I transformed my council house kitchen from bad to boujee using paint & IKEA buys – people are stunned when they see it
A THRIFTY woman has shared how she transformed her council house kitchen on a budget with IKEA buys and some paint.
Anywhere from £6.5k to an eye-watering £12k – the usual costs of renovating a medium-sized kitchen in the UK. But according to one DIY enthusiast, Celene Francis, you can achieve a stunning transformation without forking out a fortune.
Celene moved into the Sheffield-based council property in 2020 but was forced to give it a makeover after it was left in a “dire condition”.
“When we moved in, the house was in a terrible state,” she told her fans on TikTok.
“It was just full of wallpaper – the doors were purple and the flooring was terrible.
“The person who previously lived here was a smoker, so all the ceiling and woodwork was yellow, and the garden was overgrown – it was a mess really.”
Since moving in, the young woman, who’s in her mid-20s, has given the run-down home a glow-up, using bargain buys from popular retailers, such as B&M and Primark.
“I love the H&M home section, but you walk into B&M Bargains and can get the same stuff for a fraction of the price.”
One of the main areas that needed the most work was the old kitchen, which came with outdated cupboards, a boring countertop and brick-print flooring.
To kick-start the process, the DIY fanatic, who posts under the username @61thecouncilhouse, began by painting the white cabinets in a chic and elegant navy blue colour.
To give the kitchen a more modern feel, Celene also decided to vinyl-wrap the worktop achieving the on-trend marble effect, as well as ditch the old handles to brand new Amazon ones in black for a more cohesive look.
”I also changed the sink and the tap and then I accessorised it using products from IKEA.
”I added two shelves to my kitchen, I painted my radiator black and then it call came together really nicely,” she proudly shared in the video.
”It looks miles better than it did before, Celene said, adding she was looking into buying the property at some point next year.
The incredible glow-up, which has been viewed over 100k times so far, has taken the platform by storm, leaving fellow interior fanatics totally amazed.
”Stunning transformation. Love you doors,” wrote one fan of the results.
”Absolutely love your kitchen. Just got my council flat and would love having kitchen done like this,” another felt inspired.
”I actually love it,” a third chimed in.
”if you don’t get into interior design now ,please do, this is amazing,” a fourth couldn’t believe the Before and After snaps.
”You have done a good job dear,” a TikTok user praised crafty Celene.
Sharing her experience, the DIY whizz said: “The hardest bits for me were the cost, I didn’t have loads of money to throw at it.
“That’s why I have been doing it gradually since I moved in, and I still have some bits left now.
“But I have saved loads of money – I absolutely love B&M Bargains and Primark home section.
“I think I spent around £150 completely changing my kitchen.”
Celene advised anyone embarking on a renovation project was to have a vision before starting.
She said: “You need to have a plan of how you want the house to look before you start.
“Have an idea about how you want your home to feel, you don’t want all the rooms to be different colours.
“You want them to flow so every room ties in, keep colours the same throughout.
“I think people should also think outside the box, get panelling or a slat wall, something unique to your home.”