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Andrew and David Harrison-Colley updated their existing kitchen for less than £400, about $542, while planning a larger kitchen extension. They removed peeling cabinet coverings, painted the lower cabinets, installed open shelves and paneling, and replaced a damaged countertop; some features are intended to move to the future kitchen.
Andrew and David Harrison-Colley refreshed their small kitchen for under £400, about $542, while awaiting a planned kitchen extension, according to an Apartment Therapy before-and-after report. The project kept the existing lower cabinets but changed their finish, replaced the upper cabinets with open shelving, and updated the countertop and walls—an example of a lower-cost interim renovation rather than a full kitchen rebuild.
The couple, who share home projects through @the_home_boys, began with lower cabinets whose light oak-look thermofoil covering was peeling. David wrote on Instagram that the underlying MDF cabinets were “still in great condition.” They used a hairdryer to loosen and remove the outer layer, patched holes, sanded, primed and painted the cabinets Farrow & Ball’s Pigeon, a gray shade. The cabinet boxes themselves remained in place.
They removed the upper cabinets and installed open shelving across the wall. For the backsplash, they covered the existing white square tiles with paneling rather than risk removing the tiles and damaging the wall. The paneling and other kitchen walls were painted Coat Paint’s Good Intentions, a creamy tan. Apartment Therapy reported that the vertical paneling lines and longer shelves help create a sense of height in the compact room.
The couple also replaced a water-damaged countertop with an oak slab and sealed it with Osmo TopOil. They said it had held up well during the roughly two years before the report. An oven that no longer worked was replaced with one found on Facebook Marketplace, and they made a linen skirt to cover the washing machine. The article puts the project total at less than £400, or about $542; it does not provide a full item-by-item cost breakdown.
A Lower-Cost Fix While Waiting
The makeover shows how homeowners can make a kitchen more useful and personal without replacing every cabinet or treating an interim space as a permanent build. In this case, the couple kept serviceable cabinet boxes, covered rather than removed the old tile, and sourced a replacement oven secondhand. Those choices reduced the scope of work while addressing visible wear and a failed appliance.
The project is also tied to a specific plan: the couple are preparing a new kitchen extension and expect to transfer some features, including the shelves, faucet and a cupboard made to conceal the refrigerator, into that future space. That makes the refresh a practical bridge to a larger renovation, not evidence that the whole kitchen was completed for the reported sum. Readers considering similar work should note that costs depend on materials, local labor and the condition of the room; the article describes this couple’s project, not a standard price estimate.
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Designed as an Interim Kitchen
Apartment Therapy reported that the Harrison-Colleys undertook the refresh because their home’s existing kitchen was small and a larger extension was still in the planning process. Renovations take time, so they wanted the current room to be more functional for daily use while they waited. The source describes the changes as mostly temporary, though the couple intends to reuse selected elements in the new kitchen.
The project mixed cosmetic work with practical replacements. The lower cabinet frames were retained because the couple considered them sound, while the peeling thermofoil was removed. The wall treatment avoided pulling off tiles that might damage the wall, and the oak countertop replaced one that had been damaged by water. The total reported by Apartment Therapy was under £400, converted in the article to about $542; prices were accurate at the time of that report and may differ now.
“The cabinets were “still in great condition.””
— David Harrison-Colley, in an Instagram post cited by Apartment Therapy
Costs and Build Details Not Listed
Apartment Therapy gives the overall cost as under £400, but its report does not list the price of each material, the labor involved or whether the total includes every related expense. It also does not specify how much of the work the couple completed themselves. The approximate dollar figure is the publication’s conversion, not a separate quote in U.S. dollars.
The source does not provide construction plans or a schedule for the planned extension, nor does it say when the new kitchen will be finished. The couple’s account that the sealed countertop has stood up well for about two years is their reported experience; the article does not offer an independent durability test. The final design and budget for the future kitchen are not reported.
Extension Plans Remain Ahead
The next major project for the Harrison-Colleys is the planned kitchen extension. Apartment Therapy reports that they intend to bring the open shelves, added faucet and refrigerator-concealing cupboard into the new kitchen, but gives no construction start date or completion timeline. Until that work proceeds, the refreshed room is serving as their everyday kitchen.
For now, the reported development is the completed interim makeover and the couple’s plans to reuse selected pieces. Any further updates would need to confirm the extension’s schedule, its final design and whether the listed features are incorporated as intended.
Key Questions
How much did the kitchen makeover cost?
Apartment Therapy reported a total of under £400, approximately $542 at the conversion used in its article. It did not publish a detailed breakdown of the expenses.
Did the couple replace the lower cabinets?
No. They kept the existing MDF cabinet boxes, removed the peeling thermofoil covering, repaired and sanded the surfaces, then primed and painted them Farrow & Ball’s Pigeon.
What changed above the countertops?
The couple removed the upper cabinets and installed open shelving. They also covered the old square-tile backsplash with painted paneling, saying they wanted to avoid risking damage to the walls by removing the tiles.
Is this the couple’s permanent kitchen renovation?
No. The refresh was made while the couple planned a larger kitchen extension. They said they expect to reuse some elements, including the shelves, faucet and a cupboard designed to conceal the refrigerator, in the future kitchen.
Source: apartmenttherapy.com
