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Kitchen renovations don’t have to break the bank.  There I said it.  You can create a beautiful space with a touch of imagination and a little DIY.  Not imaginative? No problem, that’s what I’m here for.

Most kitchens have good “bones” out there.  Simply painting cabinets alone will brighten the place up. Yes, I know what you’re thinking – this can be time consuming, and buying new ones-totally out of the budget.  So guess what? Kitchen cabinets are not necessary.  (I can hear you Gasp)  Trust me, most of the things you’re hiding behind them are probably hardly used and could be purged.  Take a peek, you agree?  You probably have some nice dinnerware in there just waiting for it’s debut. So, lets get to it.

If you missed my first kitchen update you can see it here.  I had my handy husband take out a portion of the cabinets and replace them with open shelving.  I.Loved.Them. (and honestly I think they helped sell our place as quickly as it did)  Truth be told, I had serious separation issues from them when we first moved.  Then, when the old wall-mounted microwave bit the dust it was like the clouds parted, and the open shelving gods smiled down on us.  Finally, a good excuse.

Here’s what the kitchen looked like when we first moved in.  I still get that cozy, safe feeling when I look at this picture.  There’s just something about home am I right?  I’m glad to have this blog a time capsule.  Great bones, and lucky for me, mom put a brand new tile backslash in before we bought it (score!).

Since I Love, love, love farmhouse style, the “new” house was the perfect opportunity to incorporate it.  Bead board, some $7 brackets from Home Depot, a 12″ wide wood board in the clearance section (also at home depot for $6) and a bit of white paint were all it really took to give this kitchen an updated look.  So focusing on the wall that used to be home to the big microwave, here’s what it looks like now:

This time around I decided to go a little more rustic. Wrought iron brackets and stained wood helped me achieve this and nothing says farmhouse more than bright white bead board.  This part of our little kitchen reno cost under $55 and all we did was take down some cabinets, hang a bit of bead board and screw in a few shelves.  Totally doable, yes?  So,  Let’s talk pros and cons shall we?

Pros:

1. You are forced to be neat (yes, this is a pro!).

2. You get to finally display all of those pretty dishes and décor items you have just waiting for their debut.

3. You can style them with the seasons.

4. Concerned about resale?  We put these in our first home and it sold the first week on the market.

5. Eye Candy! These are so fun to look at.  Your guests will thank you.

6. They make emptying the dishwasher a breeze.

Cons:

1. They can get dusty: I notice the dust more with the wood tone shelves vs. the white ones. (still not a deal breaker for me).

2. You have to get a little creative when styling them, so they take a bit of trial and error (to me that’s half the fun though)

3. (I’m really trying here, but I can’t come up with another con.) Stay tuned I guess!