Grey kitchen transformation: DIY fan gives her kitchen a total makeover for £40

The transformative power of a fresh lick of paint should never be underestimated, particularly in a tired kitchen. Shannon has given her kitchen a stylish grey makeover - and all she used was some paint from Wilko.

Related: 28 grey kitchen ideas that are both stylish and sophisticated

First of all, she removed all the cupboard doors and left the handles to soak in the bath overnight, before polishing them up. Then she got to work painting the inside and outside of all the cupboards.

Before

The finished kitchen looks as good as new, and the entire transformation only cost £40. ‘All the kitchen had a good sand down and sugar soap wash, but I found the paint went on better onto the doors with just some sugar soap and no sanding,’ Shannon comments.

‘I used Wilko paint, which is £20 a tin, and I used about one and a half to do one coat inside and two coats on the doors, so I had plenty spare,' she explains. The paint she used is a quick-drying formula, so it's dry in about two hours.

After

We absolutely love the finished kitchen. The grey cupboards have given it a modern update and match the existing flooring perfectly. The most striking part of the transformation is how much brighter the room now looks. The use of a light shade of grey paint makes a huge difference to the overall feel of the room, and shows the previous natural wood finish had been absorbing some of the light.

The addition of a new grey toaster, kettle and glassware finish the look, and the white wicker baskets provide handy storage.

Shannon explained how she got the neat, brush-stroke-free finish. 'I used a rounded brush and a foam roller. I went through these a lot as the paint is very sticky. It goes a long way, but if you’ve taken your doors off and only can do a few at a time to let them dry, the rollers go hard.

'The paint went such a long way and I haven’t had any chips or marks on the kitchen. The kitchen looks totally different,' she says. For more ways to revamp your kitchen for under £50, check out our feature.

Related: See how this drab kitchen was given a brilliant blue makeover for just £300

If you're feeling inspired, take a look at our guide on how to paint kitchen cabinets. It just goes to show you don't need to spend a lot of money to give the kitchen a fresh new look.