Budget kitchen makeover - phase 1

I'd had in mind for a while that I would make a start on redecorating my kitchen this summer, but my summer holidays were almost over and I hadn't begun! Then I saw Mandi's post on A Beautiful Mess about Planning a Budget Kitchen Renovation, and this was just what I needed to get me started! That very morning I went and bought some paint so I could make a start.

I decided that the first phase of the makeover should be painting the ceiling. This didn't seem like such a daunting task - but 4 coats of paint later I may have changed my mind on that! Painting tongue and groove panelling is a pain, having to make sure that the paint gets into all the grooves. And it's so much more difficult when it's above your head! I did a couple of coats with the roller, and a couple of coats with a brush. After the first couple of coats I felt like I would never be finished, as you can see from the in-progress photo!

The paint is brilliant white, and it's amazing how much this has lightened up the room. I always used to have to switch the light on, even on sunny days, but now I have to use the light much less often.

It's not that obvious, but I also painted the circular base of the cream ceiling light white. This was the first thing I did, and I used spray paint. I didn't like the light before, but I quite like it now.

I've got a lot more planned for the kitchen, including painting the cabinet doors, painting or staining the shelves and folding table, and changing the flooring.

Take a look at my Pinterest kitchen inspiration board to see some of the ideas I've got for the kitchen - looks like there's going to be some yellow!