How to give your kitchen a makeover for less than £100

Wallpaper designed for busy kitchens

Our fantastic range of kitchen wallpaper is dedigned to withstand the daily hustle & bustle (as well as the spills & stains) of family kitchens. It’s super durable as well as stylish, and there are so many designs to choose from.

To learn how easy it can be to upgrade your walls, visit our blog on how to apply wallpaper!

Furniture paint

Cupboard and furniture paint is ideal for bringing old kitchen units up to date.

Benefits of cupboard paint:

• Choose from a range of finishes including chalky and satin
• It’s hard-wearing and touch dry in 2 hours
• It can be used on wood and all sorts of other materials

How to paint kitchen cupboards

• Remove all the handles and set aside so nothing goes missing
• If possible, it may be easier and less messy if you remove the cabinet doors - to save confusion at the end, you could label the doors lightly with pencil, ar attach a piece of masking tape on the back and write on that
• Fill any chips if there are any
• Sand the outside of each door - this will remove any varnish or old flaky paint
• Clean the surface with sugar soap - this will remove any grease and residue
• Top tip – place your cabinets on top of something like a bucket, so you can do the sides and the front at the same time
• Never skip the primer – this provides the perfect base for your paint in terms of coverage, adhesion and finish.
• Use a nook and cranny brush to get in all the grooves
• You may want to use a small roller to be more efficient
• Top tip – if using a brush on wooden doors, follow the grain of the wood. Where two pieces join, angle the brush to follow across the joining and lightly feather the brush over the join in the other direction to reduce visible brush strokes
• Once the first coat has dried, decide if you need a second coat
• Reassemble the cupboards, leave it as long as you can before reattaching (the paint will be dry to the touch in around 6 hours, but will gradually harden over the next 3 days)
• You can use these tips when updating furniture too! Why not makeover the kitchen table too?

Updating the kitchen hardware

If you fancy a total refresh you can update the hardware too. We have a range of cupboard door handle styles, or how about updating the existing ones with spray paint?

How to spray paint door handles

• Remove the hardware and clean with sugar soap
• Lay the hardware on something you don’t mind getting thrown away, an old dust sheet is perfect. We recommend spray painting in a well-ventilated area, outside if you can
• Top tip – use a cardboard box to contain the spray paint
• Use a spray paint primer, it’s specifically developed to be quick drying, tough and has a durable finish
• Once the primer has dried, coat with your spray paint colour of choice. Be sure to coat everywhere
• When your cupboards and handles are dry reattach the new handles!

Transform with self-adhesive tiles

Why splash out on a brand-new kitchen when you can transform it with tiles?

You could use them to create a slim border around the whole kitchen, or as a back splash behind the sink.

Tiles come with so many benefits:

• They’re versatile
• They add wow factor
• Easy to use

Tiles come with so many benefits:

These easy-to-use mosaic sheets have a self-adhesive backing. Simply peel and stick, then apply grout to keep in place.

For the full guide, read our blog on how to apply self-adhesive wall tiles.

Update worktops with d-c-fix

Try using d-c-fix self-adhesive film, aka sticky back plastic, to transform worktops. Available in a variety of colours and designs, it’s easy to inject instant style into your kitchen, whether you want to give it a complete overhaul or you just want to add some standout features.

This stuff is also brilliant for rental homes, letting you put your own spin on your space without the permanence. When the time comes, it's easy to remove.

Update worktops with d-c-fix

• Self-adhesive and easy to use
• Water resistant and heat resistant up to 75 degrees
• Durable, removable and can be wiped clean
• When you fancy a change, simply peel back the film, and remove any residue with warm soapy water
• Can be used on counter tops, tables and cupboard doors
• You can even use d-c-fix sticky back window film to update your windows, adding privacy with the window

How to use:

• Make sure the area is smooth, free of dust and grease
• Measure the area to be covered
• Cut to size required using the handy grid on the backing paper
• Loosen the back paper at one corner and peel off round 4 inches
• Position the exposed corner at one edge and peel the protection paper off the reverse
• Smooth out any air bubbles from the centre to the edges
• Tip – if you find an air bubble, sometimes it may be best to pop the film with a needle to release the trapped air
• Trim any excess film with a knife for a flawless finish.

You can read our in-depth guide to using d-c-fix self adhesive vinyl in our blog here.