Beige kitchen is unrecognisable after cabinets are transformed with Farrow and Ball Green Smoke paint

A couple has given their beige kitchen a dramatic makeover with a lick of green paint, new flooring, and sleek hardware. What was once a functional but weary space is now inviting, cosy and uplifting.

Nadia saw its potential and with her husband Matt, gave it a whole new lease of life with contemporary green kitchen ideas.

Farrow & Ball green kitchen makeover – Before

'The overall feel I was after was something brighter and more modern,' Nadia (@the_pengite) tells us. But she also wanted something that had some character, warmth and soul.

She and Matt gave the walls and ceiling a fresh lick of white paint to brighten things up. They also painted the lower cabinets in Farrow & Ball Green Smoke and off-white for the wall cabinets, which keeps things bright but warm.

The pair also replaced the brown lino with a lovely black and white checkerboard vinyl flooring from Tapi, and added some open shelving to display their favourite cookbooks. The prints, reclaimed wooden shelves, and vintage pieces really help bring it all together with a blend of old and new.

After

We're loving the on-trend green cabinets, retro clock (a vintage find from a flea market in France) and yellow Habitat pendant light. Houseplants and fresh blooms bring a lovely bit of texture and life.

The natural materials of the stool, shelving and storage baskets combined with the classic flooring makes it feel cosy and traditional. But this is balanced out nicely by the modern kitchen ideas – note the black cupboard handles and polished stainless steel Dualit appliances.

The particular cupboard handles used here are the matt black finish Como cabinet knobs and matt black cabinet T bar handles from The Handle Studio. Just visible in the shot below are IKEA RANARP clamp spotlights. A great option for task lighting when you need to keep costs down.

All in all, they managed to decorate on a budget of £1,000 (excluding the cost of a new oven). The flooring and fitting took most of the budget, at £703. The paint, including all primers, paint and lacquer came to £205.

This gorgeous green kitchen is unrecognisable from its former self. Keeping things real, Nadia says that two years on, they have had a few chips and scratches to the paintwork.

So using paint to update a kitchen is a great, cheap option, but she says it's important to be aware of the limitations.