A budget kitchen makeover

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Online savvy Rebecca and Mark Young knew creating their kitchen inexpensively would be a challenge. Many eBay bargains later, it wins Best Room Makeover in our Readers’ Awards 2011.

Rebecca Young and her husband Mark knew that when they bought their home in Kent in 2010 they would have to live with a work in progress for many years; the Georgian property looks impressive from the outside but needs a lot of renovation on the inside. They decided to start work with the heart of the home: using all their wits and negotiating skills they have created a smart, user-friendly kitchen for less than £6,000. This project was an instant favourite with the Period Living judges, who made it the winner of Best Room Makeover in our Readers’ Awards 2011.

‘When we ripped out the old units we discovered the floor had collapsed in several places as the soleplate had rotted away and two of the joists had perished at the ends,’ Mark recalls. ‘We laid a new soleplate with a damp-proof course, had a couple of new joists milled to fill in the gaps between those that could be salvaged and laid waterproof boarding ready for travertine marble tiles we bought at Tile Giant.’ During this early stage, they discovered an original doorway to the garden that their son took great delight in smashing through; a suitable period door was found at a reclamation yard that now looks as if it has always been there.

‘We then discovered the world of eBay,’ says Rebecca. ‘We had a maximum budget of £1,750 for a four-oven gas Aga, but were pipped at the post on the first few we bid on. Luckily, the one we eventually won was not only under budget but located in Kent so we didn’t have far to pick it up. When we arrived at the sellers’ farmhouse, we got chatting about our ideas and the husband said that their old kitchen was stored in the barn if we wanted to have a look. To our delight, the “old kitchen” was a set of bespoke handmade units, a solid oak island, a double butler’s sink unit with taps, plus a wonderful riven butcher’s block. They did us an incredible deal: we bought the lot for £2,000 – including the Aga.’

Of course, the kitchen was not tailor-made for their own space, so some work was required to make it fit. Mark made a few adjustments and taught himself some plumbing skills and eventually had everything in place and in working order. ‘Then we needed some appliances,’ he says, ‘so it was back to eBay.’ A fridge, freezer and dishwasher all came in at £300 in total. To further minimise costs, Mark taught himself to tackle the electrics, rewiring the kitchen with a new ring main and fitting the appliances; he then just had to pay a small fee to have his work safety checked and signed off by a qualified electrician. ‘The Aga was then reassembled,’ says Rebecca, ‘but the original chimney recess was long gone. We couldn’t afford to rebuild it, so a local carpenter created a false one with timber batons and wooden sheets; now painted, it’s impossible to tell it’s not bricks and mortar. He also made door fronts for the appliances to match the cupboards.’

The Youngs wanted to top the units with granite but had assumed it was out of their budget, but a chance encounter led them to a local supplier who owned a farm building full of various pieces. Mark explains: ‘He came to our house, measured, cut on site, polished and fitted all the worktops complete with up-stands and windowsills for just £1,200.’ Other finishing touches included iridescent glass tiles from Fired Earth’s factory shop, reduced from £45 a sheet to £11 as they were being discontinued and the shop was cutting prices; and a pair of Victorian shutters found on eBay has been used creatively as larder cupboard doors. Inexpensive John Lewis handles were sourced, and all the units were finished with a coat of paint to unify the woodwork. ‘We are so pleased with what we have achieved on a minimal budget but with maximum effort,’ says Mark.

Find out more about the Period Living Readers' Choice Awards...
Read about another budget renovation project...
Read about an award-winning kitchen makeover...

FEATURE NAOMI JONES PHOTOGRAPHS BRENT DARBY
Featured in the December 2011 issue of Period Living