A testimony from Chelsea
My husband is an aspiring at-home chef, so while he was deployed to Iraq last year, I decided to remodel our kitchen as a surprise to him. However, we didn’t have much money to start with because we were putting most of our extra money toward getting our house and cars paid off before he returned.
I started with the cabinets, sanding them down and then priming and painting them an off white color myself. A local appliance company gave us a really good deal on a set of appliances (we had a nice newer stove so went with white to match). They had some dents on the sides, but you never see the sides so that didn’t matter!
A friend’s husband ran the lines and installed the dishwasher for me. Then I did the floor in faux slate peel and stick laminate tiles (it cost about $200 for the whole kitchen and only took me one evening after the kids went to bed).
I bought crown molding for the tops of the cabinets for about $20 at the hardware store and another friend’s husband took one of the cabinets I took out to fit the bigger fridge and made it into a built in-wine rack.
For the back splash, I used sheets of embossed tin (actually it’s plastic, but it looks like tin). The whole backsplash cost about $150!
I ordered a set of used but nice hardware on eBay, found a nice faucet and new curtains on eBay and voila… a new kitchen that took his breath away!
It was the perfect way to welcome home my soldier — all for under $1000!
Have you saved up and paid cash for something — large or small? Submit your story for possible publication here.
Chelsea – first off, Thank You so much to your family for serving our country! Also, I have been thinking about putting new flooring in our (eek!) carpeted dining room – I’m very hesitant about the peel & stick flooring – is it holding up okay? Are corners peeling up? Does it clean well? I know you’re probably busy like the rest of us, but I would really appreciate the first hand opinion!
This is actually the second time I’ve done peel and stick floors and learned a couple things that helped from the first time. Using the extra glue helps alot (though it will stick without, the corners do tend to pull up if you don’t). But even with a toddler, 8 yr old and a german shephard, they are holding up great. Also, going with the more expensive kind helped. You can get some for $1/sq ft but it doesn’t hold up as well (the finish gets glossy, etc). The faux slate I got this time has texture like slate and I like the matte finish and it was like $2/ sq ft. Buy more than you calculate you will need though, because when installing you can cut these with scissors but if you’re like me you will cut a few wrong. Also, if you have extra and one does get ruined somehow (burned or scratched really bad or something like that) you can just peel that one up and replace it) but they discontinue styles so just buy the extra up front. Hope this helps!
Oh I almost forgot, it does clean up easily but you shouldn’t use steam mops because it can loosen the glue.
I really like the flooring you choose also – it looks really, really nice. Thanks so much for your time & input!
Beautiful kitchen and great job! I would have loved to see a before pic!
That was such a sweet thing to do for your husband and you did a great job. It looks beautiful!
It looks wonderful, great job! It’s amazing what a little time and effort can produce, you should be proud. So thankful for people like your husband (and your family) serving our great nation!
What a fabulous job you did!!!!!!! It looks wonderful and I am sure your husband is sooo proud of you!
I did the same thing for my husband when he was deployed several years ago. I actually completely remodelled the kitchen, though, moving doors and replacing cabinets as well as adding new cabinets in a part of the kitchen that had been unusable prior to the remodel. I bought our cabinets from the Kraft-Maid outlet sale in Ohio for a fraction of the cost from a supplier (upper cabinets were $70 and base cabinets were $90 no matter the size). I did most of the work myself, with my children and mother helping me – hiring a handyman to close off a doorway and open another, level the floor in my pantry, move my gas line and plumb the dishwasher. I hung the cabinets, finished walls, laid flooring, etc. I got a +$15,000 kitchen for under $1,500. My husband was absolutely blown away by the transformation of our 1960s-era kitchen when he came home on leave, having no idea I had undertaken the project the very day his plane left the US.
Thank you so much for this story. Thank you also for your service to our country as well as your children’s service for this country. You lend us your husband and I know that that is a huge sacrifice!
Great job on the kitchen remodel. I could not believe my eyes when I read that total of $1,000!!! We are also doing a kitchen remodel (paying cash of course!! 🙂 and we painted our 40 year old cabinets off white as well. They look so much better now. Please let us see a before pic!
Aw, that’s a really sweet story too!
Thank you to your husband for his service. He must indeed be proud of you too!
