A lick of paint, fresh tiles and gold handles gave Hayley Blythe’s kitchen the glow up it desperately needed
MY NEW NEUTRAL
This house was in such a state of disrepair that I did at one point question our decision to buy it. The kitchen walls were covered in nicotine stains and there was nothing redeemable about the ugly blue cabinets and striped splashback. However, this feels like our forever home. As our dream kitchen will be a big project, rather than rip it out, we decided to give the existing kitchen a budget-friendly revamp as a temporary fix.
The nicotine stains had to go, so we painted the walls and ceilings in cheap white paint and swiftly replaced the old double oven with our trusty Smeg range. Having painted kitchen cabinets before, I knew how effective the transformation could be, so we cleaned the doors with sugar soap, gave them a good sand, and then painted them using specialist kitchen paint which, as we didn’t need a primer, meant the makeover only took a couple of weekends. We also replaced the worktops with marble-effect laminate, which was a game changer as they looked far better than I ever expected, and we a chose a new sink, finally sourcing a gold tap and handles to elevate the neutral look I love. But, just when we thought everything was going well, while attaching the open shelves to the wall, a chunk of plaster fell off. Luckily, it revealed some lovely original bricks. Once we cleaned everything up, we realised the brickwork added an unexpected but stylish feature.
I'm surprised at how good the makeover looks as I fully expected to replace the units straightaway. But, doing it ourselves on a low budget means our dream kitchen will be on the cards sooner than expected. For now though, I’m more than happy to hang out here!
About me
I’m Hayley Blythe, 36, a dentist. I live with my husband, Luke, 35, also a dentist, and our two children, Alfie, seven, and Siena, who is four. Our home is a 1930s detached four-bedroom house in Ely, Cambridgeshire and we moved here in February 2022. I share our renovation journey on Instagram@bricks.and.ivory.
My problem kitchen
The original kitchen had nicotine-stained blue walls and a bright blue striped splashback. The cabinets were a light blue edged with wood and the beige wall tiles were really old-fashioned, interspersed wi
