Before & After: ’80s Oak Kitchen Cabinets Get the Boldest Makeover (No More Brown!)

When Lou Fryer and Ralph Stickley moved into their 1920s maisonette on the outskirts of London in 2018, they encountered some haphazardly done extensions: a small loft addition that was pulling away from the building, as well as a cramped kitchen. Since then, they’ve chipped away at replastering and insulating those additions and DIYing their own cosmetic updates to reflect their colorful, bold aesthetic. The kitchen, the penultimate renovation, was left until the end because, while “incredibly outdated, it was functional,” Fryer says.

The couple worked with designer Hannah Drakeford, who’s known for her vibrant and color-infused projects, geometric murals, IKEA refreshes, and more. Fryer and Drakeford first connected through Instagram, and it quickly became clear she was the right person to bring Fryer’s vision of a Memphis-style kitchen — featuring dual-toned cabinetry, terrazzo countertops, and, of course, some hand-painted murals — to life. “I knew that if she liked it, then I would like it. I let her dream a little bit,” Fryer adds. The kicker? It would have to be done for just $11,000.

Drakeford began by contemplating how to make the tiny space functional, eye-catching, and cohesive. “I didn’t want it to be a riot of color when you walk in, but instead as fun and exciting as the rest of the apartment,” Drakeford says. Additionally, the couple was intent on increasing storage in the space.

For the color palette, Drakeford looked to the hues Fryer and Stickley had already featured elsewhere in their home. The navy blue on the base cabinets is “the primary color that appears in nearly every room of the house. The dusty pink is the color of our hallway. The turquoise is in our lean-to extension and murals,” Fryer says. Meanwhile, it’s all balanced with white upper cabinets painted with Rust-Oleum’s Melrose. The goal? To design an interesting and fun focal point that complemented the already one-of-a-kind space.

To save on costs, Fryer and Stickley used IKEA cabinetry, painted it themselves with Rust-Oleum paints, and managed all of the product purchasing. Navy base cabinets kept the design grounded and created a sense of height, as “everything at eye-level was just too overpowering in a small space,” Drakeford says. Key inspiration photos featured cabinets with Pop Art-esque black, chunky outlines. They recreated this look using end panels and strip caps, a simple hack that turned out to be a “massive jigsaw puzzle,” says the designer.

A yellow ceiling mural painted by Fryer in YesColours’ Passionate Yellow perfectly coordinates with the sunshine-yellow vinyl floors. “I’ve never done a brightly colored vinyl floor before, but the color really sings,” Drakeford says. Next up? The couple’s bathroom is their final renovation project, which they hope to start in mid-2025.

What do you think about the “retro” kitchen renovation? Let us know in the comments below!