What a nice homecoming surprise! I’m a military wife and have to say I am not sure I could have done that! Kudos to you. I’m not as creative 😉 I love the splash of purple in the windows. It looks very open and clutter free.
You did a beautiful job. How long did it take you to do the cabinets? I’m interested in doing this myself. Do you have any tips?
Thank you for your service to our country.
I did the cabinets in sections. After I put the kids to bed, I’d usually sand down one or two cabinets then do the first coat of paint (the kind with primer built in makes it so much easier). Then I’d sand down the next two and do the same. I’d let them dry overnight and the next night do another coat. It took about a week doing it this way but made it easier for me to do little by little (and something to keep me busy at night!)
Wow! I am so impressed with your skills! This has been my favorite story on this blog so far. Great, great job–and we can’t thank you enough for the sacrifices you make as a military family.
Your kitchen looks awesome! Thank you for sacrificing to help keep us free; God bless your husband and keep him safe!
Thank you everybody for your support! He is home safe and sound and loves his new kitchen!
Wild applause! It looks great. I can’t believe you did that all on your own. Kudos to you!
We have a similar backsplash. I LOVE ours, it’s the best part of my new kitchen! We bought ours from Lowe’s and my husband put it up.
wow, that’s a fantastic remodel at a really great price 😉 🙂 🙂 Congrats on paying for the entire project with cash!!! Love and hugs from the ocean shores of California, Heather 🙂
The whole kitchen looks great…especially the floor! I really like it! I would love a floor like that. I wonder if it’s something we could do ourselves too, and pull up the old laminate.
It’s a little harder if you plan on pulling up the old laminate, I just went over the old stuff. They have an extra paste you can get also that will help it stick.
When we were replacing the floor at our old house, we were advised NOT to pull up the old because our home was old enough that the flooring could have had asbestos. If you install over it, it’s ok because you aren’t disturbing it.
WOW! Is there something that a military wife can’t do? 🙂
You did a fine job and remind me of myself. Going to get my soldier in two week from Ft. Hood and I’m already planning how to reorganize the furniture. 🙂
Kamila
How exciting for you!!! I hope these two weeks go quickly!!
I love, love, love that backsplash. Did you find that at Home Depot/Lowe’s ?? Great job, God bless!
We don’t have a home depot or lowes in our little town, but they had it at our little hardware store called UBC, so I’m sure they would have it there!
It looks beautiful! What a sweet surprise for your hubby to come home to.
Thank you and your soldier for the sacrifice that you have made. The kitchen looks great! God bless.
I really like that backsplash, and the whole thing looks terrific! Great job.
Love your new kitchen! We have white cabinets also and I have been looking into doing a tin (faux) backsplash so I really loved seeing your picture of the finished product 🙂
Awesome job!!!! I know your husband was proud when he saw his surprise! God bless you both.
Great story! Thanks for being a military family!
This kitchen is beautiful! I love white kitchens. But your story made me choke up. I hope your husband is back at home safe and sound. Best wishes to you and your family.
What a great story! Thanks for sharing it.
Crystal–I LOVE these “We Paid Cash” stories. They’re so inspiring and encourage me to keep working toward my goals.
What a wonderful job you did. I love finding ways to save money, or recycling items.
Looks beautiful and thank your husband for defending this great country
What a wonderful surprise for him! You did a fantastic job–great work. Thanks for sharing your story and skills.
That’s so wonderful!!! I would’ve loved to see your soldier’s face when he got to see it. He must’ve been higher than high when he got home because not only did he get to see you he also got the surprise of his life! I’m so inspired by this story. Thank you so much for sharing 🙂
Wondeful story would have loved to see the before photo as well.
Yes I would also love to see a before pic!! 🙂
Me too! 🙂
Looks fantastic! Great do-it-yourself skills!
This story touched my heart – what a wonderful gift you gave to your husband, as he was giving a gift to all of us. So thankful for families like yours that sacrifice for families like mine – and grateful to God he is home safe and sound!!
The kitchen looks great! And thank you to your husband for serving our country. God bless your family!
What a beautiful kitchen! You did a great job; your husband must be so proud to have you for a wife!
What a nice surprise for your husband after being away from home. Your kitchen looks fabulous!
You should be very proud of yourself and your soldier-what a great gift you gave him! It looks beautiful.
Wonderful story. May God bless you and your soldier for serving our country and the sacrifices each of you made.