DIYers share dark navy blue kitchen makeover – and it only cost £80

From glossy white to striking navy, this kitchen went through a total transformation

A couple has transformed their kitchen by painting the cabinets dark navy and replacing the handles. Tom and Katie described the navy blue kitchen makeover as the ultimate 'trust the process' project, and you'll see why.

The savvy pair revamped the space with their bold and beautiful navy kitchen ideas and only spent £81.57.

Before

kitchen with cabinets

(Image credit: Future PLC/Tom & Katie @tomkatshouse)

The white kitchen was in the house when Tom and Katie moved in a few years ago. 'It wasn't exactly what we wanted,' Katie says, 'but we had so much work to do in the rest of the house that it wasn't a priority.

'It was easy to ignore it when I left the house to go to work every day, but over the various lockdowns, I got tired of looking at it! I decided that in the absence of a full kitchen renovation I'd try to do what I could quickly, cheaply, and easily to make the best of the kitchen we already had,' Katie shares.

She admits that bringing her blue kitchen ideas to life was daunting. But the choice of this bold kitchen colour scheme paid off, with some guests assuming it's a brand new fitted kitchen.

After

kitchen with chimney and cabinet

(Image credit: Future PLC/Tom & Katie @tomkatshouse)

Before getting out the paint rollers, Katie and Tom did all the boring-but-necessary prep. They removed the existing handles, cleaned the cupboard surfaces, and applied masking tape to the edges around the countertop and walls.

They also used a degreaser spray and lint-free cloth to remove grease and fingerprints on the surfaces. Next, they used abrasive pads to remove the shiny gloss finish from the cupboard doors.

Then, Katie used a small roller (plus a smaller brush to get into the edges closest to the wall and countertop) to paint on a coat of primer. The next day, she used a roller and a smaller brush to paint the surfaces in Steel Blue paint. Four coats were needed to get a totally opaque coverage.

kitchen with wooden flooring and cabinets

(Image credit: Future PLC/Tom & Katie @tomkatshouse)

When the paint was finally dry, Katie attached the new handles. She also used the grout reviver on all the tile grout to brighten it up and give a more uniform white.

They made use of a degreaser spray and abrasive pads that they already had, and the cost of the primer, paint, copper handles, and grout revival came to just £81.57.

Expertly done.

Millie Hurst
Senior Content Editor

Millie Hurst was Senior Content Editor at Ideal Home from 2020-2022, and is now Section Editor at Homes & Gardens. Before stepping into the world of interiors, she worked as a Senior SEO Editor for News UK in both London and New York. You can usually find her looking up trending terms and finding real-life budget makeovers our readers love. Millie came up with the website's daily dupes article which gives readers ways to curate a stylish home for less.