Revamping Your Kitchen: How to Make Cosmetic Changes With the Perfect Paint, Hardware, and Backsplash

I referred to this project as "cosmetic kitchen upgrades" because I didn’t have to do a total renovation to this room in my house.  The truth is that I didn't hate this kitchen.  One of the previous owners did all of the hard work for me before I moved in by installing new white cabinets, black granite countertops and adjusting the layout with more storage.  I already spent 2 years using the kitchen and knew that there wasn’t much I needed to change, since the cabinets, countertops and floor were all in good condition.  I knew that this kitchen only needed a little makeup (paint) and finishing touches to make it mine.   

This is why I didn’t do much to the kitchen when I first moved in, except hang a few pictures and replace the broken mini-blinds with cellular shades. I knew I would paint eventually and add my own spin on things but there was no rush.  After all, this was back in 2018 - 2019 when I was prioritizing travel and trips with friends over home renovations.  I kept thinking that I would get to the kitchen eventually but there was no rush.  Well, then came 2020 and that all changed. 

Like many of us, 2020 had plenty of challenges, stresses and life lessons, which I could get into but that would be completely off topic from my kitchen.  I decided to counter-balance a lot of the stress, anxiety and uncertainty into a DIY project at home.  Here’s what I tackled in my kitchen.

Cosmetic Upgrade #1: Paint

Painting Time: 10 hours

Prep time: 30 min

Cleanup time: 30 min

First, I started with paint. I had plenty of leftover paint from the other rooms in my house, so I simply used up what I had.  This was the easiest part of the project and I finished the painting over the course of 2 weekends (approximately 10 hours altogether). 

Cosmetic Upgrade #2: Hardware

Prep time: 30 min

Installation: 1 hour

The second upgrade was replacing the hardware on all of the cabinets and drawers.  The previous hardware was lighter with a chrome-like finish.  I replaced the hardware with black metal knobs to tie in to the black countertops and black and white floor.  This simple swap of hardware made all the difference with the cabinets.

Cosmetic Upgrade #3: Backsplash

Installation: 2 years

Prep time: 1 hour

Cleanup: 30 min

You may think that the installation time of 2 years is a typo and should be corrected to "hours" or "days" but you would be wrong. The final upgrade was the installation of a peel and stick backsplash, which remains to this day, as the absolute worst DIY project that I completed. You would think that applying giant stickers to your wall would be a fun exercise that makes you feel like you’re breaking the rules.  But, I’m here to tell you that it isn’t. The backsplash I chose was a mosaic tile pattern that I loved because it contains all of the colors of my kitchen.  However, what I didn’t take into account was that I would have to match up the pattern when I needed to cut smaller pieces to properly fit under cabinets.

This is what took so long because I didn’t want to risk using scraps and throwing off the mosaic pattern, because once it’s applied to the wall, you can’t easily take it off.  So I went the safe and frustrating route of measuring and cutting according to the pattern and then applying to the wall.  I also had to order more boxes of the peel and stick backsplash to finish the installation around my walls. In the end, I was very happy with the results but I'm here to heed a warning: think carefully before you embark on this journey. If you do decide to go this route, make sure to leave a lot of extra time, patience and some wine nearby, so you don’t lose your mind during this DIY project. I didn’t finish applying this backsplash until May 2022 - almost 2 years after I started with this kitchen upgrade! 

Overall, I was very happy with the upgrades I made in the kitchen and continued to enjoy those upgrades for the next 18 months while I lived in the condo. I sold the condo in November 2023 to move to a new house and more projects to come on what is happening there!