You’ve probably thought of revamping your kitchen now that we’re spending more time indoors. Apart from it being the “heart of the home,” we’re sure that it has also become one of the ‘most used’ areas during quarantine.
But a kitchen makeover can get expensive, which is why mom Michelle Trinidad, 38, challenged herself to do a DIY renovation that won’t exceed Php50,000. “Just before the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) started, our household help left us, and we were left to fend for ourselves. My husband and I both don’t cook, so we were forced to learn,” she tells SmartParenting.com.ph in an interview via Facebook Messenger.
How Michelle's 'dirty' kitchen looked like before the makeover.PHOTO BYCOURTESY OF MICHELLE TRINIDAD“I thought of doing a makeover for our backyard, which serves as our dirty kitchen, so we can be more inspired to level up our cooking skills,” she adds.
ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOWMichelle, an HR professional who describes herself as “crazy about interior design,” says that she started with little projects, like putting stencils on the wall, creating a table from scrap wood and filling up one wall with herb plants. But she was still not satisfied and decided to go ahead with the full renovation with the support of her husband, Jaime Trinidad.
How to do a kitchen makeover on a budget
Michelle with her husband Jaime, and their 10-year-old son, KC.PHOTO BYCOURTESY OF MICHELLE TRINIDADMichelle shares that whenever she plans a project, she drafts the look using Microsoft PowerPoint. For this kitchen makeover, most of the construction materials were bought from the village hardware, while the finishing materials like tiles and paint were sourced from Wilcon Alabang. "Basically, I only spent for labor, tiles, plywood, and cement," she says.
Their 'new' kitchen looks neat and chic!PHOTO BY COURTESY OF MICHELLE TRINIDADCONTINUE READING BELOWwatch nowTake a look at how Michelle and Jaime transformed their kitchen!
DIY accents
Michelle wanted open shelves in their kitchen with practical decorations that can also serve as tools for cooking. So most of the items you'll find here are DIY or recycled. “The desire to create a beautiful space while sticking to my budget fueled my creativity and resourcefulness,” the mom of one shares.
This wall clock was made from a bilao!PHOTO BY COURTESY OF MICHELLE TRINIDAD
This crafty mom found scrap wire and formed it into a 2-tier spice rack.PHOTO BY COURTESY OF MICHELLE TRINIDADADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW
No need to buy plastic containers for your spices! Michelle just reused empty peanut butter jars and placed pantry labels on it to make it more organized.PHOTO BY COURTESY OF MICHELLE TRINIDADWhat other parents are reading
You can also reuse empty containers of wafer sticks for pantry staples like cornstarch and bread crumbs.PHOTO BY COURTESY OF MICHELLE TRINIDAD
Michelle repurposed wine bottles and put condiments inside. She also fashioned a cooking caddy out of scrap wood and rope.PHOTO BY COURTESY OF MICHELLE TRINIDADWhat other parents are reading
Hanging pots and pans
Michelle had workers attach steel bars on one side of the wall so she can display her pots and pans when not in use. She also had baskets installed where she can stock onion and garlic.
Display your pots and pans by hanging them on a wall!PHOTO BY COURTESY OF MICHELLE TRINIDADADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOWCabinets and DIY shelves
To save on cost, Michelle painted the walls and cabinets herself. She and Jaime also DIY'd the shelves — the wood came from their old furniture business. "I used plastic varnish lang inside the cabinets so it would be cheaper and used flat enamel for the cabinet doors," she explains.
Thanks to this momma's crafty skills, their kitchen now looks sleek!PHOTO BY COURTESY OF MICHELLE TRINIDADMichelle says that the kitchen is only one of the many renovations that she's done for their house. "At 30, my husband and I were blessed to be able to build our own house. My vision for the house was too ambitious and because of that I had to lean on resourcefulness and creativity so our not-so-handsome budget will fit at that time. A lot of the things I wanted to put in the house were expensive, but I know with research I can learn how to make them myself — and so, I did," she shares.
If you want to get started on a project, Michelle's tip is to lay out your plans. Get inspiration from Pinterest, Google, or magazines. With hard work and creativity, you can turn your concept into reality!
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