Before & After

Before & After: Elizabeth’s $500 Transformation

Elizabeth Passarella
Elizabeth Passarella
Elizabeth Passarella is the author of the essay collection Good Apple and a contributing editor at Southern Living. A former editor at Real Simple and Vogue, she has spent more than 20 years writing about food, travel, home design, and parenting in outlets including The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Parents, Martha Stewart Weddings, Coastal Living, Airbnb, and The Kitchn. Elizabeth grew up in Memphis, Tennessee and now lives with her husband and three children in New York City.
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updated May 2, 2019
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(Image credit: Apartment Therapy)

Yesterday we showed you a $1,527 kitchen renovation. Well, this lovely re-do was only $500. It goes to show how much of a difference a little paint can make. We were stunned by this. Are you ready?

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Elizabeth moved in to her husband Randy’s 1940s house in St. Louis a few years ago. Randy had renovated some of the other rooms, but kitchen was still dated and crummy. Together, they tore down tile and painted over a lot.

Kitchen cabinets? Painted. Green floor? Painted (with such a chic pattern!). Metal countertops? PAINTED. Elizabeth sanded, primed, painted, and sealed the countertops with a custom-mixed color that looks very old-world.

Two fixtures Elizabeth is particularly proud of: her sink, which she found for $50 at the Habitat for Humanity ReStore in St. Louis, and her faucet, $120 from Home Depot. We should also note that the beautiful 1940s stove was hers; she moved it in when she renovated, so that was free.

• Get all the details at her blog: The Adventures of Elizabeth

We also love the little pot-and-pan nook by the refrigerator. So French.

Related: The $30 Kitchen Makeover

(Images: Elizabeth Maxon, used with permission)