I'd love to see some pics with more light - I can't see the cabinets! How do you get crumbs from not getting stuck between the 2x4's?

Looks great!

Nice! I'm curious about how much was actually spent in the end. I'd say job very well done for what you had to work with.

Very cool! Love this.

Uhhhh it looks like it went back in time. Why would you get rid of the cabinets? All of your things will get dusty. Why not just wait a couple years until you have the funds to do what you really want or need to do? At least it's not all white like EVERY SINGLE other kitchen remodel... kudos on that point, and the flooring was updated nicely.

I think this is fabulous, the way you did this to fit YOUR needs. Doesn't matter what everyone else wants. I think it is great to use materials, readily available and affordable to you. I like the idea of the 2x4 counter top, and the more gloss you put on it, the less likely for things to slip in any cracks, because there won't be any. Great imagination. Can't say enough about this, and I would love to turn you loose in my "ugliest kitchen on the planet".
Kudos for doing great work

I love this.

And I would like to see more pictures.

wow! love the fruit basket addition, the double sink, and the mug hangers, and the wood counters.i wish i were this creative and resourceful!
ditto to what lynell asked- how much was spent on this, and i'd add the question: how long did it take?

If you are happy with it, then thats all that matters! Personally, open storage drives me insane, I just cant stand clutter. Not to mention everything gets dusty.

Great job! Love the open shelving and use of 2x4's for the counters.

Oh come one, don't you miss keeping that cabinet closed with a rubber band? You do, don't you? ;)

Not a fan of open shelving for myself, but it looks pretty stunning. I know people who've dropped thousands on cabinets, etc. and their kitchens still don't look this cool. Bravo!

Crumbs between the boards ARE a problem, unfortunately. I have a cleaning brush that sweeps it out. Clear epoxy in the creases is one solution I'm considering. But I do love my 2x4 counter top and would not change it just because of that inconvenience.

I got rid of the cabinets because, while I was looking for inspiration, my favorite kitchens all had open shelves. I like the look no matter what the budget.

We had already waited so long to "afford" a redo, that waiting for the funds for an expensive remodel would mean living with an ugly kitchen indefinitely. I think a lot of people here can relate to that.

And Amen about all the white kitchen remodels. Light and breezy is nice and I nearly went that way but ultimately my heart was leaning toward a warm, cozy kitchen with a coffee shop feel.

One thing I think the kitchen still needs is a pretty back splash. I love glass tiles but I'm also keeping a lookout for other beautiful and creative back splash ideas.

It really looks lovely. But is the dishwasher now gone?

The before was SO hideous!! I love how thrifty you were. Not everyone will love it but as long as it works for you and you love it - good for you. Thanks for sharing!!

I would like to see how much was spent overall on the remodel. "Very limited budget" is different for everyone.

OK, the cost... I stuck every receipt in an envelope as we worked on the kitchen over the course of about 2 months. Once it was done I had never even looked in the envelope again. Until today! I just now added up all the receipts and the grand total is... $735.80. Woohoo! Better than I thought.

Looks great!

While I am no lover of open shelving, this was executed nicely and I really like the vibe. Well done.

where did the window go????

The window over the sink? That's an interior wall that had mirror tile on it before the redo.

Now THAT, is hard work and smart thinking on a budget! Good for you, it looks fantastic. So much cleaner and cuter than before. I'd love to see a close-up of the hooks you made, they sound fantastic!

@charlie26 There is a close-up of the hooks in the thumbnails under the main pics. It has the little "before" tag on it but it's actually an after.

Looks great and I really like your idea about the 2X4's. How did you come up with that idea? Did you see it somewhere else? you made the open shelving look very nice. I would never been able to style it that lovely so for that reason, I would never do it.

