I have been in my duplex for over a decade now and slowly, room by room, I’m making it my own. It’s been a gradual process because I’ve been honing my own style and, as we all know, renos can be expensive.

While I’ve replaced some countertops, carpeting, and redone a few floors, some of my biggest household transformations have come via A CAN OF PAINT – and not even on the walls!  Big change for relatively small change.  (However to be clear, I didn’t do the painting myself, I hired a very well-priced professional!)

Kitchen Cabinets:

The main living area is an open space concept, living room, dining room and kitchen combined.  I wanted the kitchen to look more modern and updated.  I painted the cabinets white (Simply White), the same colour as the walls. 

The following year I re-did the backsplash, then replaced the countertops and finally, last winter, re-stained the floors darker.  Granted some of these projects were pricey but I saved a lot by simply repainting instead of replacing those cupboards.

Kitchen – Before

Kitchen – After

Bathroom Cabinets:

My bathroom cabinets were maple-coloured and tired.  In the master bathroom I painted them Benjanim Moore’s Wenge, a dark brown to play off the granite countertop. In the guest bathroom, I went with a darker grey on the cabinets and lighter grey on the walls. It looks cool and crisp.

Master Bathroom – After (Sorry, I forgot to take a before photo!)

Guest Bathroom – Before

Guest Bathroom – After

Bedroom Furniture:

The bedroom really wasn’t “me” for a long time.  The furniture was heavy and overly masculine. (See photo at the very top.)  I got rid of the bed frame (saved for a future guest room), but what to do with the imposing and dark chests of drawers? They’re very utilitarian – i.e. big enough for all my gack – so I’d be basically looking for the same thing in another colour. 

Dresser – before

Tallboy dresser – before

Peridot’s Leah Balderson put me in touch with a great painter, who spray painted the chest of drawers and tallboy a glossy white. (Simply White again.) I love how they turned out…fresh and more feminine, for probably a third of the price of buying new. Plus, I much prefer recycling to tossing or reselling. 

Dresser – after

Tallboy dresser – after

My work is not yet done

I hate the tiles in the bathrooms. Maybe a project for 2013! What are your penny-saving reno tips?