flourish. The original benchtop is hidden underneath an Essential Stone quartz stone slab in Creme Caramel, from $608/sqm at Bunnings.

New lighting was prioritised to brighten the previously dim space. LED down lights and a pair of Hamptons-style pendants, sourced on Ebay for just $150 each, were installed over the benchtop.