Before & After: 3 Simple Paint Projects Turned This Very Brown Kitchen from Dated to Darling

There are a few important elements in creating a space that’s @brickendhaus) only had one of those in her kitchen. While the cook space had three large windows that let in lots of sunlight, it always felt dark — likely because of its “very brown” and “outdated” color scheme, Nedra says. “The space always felt cramped and didn’t match the rest of the main floor which was bright and airy,” she says.

Even though a full renovation is part of Nedra’s future plan for this kitchen, she wanted to give it some updates that would make the space feel brighter and more pleasant to be in. “I knew with the power of paint I could make some changes to brighten the kitchen and match my style better,” Nedra says.

Nedra started with some outside help, bringing in a contractor to demo the old backsplash and fix the wall behind it. “Drywall is a DIY I’ve determined I will never do,” Nedra jokes. She also brought in an electrician to reconfigure the light placement — something she knew she’d do eventually as part of a bigger reno, but figured she could check off her list now.

The rest, though, was all Nedra. She started with the cabinets, painting the dark brown wood a grayish, mossy green (Sherwin-Williams’s Pewter Green). Add in some new gold hardware, and the cabinets look brand new.

Next came the countertops, which Nedra painted using a faux marble epoxy kit. The subtle gray veining and bright white color is great for bouncing light around the kitchen. “I’m most proud of the faux marble painted countertops,” Nedra says. “It was the first time I’d worked with epoxy as well as painting faux marble veining.”

Finally, Nedra tackled the floors. She chose a trendy checkerboard pattern in a subtle palette of white and tan. “The biggest challenge was the floor,” Nedra says. “Getting that pattern straight took quite a few tries!”

For her three paint projects, Nedra shelled out only $500 — pretty impressive, considering the huge impact they made.

Now the kitchen actually looks like it has three big windows. “It feels so airy and relaxing in the kitchen now,” Nedra says. “Walking into the kitchen instantly changes my mood. I love my starting my mornings in there.”

Inspired? Submit your own project here.

This post originally appeared on Apartment Therapy. See it there: Before and After: 3 Simple Paint Projects Take This Kitchen from Dated to Darling