Dawn's kitchen before; Dawn's kitchen after.
Dawn here, the woman implicated in my headline, is one of our cherished regulars. We cyber met while live chatting during an episode of Holmes Inspection, which btw, is happening again tonight. During our chat I discovered that Dawn had redone the kitchen in her 130-year-old home, and, well, the rest is history! What do I love more than before and after photos from you, our dear readers? Nothing, that's what.
Dissatisfied with her boring kitchen, Dawn, a graphics designer, threw caution to the wind and found herself along with her roommate sanding floors and tiling backsplashes. I'm extra excited to post this because both tiling and refinishing floors is one of those DIYs that are a bit of a gray area - should you? Or should you not? Well, Dawn did, and it looks great.
Dawn's Story
What didn’t you like about the original kitchen?
My roommate hated the yellow paint. The linoleum was pretty horrible, too. In general, it just looked plain and boring.
Why did you decide to do the job yourself?
Mostly budget. There wasn't much that really needed to be done, and it was all cosmetic so we figured we could save money by doing it ourselves.
Who helped?
My roommate and I did it together, with the help of various friends who lent us their time and equipment.
Approx. budget? Time?
We didn't have an absolute budget, just wanted to keep things as low as possible. I think we've spent maybe $600 so far. There wasn't an actual timeline, either. In fact, its still not completely finished, although its mostly touch-ups and small details left at this point.
What was the biggest challenge?
The biggest challenge was living there during the renos. My house was covered in dust from sanding the floor, the fridge was in the living room, and I wasn't able to cook. Its really frustrating when you can't do those daily activities.
Are you happy with the results?
I'm mostly happy with the way it all turned out. Of course, I see all the mistakes I made, and wish I could go back and correct them. But it made the kitchen much more warm and inviting, and it really feels like it suits the rest of the house now.
See more details in the gallery below!
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What do you think guys? Does Dawn's work give you the courage to tile and refinish yourself?
Got a reno that you're proud of? Send us some before and afters and you could be featured on Real People Renos! Send your photos (in jpeg format) and reno info to stylesheetAThgtvDOTca with Real People Reno in the subject line.
Previously on Real People Reno: Condo Patch of Dirt Turned Patio Oasis
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