I am so excited to finally post our DIY Kitchen Remodel Reveal! The kitchen looks so much better than it did before the remodel.
We did it! After wanting to update our kitchen for years, we finally bit the bullet and did it. My husband and I purchased our home 14 years ago. The home was built in the early ’90s and had oak cabinets and Formica countertops. Kitchen remodels are expensive so we decided to do what we always do and do the work ourselves. Yes, we googled and watched YouTube videos to learn how to do every single project except for installing the pendant lights because we have installed many light fixtures.
The quartz is installed by the company but we removed the granite and removed the stovetop ourselves. Our kitchen remodel took 6 weeks to complete. The budget was $5000 and we spent around $4300. Prices are broken down at the bottom of the post.
Two years after we moved in, we replaced the gray Formica with granite. I want black granite but when they delivered the granite, it was dark green. Read about it here.
Several years ago, we painted our oak cabinets cream. I used the Rustoleum Cabinet Transformation kit and I had great results with it. I paid a lot more for the kit than if I purchased the supplies myself. I had no idea what I was doing and the kit had everything I needed in it. The cream paint had started to yellow and I was very tired of the tumbled marble backsplash.
The DIY Projects
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We painted the cabinet doors with Benjamin Moore’s White Dove Advanced paint (satin) with a HomeRight paint sprayer and paint shelter. I have painted many cabinets and the paint sprayer is the easiest way with the best results. Frames and the drawers were painted with a small paint roller. One gallon of paint did the entire kitchen cabinets. Post coming soon.
I chose these drawer pulls and knobs from Liberty Hardware. The pulls are 3-inch Global Retro Pulls and the knobs are Silverton. They are heavy and beautiful. We also purchased new hinges from Liberty Hardware at Home Depot.
The Sink
After much research, we chose a fireclay farmhouse apron front sink. We need a 31-inch sink and this one from Home Depot by Sinkology was the one we chose.
I want a pull-down faucet but I had read some bad reviews saying the pull-down sprayer will not retract back into the faucet. Going with the faucet that has a sprayer and a pot filler is a great decision. When I walk into the kitchen after my husband started installing it, I tell him that it is very large and may be kind of obnoxious. He says, “You say obnoxious, I say statement piece!” We start to return it but when we started using it we saw how functional it is. You can pull the sprayer around and clean the sink so easily. 
The previous owners added another garage so that they would have a three car garage. They cleverly added shelves and mirrors where the window used to be. Above the window was a scalloped board. We removed the board, and I think that this really helped take the kitchen out of the 90’s.
After removing the top glass shelf, it looks much better.
Replace the granite with white quartz that looks like marble.
The Backsplash
We add Aspect Peel and Stick glass tiles in the color “frost” and they could not be any easier to install.
These tiles are beautiful. They are the closest to white that they have but the tiles are really very light gray. You do not have to use any grout or glue. Just peel the back off and stick it on the wall. I have a tutorial coming next week on how we installed the tiles. Read more about the tiles here.
e.
Lighting
The last thing we did was install these two pendant lights that I found at a thrift store for $4.99 each.
I don’t think that it is possible for me to have a remodel without something that was thrifted. 
In conclusion, we are so thrilled that the remodel is over and we feel like we have a brand new kitchen. My husband says that we are done with DIY projects for a while, but I feel sure he doesn’t mean it!
You can read each week of the remodel.
Budget
Sink $499 The sink had a flaw so Home Depot shipped picked up the sink and shipped us another one that we received in 3 days. They charged us $50 less so I guess that was for the trouble. That’s why I love Home Depot.
Faucet $259
Quartz $3400
Hinges $100
Pendant Lights $9.98
Advanced Paint $47
Paint Sprayer and Shelter was gifted.
Cabinet Hardware was gifted.
Glass Subway Tiles was gifted.
Total Spent $4314.98
Susie says
You guys did a beautiful job and have a fresh kitchen you will love for many years. I love the layout, too. Love the work area for cooking and the extra storage with counter space over to the side. It’s really a great set-up. Super congrats!!! Susie from The Chelsea Project
Sherry says
Thanks Susie! I really am enjoying cooking in the kitchen again.
Lynn Spencer says
Are you pinching yourself to make sure you aren’t dreaming? Holy cow Sherry, this looks fantastic…and you guys did it yourselves? I am blown away. And I can’t pick one ‘favorite’ part…it all goes together so well, from the tile to the countertop…and that sink! Wow…really so lovely.
Sherry says
Thanks Lynn! I love that it is so much brighter and easier to work in the kitchen now!