@cherylcr - oh, now I see - they're the bomb!! Love what you did with the fork. Might be stealing that idea ;)

Just a little tip, hang ur mugs facing diagonally downwards to prevent any dust inside. I do like open layouts too! Very coffeeshop, indeed! Heehee! But we live along a busy road and there's constantly construction in my neighbourhood (from crowded Singapore here), hence, plenty of dust :(

Whoa----
that before may be the ugliest kitchen I've ever seen.

Awesome upgrade! Definitely achieved the warm, cozy, coffee shop feel.

I love this! The only thing I'm not a huge fan of is the open food storage - yours doesn't look bad but mine would be awful. :-P I'm curious about the cost of the countertops - it's not a huge space so I'm wondering how much money that would really save vs. butcher's block?

what an incredible transformation for less than $1000 - that's inspiring! wait and save for a few more years for a "better" renovation - what??? i can imagine you couldn't WAIT to rip the "before" kitchen out - that is the most hideous thing i've ever seen. enjoy your new space!

I love it! I probably wouldn't have considered dark cabinets before seeing this, but dark is now a contender.

Love the open shelving, too. When I moved into my mom's house 1 1/2 years ago to be her caregiver, she had sort of early american style cabinet doors that have a raised edge - about 4 little steps that were a bi... to clean. I got frustrated and took the doors off, and once I'd cleaned them out and rearranged them so my pantry supplies were over the counter, I like it so much better.

I also like the way you stepped the corner of the counter top instead of mitering it - honestly, I just really like your space. Great job - especially for under $1000. And the satisfaction of having built that yourself - can't put a dollar amount on that.

awesome DIY! not exactly my taste, but i can appreciate hard work and skill when i see it. seriously, great job!!

I would have done a plywood counter, though, those grooves would drive me mad!

You did so much with a little. Love how it turned out.

Very unique countertops!! Love the black!

You built the cabinets yourself? What material did you use? Plywood or solid wood?

Great re-do! I put open shelves in my kitchen and only put things on them that are used a lot. It works really well. Your new kitchen looks wonderfully user friendly. I really like the work spaces on either side of the sink that will allow you to have a helper in the kitchen.

Ikea butcher block counter is cheap, with tight seams - makes a great looking but cheap wood countertop - I'd prefer that - not everybody lives near an Ikea, though.

Like the new look, and the do-it-yourself, though I can't handle open shelves myself - though some people live in places that don't get as dirty as the cities I tend to live in, so maybe open shelving works Ok for some. Really like your hook line - and love your hooks!

WOW! This is amazing for under $1000.
I love your hooks, what a great idea.
Dishwasher v. storage is always a tough call. I went with the dishwasher and it was worth it but I do miss the storage.
I am so jealous of that pantry - my pantry is a big shelf in the basement with cans about 6 deep. You have me thinking hard about incorporating one in my kitchen.....

I love this (and I happen to be a fan of classic white kitchens) but to me this is like a modern farmhouse kitchen with twist. Great job!!

I can't believe how opened up the redo makes that room look. Really fantastic job, I would be so happy to walk in there and get to work!

We have a fabulously deep cabinet over our stove and the use of lazy susans are a life-saver for accessing everything we cram in there.

Looks good!

What a joy to see this. This frugal but useful and beautiful is approach what I often hope for from AT and seldom see. Thank you so much for sharing your story and photos.

Losing the dishwasher is worth it. Doing dishes is not hard, people! And you pick up valuable counterspace and have one less thing to break and leak.

I love the transformation because it is for $1K. That kitchen is something to be proud of and party in, while you save up for any future remodeling.

Awesome redo! What a transformation. I love that you went with what you like and works best for you, not what realtors tell you will sell. I totally understand about not being able to wait with the hideousness you started with! Adorable forks, btw.

I'm curious why you would make a butcher block counter from 2 X 4 lumber, rather than buying a wood slab from Ikea or a remnant from a counter installer. Do you have access to scrap lumber for free or something?

It's a great looking kitchen, though!

