By Danielle Peterson

Last year, Scott Floyd bought an old 1969 ranch-style home and was looking forward to remodeling it—until he realized what a wreck the house really was. “A lot of the original 60’s style was present: small rooms, iron sculptures over bookshelves in the kitchen. It was truly reminiscent of the I Dream of Jeanie set!” Scott says. 

Though many rooms in their new home needed an updated look, the kitchen was a top priority.  Since money was an issue, Scott was hoping to use as many pre-existing materials as possible. Before making any purchases, Scott made a list of what he wanted to see changed the most.

First, Scott decided the room needed more color. The walls in Scott’s kitchen were originally wood paneling, but the previous owners had placed wallpaper over it. Instead of removing the wallpaper and paneling, Scott decided to try something different: He added water to joint compound and rolled it over the wallpaper. The result was an even texture that could be painted on. Scott painted the walls a deep red and let the paint dry. 

Scott’s next step was to update the cabinets. After painting them a creamy-white, a decorative molding, bead-board and braided trim were added. “We used a chocolate glaze to give the cabinets more character and the trim added a high-end custom look for a fraction of the cost,” Scott says. 

The kitchen originally had a pocket door opening, which Scott opted to close to make the kitchen more intimate. Next, Scott built a bar from wood shelving and used upside-down plant hanger braces to add a decorative touch. “The bar turned out to be perfect overflow seating and provides additional counter space,” he says.

To finish up the kitchen makeover, Scott decided to lay ceramic tile on the floor and counters. For the floor, Scott used 18x18 inch ceramic tile. On the countertop, they used a 6x6 inch stock tile from Lowe’s. To add more detail to the kitchen, Scott created a mosaic backsplash using more decorative tiles as accents.

An antique kitchen table that was found at a yard sale was painted black to tie in with the chandelier and chairs. Scott loves his new kitchen and would encourage anyone considering a remodel to take action! “It was a very gratifying transformation. And now, using a bench on one side of the table, we can seat 7 people—plus two more at the bar!” Scott says.

To see another room that Scott remodeled, click here!

Click here to see our kitchen ideas!

Not an experienced painter? Click here for our tips!

For tiling advice, click here!