A couple have transformed their decades old kitchen with four simple steps on a tight budget – costing less than £250.

When Amy Reynolds and her husband, Sam, moved into their dream country home, they were eager to turn the space into their forever family abode.

They purchased the four-bedroom, two-bathroom, detached property for £755,000 in November 2020 and could see the potential as soon as they stepped inside.

But the home needed a serious revamp to bring their visions to light – and with a tight budget, they had to figure out how to transform each room, while keeping costs low.

Now, the couple, aged 33 and 31, have turned the once dated kitchen into a chic family setting in less than 10 days, costing only £240.

“We fell in love with the idea of living practically in the woods, as it was always a dream of ours, but our first viewing was pretty anti-climatic,” Amy, a presenter from West Sussex, told NeedToKnow.co.uk

“Once inside, we realised how much was needed to bring the property up-to-date.

“It was going to be a long-term project, as we weren’t in the position to do very much to it for quite a while.

“But the previous owners had clearly poured their heart and soul into creating the most beautiful gardens, which backed onto the woodland.

“After much consideration, and realising it was the home for us, we decided to follow our hearts.”

Amy and Sam, who share son Freddie, one, got to work the minute they moved in and tried to work with the tools, as well as skills, made available to them in a bid to spend a minimal amount of money.

Previously, they renovated their first home using a similar cost effective approach, costing them only £10,000 and earning them an estimated £55,000 profit.

Amy, who fell in love with decorating, now has a passion for upcycling secondhand furniture, as well as taking inspiration from Pinterest and YouTube to learn the necessary skills.

Now, over two years after moving in, they’ve completed the kitchen with their existing knowledge and claim it’s their favourite project to date.

She said: “It felt so disjointed from the other rooms, so I didn’t really enjoy being in there.

“The kitchen is really the heart of the house for me and coming from a lovely, new, sociable kitchen to something that we tried to spend as little time in as possible wasn’t right.

“I knew there was no point making costly changes for the short-term, so I started to collect ideas from Pinterest, TikTok and Instagram.

“I was slightly hesitant about how the paint would take to the kitchen cupboards, as they weren’t wood and likewise, painting the kitchen tiles.

“But that was almost the beauty of it, as we wouldn’t be losing a lot by just giving it a go.”

Amy started with sanding all of the pre-existing kitchen cupboards and walls, before using a Johnstone’s matte emulsion in a creamy white shade for the skirting.

She also painted their window frames with Dulux Heritage Raven’s flight and then moved on to painting the cabinets with a dark olive green tone.

After soaking the handles in warm water with white wine vinegar, she scrubbed off all the built up grease and sprayed them with a metallic gold spray.

Finally, she cleaned the tiles with Pink Stuff and painted them with a specialised paint in the shade Mooonstone, before applying the worktop vinyl.

She said: “I had done a lot of research on the DC-Fix vinyl and found a really good supplier online.

“We had an initial false start as the adhesive didn’t appear to be sticking, so I would advise using something more than a kitchen cleaner to the worktops.

“My husband really took over the application and would probably say he wouldn’t be rushing to repeat the experience – but his determination was really worth the effort.”

Using a hairdryer to work around the edges and a squeegee to work out the air bubbles and creases, the kitchen was finally complete.

While they’re happy with the finished result, the couple have had other ideas about how they could transform the space even further.

Amy said: “I’d like to complete the look with some furnishings, like changing the light shades and we’ve now added a sofa, so it would be nice to compliment that with a rug.

“I’m toying with the idea of making a pantry out of the nook that is currently hiding our bins and I’d like to update the faceplates and light switches to brush brass.

“These little aesthetic details can really finish off a room.”

The mum-of-one shares her home inspiration and updates on social media, where she’s received many comments of support and praise from her followers.

Next, they plan on tackling the entrance porch and creating a boot room, as well as updating the bathrooms.

Her advice? Take the leap, as we all have to start somewhere and use social media for tips.

She added: “Use Instagram, TikTok and Pinterest for inspiration, pick out what you like and then start to research on how you could recreate it for less.

“The quality of paint these days is so high, that you will be surprised at the finishes that can be achieved.

“Until we decide what we would like to do with the property long-term, I'd like to make the layout a bit more reflective of how we’re currently living.

"But so far, I feel we've made the property feel more up-to-date.

“It’s been quite fun, as we’ve been able to be playful without making any commitments and it’s really staggering how much of a difference can be made on a modest budget.”

COST BREAKDOWN:

Johnstone’s matte emulsion, shade: creamy white, B&Q – £60

Dulux Heritage Raven’s flight, B&Q – £35

COAT paint, shade: Nomad, B&Q – £64

Rustoleum Metallic Gold metal spray, B&Q – £8

Rustoleum Kitchen Tile Paint, shade: Moonstone, B&Q – £23

Worktop vinyl, DC-Fix – £50

Total: £240

ENDS

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