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Andrew and David Harrison-Colley refreshed their existing kitchen for under £400, about $542, while waiting for a planned kitchen extension. Their changes included painted lower cabinets, open shelving, painted wall paneling, a secondhand oven and a linen skirt; they also replaced water-damaged countertops with oak.
Andrew and David Harrison-Colley refreshed their beige kitchen for under £400, about $542, while waiting for a planned kitchen extension, according to an Apartment Therapy report. The couple kept the existing lower cabinets, painted them gray, added open shelving and wall paneling, and found a replacement oven secondhand, making the update a temporary improvement rather than a full renovation.
The makeover began with the lower cabinets. Their light oak-look thermofoil covering had started to peel, but the underlying medium-density fiberboard (MDF) cabinets were still in good condition, David wrote on Instagram, as quoted by Apartment Therapy. The couple used a hairdryer to loosen and remove the outer layer, then patched holes, sanded, primed and painted the cabinet fronts Farrow & Ball’s Pigeon, a muted gray.
They removed the upper cabinets and installed open shelving across the wall. The couple plans to reuse those shelves, along with a new faucet and a cupboard they made to conceal the refrigerator, in the future kitchen extension. That intention helped guide the budget: they wanted to make the existing room work better without spending as though it were their permanent kitchen.
The old white square-tile backsplash remains behind painted paneling. The couple said they avoided removing the tiles because doing so could damage the walls. They painted the walls and paneling in Coat Paint’s Good Intentions, a creamy tan. They also replaced water-damaged countertops with an oak slab, sealed with Osmo TopOil. The couple told Apartment Therapy that the surface had stood up well during the two-year interim period.
Other changes addressed function as well as appearance. The existing oven no longer worked, so the couple replaced it with one found on Facebook Marketplace. They also made a linen skirt to cover the washing machine. Apartment Therapy reports that the makeover cost under £400 in total, or about $542; the article does not provide an itemized breakdown of spending.
A Temporary Kitchen With Reusable Upgrades
The project shows how owners can improve a kitchen they expect to replace without treating every change as disposable. In this case, the couple said they plan to carry several additions into the extension, including the shelves, faucet and refrigerator cupboard. That makes the makeover more than a cosmetic stopgap: some of its cost may support the later kitchen, too.
For readers facing a worn room but not ready for a full renovation, the reported work offers specific examples of adapting what is already there. The cabinet boxes were retained because they remained in good condition, and paneling covered dated tile rather than requiring its removal. The secondhand oven also provided a replacement for a broken appliance. These choices reflect the couple’s circumstances, though the article does not establish that the same methods or budget would suit every kitchen.
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Why the Couple Kept the Existing Kitchen
The Harrison-Colleys are planning a new kitchen extension at their home, but Apartment Therapy reports that the larger project is still ahead. They chose to make the smaller kitchen more useful and appealing while waiting for that work, which shaped both the scale and the spending of this makeover.
The approach was selective rather than a complete rebuild. The couple kept the lower cabinet structure, concealed existing tiles with paneling and reused or sourced items with the future project in mind. Their account also distinguishes between the lower-cost cosmetic work and the more substantial countertop replacement: the oak slab was needed because the previous surfaces had water damage.
“The cabinets were still in great condition.”
— David Harrison-Colley, in an Instagram post quoted by Apartment Therapy
Costs and Extension Details Not Published
Apartment Therapy reports that the total came to under £400, about $542, but the source material does not list individual prices or clarify exactly which purchases were included in that total. The headline’s “less than $600” figure is a rounded dollar rendering of the reported amount, not a separate itemized estimate.
The report also does not give a schedule, full design or budget for the planned extension. It describes the oak countertop’s performance over a two-year interim period based on the couple’s account, but does not provide independent testing or details about how the surface was maintained. The couple’s plans to reuse several pieces are reported intentions; whether they ultimately do so is not established.
The Planned Extension Is Still Ahead
The next major step for the household is the planned kitchen extension. Apartment Therapy’s report does not say when construction will begin or when the new kitchen will be finished. Until then, the current room serves as the couple’s working kitchen, with the refinished cabinets, shelves, oak countertop and secondhand oven in place.
If the extension proceeds as the couple described, they intend to bring the shelves, faucet and refrigerator cupboard into the new space. No further construction milestones or revised budget were provided in the source material, so those details remain unconfirmed.
Key Questions
How much did the kitchen makeover cost?
Apartment Therapy reports that the total was under £400, about $542. The story does not provide an itemized cost list.
What did the couple change?
They stripped and painted the lower cabinets, replaced upper cabinets with open shelving, covered the tiled backsplash with painted paneling, replaced the water-damaged countertop with oak, found a used oven and made a linen skirt for the washing machine.
Why did they cover the backsplash instead of removing the tiles?
The couple said they did not want to risk damaging the walls by taking off the old white square tiles, so they covered them with paneling.
Is this the couple’s permanent kitchen?
No. The couple is planning a kitchen extension and made the existing room more functional while waiting. They said they plan to reuse the shelves, faucet and refrigerator cupboard in the new kitchen.
Source: apartmenttherapy.com
