When we moved into our 1951 bungalow, the kitchen was a huge selling feature. First of all, it takes up about 1/3 of the house. Secondly, it has a perfect layout, with a large L-shaped counter and space enough for a small table or island in the middle. As two people who love to cook, the kitchen really sealed the deal for us. However, the kitchen had obviously undergone an (admittedly well-done) renovation circa 2004. We liked the cabinets and the layout, which laid the groundwork for a budget-friendly kitchen renovation.

Ways We Saved Money on Our Kitchen Renovation

First, I really hit the jackpot when I married my husband. He loves carpentry and woodworking, and he can do most basic electric tasks, like moving an outlet or installing a new light fixture. While labor is often factored in to costs like installing countertops or cabinets, many people don’t think about it for things like installing a backsplash. We had a few hiccups along the way, and it took a bit longer than if we’d hired professionals for everything, but ultimately he did a phenomenal job and we saved thousands on labor.

Second, we did everything slowly. We checked pricing frequently to make sure we were getting the best deal, and compared items from various companies carefully. While in hindsight we probably could’ve pinches pennies even more, I feel confident we got our money’s worth on all materials.

Finally, we kept the bones of our kitchen the same. We liked the wood grain in the cabinets, and knew we could make them appear fresh again with the right tile and paint. We don’t completely love the floors, but they’re very, very high quality stone. We knew that our money was better spent elsewhere, and we’d have shorter gaps in the usage of our kitchen, if we kept the floors.

Part 1: Install a Functional Island

As I wrote above, our kitchen has a large space in the center that begged for additional counter space. My husband found an unusual solution while browsing TikTok: use a Husky tool cabinet as an island. I’ll admit I initially met this idea with skepticism. Tool chests generally aren’t….pretty. But the tool chest he liked came in white, a nice clean color, and had a butcher block countertop.

The cart has transformed into one of my favorite parts of the kitchen. It provides valuable counter space without a huge footprint, the drawers provide lots of storage for our weird kitchen knickknacks, and we can wheel it out of the way when cleaning. It’s practical and we get lots of compliments, and it costs much less than installing a traditional island. Note: it is super duper heavy. There’s a chance we leave it with the house if our next kitchen can’t accommodate it.

Cost: $547

Part 2: Replace Appliances

As frequent cooks and bakers, my husband and I care deeply about the quality of our appliances. The high-quality gas stove and the large french door refrigerator were big selling features for us. However, not all of our appliances were up to date.

Our previous microwave sounded like a jet taking off and had a pretty large profile. Despite being one of the least sexy appliances, microwaves are frequently used. We selected a newer model of a brand we already knew (GE). This ended up working out beautifully, as we didn’t have to learn a new machine top-to-bottom.

My favorite functional feature of our kitchen by far? The dishwasher! After much debate between Bosch and Kitchenaid, we went with the Kitchenaid. It mostly came down to repairs. Bosch requires specialized service whereas Kitchenaid is manufactured by Whirlpool and can therefore be fixed by more technicians. Frankly, I also preferred the classic look of the dishwasher model we chose.

We are incredibly happy with our Kitchenaid dishwasher. The third top rack is a lifesaver for cups and large utensils. It gets our dishes incredibly clean. Best of all, it’s very, very quiet. Apparently the Bosch is quieter, but ours is so quiet you can barely tell it’s running.

Microwave Cost: $259

Dishwasher Cost: $981 (on sale from $1200)

Part 3: Replace Countertops & Sink

Taking out our black countertops had one of the biggest visual impacts of the project. They sucked the light out of the room and were very difficult to clean. We chose white quartz for its durability and ease of cleaning. We spent a bit more on countertops than we might’ve for a truly penny-pinching project, but we felt it important to get something practical and attractive.

To match the white countertops, we got a white ceramic sink. Though we chose a similar size to our old sink, we opted for one bowl. One bowl is a dream! It fits our larger pots and pans easily and cleans much better than our stainless steel sink.

Finally, we opted for brass hardware on the sink. I don’t mind mixed metals in the kitchen, and I think it brings the warmth out of the cabinets. Our faucet has and old-fashioned industrial look to inject some vintage charm.

Countertop cost: $2828 (inclusive of labor)

Sink & Accessories cost: $379

Part 4: Replace Backsplash

The portion of the kitchen where we saved the most money? The backsplash! Upon ripping out the old one, my husband discovered that the drywall was crumbling, so he ripped it out. Luckily he did, because it turns out the kitchen needed significant rewiring, as well as insulation on the exterior walls.

My husband and his father are both quite handy, so they installed the foam insulation, did the basic re-wiring, and my husband tiled the backsplash himself. (I know, I know, I really hit the jackpot). We did have to hire our local handyman to install the new drywall, but it was well worth it for a job well done.

The backsplash took a significant amount of time to complete, largely because of the unique shape. We ended up renting a wet saw (a specialty saw for tile) to do the project ourselves. At the end of the day it was still cheaper than hiring someone to do it. If you do hexagonal tile, know that they make special tile spacers specifically for hexagons. They are a LIFESAVER.

Drywall cost: $340 (including labor)

Tile cost: $800 (including saw rental, grout, & spacers)

Conclusion

After living here for two-and-a-half years and a month of active renovations, we have the perfect kitchen for our house! We’re so pleased with its mix of modern elegance and vintage charm. “Budget-friendly” is relative when it comes to kitchen renovations of course. We could’ve spent a pretty penny, but it’s still significantly more than I could’ve afforded when I was younger. Still, if you’re looking for inspiration, I hope this guides you in the right direction!

Total Cost: $4,347