How a Wiltshire mum did a kitchen makeover on a budget

Hannah Beeson, 37, went through some trial and error when transforming her kitchen on a budget and has shared her learnings to help others.

Although there was no structural work done, it wasn’t a straightforward transformation with Hannah originally opting for a blue theme before going back to the drawing board. 

“The paint wasn’t a specialist kitchen cupboard paint and whilst I sealed it with a top coat of matte varnish, it still chipped in places.  Additionally, I felt the blue accentuated the yellow in the Indian sandstone on the floor, which I wasn’t keen on.

Hannah decided to pain over the blue cupboards after using the wrong type of paint (Image: Joseph Joseph)

"When it came to changing the paint, I took more time to use paint testers around the room to pick the new colours and I’m really pleased with how it now looks,” she says.

The renovations were started in late February 2021, with the couple undertaking all the work themselves. Hannah jokes “there's not much that Ryan can't turn his hand to; he has built storage, desks, fencing around the garden and an amazing treehouse, to name a few projects.”

They first removed the old tiles from the kitchen walls, plastered the walls, added a pallet board hob splashback and a fresh coat of paint. Later that year, in October, they removed the wall units to create open shelves.

Hannah said there wasn’t a particular ‘style’ she was going for, simply inspired by creating an inviting and open plan design to entertain friends and family. 

“I love how much of a sociable space it is. Everyone always gathers around the island, it’s been great for celebrations and entertaining,” she explains. 

All up, the transformation cost the pair £260, which Hannah describes as “brilliant.” Ryan plastered using plaster they had left over from a previous job while the kitchen units were 15 years old and in perfect condition, meaning no inner workings were required. 

Hannah has built up a following on her Instagram page @ourlifedownthelane after originally setting up the account to record their progress and have something to look back on in years to come. Now, she says, she regularly has people reaching out to her for tips and while she says she is no expert, she always tries her best to support others through their journey by sharing what has worked best for them.