Lisa says
Ahhhhhhh!!!!! This is just so light and bright now! You must be in heaven every time you step into your beautiful new kitchen.
Great job girl!
Frances Thomason says
So Beautiful Sherri ❤
Amazing Job, well Done.
Sherry says
Thank you, Frances, for the comment on our kitchen remodel. I am so happy that you like it.
Janine says
Sherry,
This is Ah-mazing! I need to hang out with you more often. I wish our kitchen remodel was the price of yours! I’m hoping to break down our remodel and unfortunately, our price will be much higher and that was 7 years ago. Your kitchen is a big inspiration and I especially love your quartz!!! It has the look of marble and definitely a lot tougher! Good choice!
Jerrikka Kruse says
Love it!!!! Y’all did an amazing job!!
Sherry says
Thank you for the compliment on our kitchen, Jerrikka!! We are very happy with it.
FrenchGardenHouse says
What a beautiful kitchen! I love what you did, and wow, does it ever make an impact. So inspiring.
Pam Morris says
WOW!!! It looks totally amazing!!!! I love the bright white clean look! thats what we did to our bathroom. We are working on the kitchen now and Im so undecided on what to do to my cabinets…..I love love love this.
Sherry says
Thank you for the compliment on our kitchen remodel. I could not believe how bright the kitchen was from just painting the cabinets white. Then we added a pendant light and really brightened the space. Good luck with your kitchen and I would love to see a picture when you are through.
Linda Nelson says
Fabulous! I especially love the wall color. Nice choice of fixtures and accessories, too!
Julie says
This is absolutely gorgeous. We’ve been in our home 12 years and have the 80s/90s formica and oak cabines and desperately need a remodel. Neither hubby nor I are handy and are too afraid to try it ourselves which then puts it out of budget. Some day! I love your pictures, and you just almost make me feel like maybe we can actually do it. Great job on yours!
Sherry says
Thank you for the kind comment on our kitchen remodel. We were so afraid to try the remodel ourselves but we are so afraid of overspending so we tried it and it we are thrilled with how much money we saved. We figured that we could always call in a profession if we messed it up too bad.
FLORENCE says
Beautiful transformation! Impressed you did most of it! Love the lights & countertops. And the sink faucet looks useful. Love the sink. Looks like y’all did a great job.
Tamara Beltran says
There’s nothing better than before and after pictures. This was beautifully done!!!
Carolann says
Simply stunning! What a wonderful transformation you and your family will enjoy for many years.
Barbara Chapman says
Your kitchen turned out great! Love the lighter countertops, too! Isn’t it funny how just one change can make a huge difference?? Happy for you!!!
Enjoy your “new” kitchen,
Barb 🙂
Jemma says
Good Morning!
Wow! You surely must just be in heaven right about now! Beautiful transformation. So light, bright and airy.
Thank you for sharing the break down of costs too, a great bonus for us all before we embark on a similiar update.
Jemma
Nicki Parrish says
It really is a beautiful transformation Sherry! I love all of your choices, and I can just see you cooking away in there! Enjoy!
Sherry says
Thanks for the sweet comments on my kitchen remodel. Yes, I am loving cooking in this kitchen. It is so bright now so I can read my recipes and see all my ingredients so easily.
Mary says
Sherry that is one beautiful transformation. It looks so much brighter and crisper than before. And by doing it yourselves I’m sure you must have saved a ton of money!
Ashley says
WOW! Such a big difference. The brightness really shows off how huge your kitchen is. If have total kitchen envy right now <3
Sherry says
Thank you Ashley! The kitchen is so bright and that makes me happy. Have a great week!
Maria Brittis says
I am so excited to read your post, my daughter is buying a fixer upper and the cabinets are dark wood. I own a homeright sprayer so hopefully she will be inspired to do this. I will show her.
Maria
Tara Lehman says
Your kitchen looks fantastic! Great job and I love the white cabinets!
Sherry says
Thank you for the sweet comment on my kitchen remodel. I really love how bright the white painted cabinets make my kitchen.
Cecilia says
It’s absolutely gorgeous, Sherry! Thanks for sharing at Vintage Charm–pinned!
Leanna says
I have really been looking forward to your kitchen reveal because we are about half way through our main floor reno. I want white quartz and need to take out a back splash I still like but can’t find anymore of. I was dreading it, so thanks a million for the tile tip. I had no idea they existed.
Your kitchen is so bright and nice. White kitchens always look clean and fresh. Love your reveal very much. Great job.
Sherry says
Thanks Leanna! I really am pleased with this backsplash and I love that it is really easy to install. I am not kidding, so easy.