Our boho white kitchen makeover is finally finished! Check out how we turned around a dark and dated space for under $3,500.
How it Started
When we bought our house, it had just been flipped by a management company. They did a great job but left the kitchen pretty basic. As a galley-style kitchen, it seemed small and the dark cabinets didn’t help.
We started the project around December 10, 2020, and finished on February 10, 2021. This is with us mostly working on it on the weekends! Overall it was a pretty quick turnaround.
How it looked like when we purchased it:
The Design: Boho White Kitchen Makeover
Hi! I’m Emily and I’m not an interior designer! I love design and decorating and have always been very visual. If you are really lost, I definitely recommend finding a contractor or service that will help you design your space. You don’t want to go too trendy or bold for resale!
For our white kitchen makeover, I had elements I already knew I wanted and worked from there. The very first thing we did was remove the upper cabinets on one side, which made a HUGE difference. It immediately opened up the room, and we weren’t losing too much cabinet space.
We picked a white quartz remnant because our countertop square footage was fairly small and we could get away with a remnant which is cheaper. Full disclosure, a family member gifted us the countertops, but honestly, it wasn’t that much more than laminate! Our estimate for laminate was about $1,000-$1,500 (Lowes) and quartz was $2,000. Not only is quartz a more durable surface than laminate, but it will add more value to your home. We used the company CKF in Omaha for the countertops.
Here is an article about the different countertop materials and their qualities!
For the backsplash, I picked a white hexagon tile that is classic, but a bit more interesting than a subway tile. Light grey grout helps the shape of the tile stand out more than white would. We did consider going all the way up the wall with tile, but the cost just wasn’t worth it to us. Our tile was installed by Footprints Floors in Omaha.
The finishing step was our open shelving! My dad and I went back and forth trying to decide on wood, shelf types, and brackets for a while. Ultimately we picked light wood from Menards and gold brackets from Amazon. I like how the brackets aren’t obnoxious and tie in the gold of the faucet.
The Process: Boho White Kitchen Makeover
Brandon and I are not handy. Let’s just start it off there. We decided what our limits were with DIY in the kitchen and what we would need to hire out. Here is a list of everything we knew needed to update and how we were going to do them:
- Upper cabinet removal (DIY)
- Cabinet paint (DIY)
- New cabinet knobs (Amazon)
- Remove and replace countertops (CKF Omaha)
- Plumbing for sink removal and countertops install (DIY)
- Tile backsplash (Footprints Floors Omaha)
- Paint walls (DIY)
- Open shelving (DIY)
What we didn’t change: flooring and appliances. The appliances were brand new from the house flippers and the flooring was just fine for now.
The Cost
I am going to break down our costs as best as I can! Just remember our kitchen is SMALL, i.e., costs were fairly low.
Cabinets
- Sandpaper or liquid sander
- Primer- $50
- Paint- $50
- Knobs– $50
Countertops
- Removal of old laminate- $400
- Quartz remnant, install- $1,800
- Sink– $200
- Faucet– $70
- Plumbing- YouTube and family help
Backsplash
- Tile– $100
- Grout- $45
- Install labor- $600
Shelving
- Wood- $60
- Brackets– $45
TOTAL: $3,470
*I did not include the cost of decor as I already had some of it and it is optional.
The Final Result
I am in love with how our white kitchen makeover turned out and had so much fun styling it! For the open shelving, I spent a lot of time on Pinterest figuring out how to make them look clean while still being functional. Things we don’t use as often, like glasses—we both have water bottles—I put on the upper shelves! Choosing different heights on the shelves and scattering the pink pieces really balanced it out.
Adding different types of wood, like the bowl and cutting boards, adds some warmth and texture to the space since it’s all white! My plants and rug also give the space that little touch of boho cozy that it needed.
So, how do you think it turned out?
BEFORE 
AFTER
Check out how I designed our bedroom and dining room! Make sure to follow me on Instagram so you can see the rest of our spaces in the future.
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