Frist, kudos for NOT doing an all white kitchen but I too am not a fan of open shevling. It's visual clutter to me regardless how organized you are and the dust..oh, the dust.
You may regret not having doors when you find how much longer it will take to clean your kitchen. BUT, I do agree with most that you did do a fabulous job for what you wanted and I do like the colors. Congratulations for a job well done.

If you're a neatnik, this is a great kitchen -- everything is in its place, and although there's a lot of stuff, the organization makes it look cheerful and utilitarian. (I could not have a kitchen like this, though -- I'm too sloppy, and I hate dusting.) What a vast improvement. I like seeing what people do when they actually have a small budget like I would -- quite inspiring!

Amazing transformation given the constraints of space and budget.

I think it is lovely and i am continually annoyed by all the nasty comments about others homes. I'm sure they all have perfect homes.

I saw a pour on clear coating that might solve your countertop groove problem. Amazon has several similar products http://www.amazon.com/Famowood-Glaze-Pour-On-Epoxy-Coating/sim/B000M2SWNS/2 Nice job on a small budget, good inspiration. If you get tired of the open pantry shelving you can always make a fabric cover for it. Absolutely love those hooks! I have a countertop made from some old cedar boards I sanded (and sanded, and sanded . . .) and finished with spar varnish. I have several bits of stone countertop samples near the stove to put hot pots down on so I don't melt them into the counter. I once saw some backsplashes made of framed tile or artwork just hung on the wall, can't remember where. At least if you don't like it you can change them easily.

How could you get rid of those beautiful green cabinets?!?!?! The wood. DESTROYED.
(Someone had to do it. And please note the sarcasm.)

Lovely redo. The hooks are super cute.

I love it. I have someopen shelving in my kitchen and I am always suprised at how little dust and grease accumulates. There are exceptions: the platters that we rarely use and such... but most dishes, cups, and bowls we're using at least the top item on a daily basis, so they're getting washed before dust has a chance to build up. If you like the look, don't let the dust factor deter you.

So much wow! I think the after is incredible, even moreso for all the DIY work that went into it. I've been looking at ways to cut down costs to remodel our kitchen, so I may have to look at some of these ideas.

I love the bench top, such a clever idea and sealing to keep crumbs out of the gaps should make it easy to care for too.

That 'before' was truly dreadful. It looks so much better now! They can add top cupboards and a back splash one day when budget allows.

I can imagine it's a lot nicer to live with, although all that open shelving would drive me nuts!

seven years ago I was in a similar situation to yours. Very little money and an unacceptable kitchen. I didn't see the funds for a new one in our future, so I did almost exactly what you did. Black cabinets and open shelving.

It's served me very well, but I wouldn't do black again. It shows dirt and dust worse than white!

The open shelves weren't a major problem. Once a week, I'd go 'round everything with a feather duster. Two minutes. Not a big deal.

All-in-all, GREAT JOB! (You did better than I did!) You won't regret it and you'll have a kitchen you can live with for years. So much better!

I love this! Why spend thousands when you can have a lovely, functional and unique kitchen for hundreds instead. The kitchen is so important to how a home and family functions. Sometimes, waiting for a big budget for doing your "dream" kitchen just isn't an option. I will take creactivity and resourcefulness over a big box store, big budget kitchen remodel ANY day. CHEERS!

How to keep crumbs from falling into the crevices -- eliminate the crevices by having the 2X4's planed (at professional woodworking shop) so that the edges line up and provide a smooth surface when assembled. I did this when making a worktable for my wood shop some years ago.

I love it. Very European looking, without the usual cutesy faux-maison stuff. The only thing that detracts for me is the board (?) on the wall above the sink. I'd extend it all the way across so it looks more intentional, maybe stain it to match your cup rail.

For a budget backsplash, you could try wallpaper trim, the kind people usually put along their ceilings.

I like that you rolled up your sleeves and made your kitchen a great place to cook and hang out, without going into debt for the perfect "dream kitchen."