March was the big month of renovating our kitchen, so it seemed apt to set this as our recycling and repurposing month. Repurposing or upcycling items saves on landfill and also on the energy used to produce brand new materials and items. It is also a great way to save money and create unique items that have character and charm. We recycle and repurpose things a lot, and we wanted to set it as a theme in our kitchen.
We had done a lot of research into our kitchen design, and threw out a lot of plans that would need significant work that we couldn't do ourselves, and also designs that were all new. It had to be recycled and it had to be on a budget, but it also had to be practical and stylish with the following list of must haves - a dishwasher, a comfortable place for the family to sit and eat, a pot rack and a plate rack. In the end I think less than half of the items in the kitchen were new, and these we built ourselves as much as possible. The finished results were even better than we could have hoped for. These are some of the recycled and repurposed things that we included in our kitchen (the photos were taken throughout the renovations).
Our pot rack was made with a broken sash window that we picked up for free
Our blind and the matching rag rug were made using vintage sheets from the op-shop. And the tiles/splashback in our kitchen we kept, updating them with a coat of tile paint.
This sideboard was an ugly piece I picked up at an opshop for $65. We painted it, added a new top and these vintage handles that I bought on ebay (you can see it in the kitchen below).
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Our island bench was another solid wood op-shop find, $60. We removed the doors from the cupboard, painted the bare shelf unit and added a timber slab to the top of it. It is a home for all of my electrical appliances and a great place for family and/or friends to sit. And the cork board on the wall (which was there before the renovation) was made with leftover cork tiles we found in our shed when we moved in here.
The 1970s spice rack on the wall next to the window was found in the op-shop, complete with jars for $5. I painted it to match the kitchen and added new labels.
Our pantry was the original pantry in our kitchen, but it was a peach colour and plain flat laminex. We painted it and added some timber trim and the old handles so it would tie in with the overall look.
We were going to have new lino floor laid, but decided to work with what we had, pulling up the old lino and having our baltic pine floors sanded and varnished (see the beautiful finish above).
We also recycled items that we took out of the kitchen. The old lino went to my mum and to the kids cubby house and the old kitchen cupboards became shed and laundry cupboards and will also be used in the brew shed and as a potting bench.
In addition, we chose to keep items that were fine in our old kitchen like the oven/hob, the window, fridge, etc - why replace things that don't need replacing?
The work we did on our kitchen was hard, but very satisfying. I love knowing that many of the items in the kitchen had a life before. The entire kitchen reno also came in well under our frugal budget and I love the result every day when I'm working in there.
You'll find lots of other recycling projects on my blog, and many more to come.
I'd love to here about your favourite recycling/repurposing projects too.
Love it, just love it - is it rude to ask what your budget was? I'm just curious as I know that if we ever do renos it is going to be all recycled supplies and the husband is a bit skeptical about it being cheaper.
ReplyDeleteNo, that's not rude. I was trying to decide whether to post it or not. The whole reno cost almost exactly $5000. That included the plumber and electrician to plumb in the dishwasher and someone else to sand and polish the floor (all up that lot was about $1500). It also included EVERYTHING else in the kitchen and some stuff we didn't use. I included on my expenses list all of my opshop purchases, the dishwasher, every screw, nail, piece of wood, can of paint and extra tool we had to buy and all the stuff we got from ikea (the base cupboards, wall cupboards, my porcelain butlers sink, two stools, a trolley and a small pile of Ikea "things" that you just end up buying when there). Our benchtop on the sink end of the kitchen is laminex and was custom ordered from a local kitchen supplier (but we picked it up, cut the sink hole and installed it). I find it hard to compare to other quotes for kitchens as they ONLY include the kitchen and not all of the work and every little thing you need along the way, but if it helps, I got a rough quote to put in cupboards where ours are and a counter for the island bench and it was over $7000. So I'm very happy that we got a bargain. :)
ReplyDeleteIf you choose to go with recycled, we found you had to be patient and just keep looking. The demolition shop here had nothing we liked and was very expensive. You will probably also need to compromise on things - use recycled for part of it, but new for other parts. And remember that some recycled things are not safe - chipboard and melamine products built in the last 50 years (or so) may have toxic glues and materials in them. Hunt for solid wood items only to be on the safe side. My hubby was a bit against freestanding furniture, but loves it now.
Good luck!
Thank you, that is amazing. I figured there would be a sort of "right time, right place" clause with the recycling...as is with op shopping. I think that is probably the fun of it too. There is a massive salvage place up in Adelaide that is evidently quite reasonable with prices but, with the recylced thing being in fashion, it is hard to find a true bargain now. (stupid antique and picker shows on TV to blame for that lol)The place we are looking at renovating was built in 1845 so we've decided to stick with the shabby chic angle...more out of necessity than anything but I am a big fan of country style...and that has evolved to include new stuff that looks old.
ReplyDeleteI showed hubby this evening and he was very impressed (in his head I was asking him to use old pots and pans etc lol).
This looks amazing, well done, I would be very proud of that kitchen :-) I love the idea of adding trim to the pantry to make it fit in & love that sideboard. Really love it all. Great jon.
ReplyDeleteYour kitchen is wonderful. No wonder you are so proud of it!
ReplyDeleteWell done! that is a kitchen to be proud of.
ReplyDeleteI especially like how you added the timber trim to the pantry. makes a huge difference. Looks great!.