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Courtney Barch and her husband updated their Colorado kitchen by painting its cabinets, replacing the light fixtures and adding slatted wood details. They kept the existing countertops, which looked less busy against the new white and gray cabinets; paint, supplies, hardware and lights cost about $500.
Courtney Barch and her husband refreshed their Colorado kitchen with painted cabinets, brass lighting and slatted wood trim, while keeping the existing countertops. The makeover changed the look of the couple’s dated kitchen without replacing its cabinets or counters, and the paint, supplies, cabinet pulls and lights cost about $500, according to Apartment Therapy.
Barch chose Valspar’s “Ultra White” for the upper cabinets and a soft gray for the lower cabinets and island. She told Apartment Therapy that the two-color approach added interest and kept the room from feeling too stark. The couple’s cabinets and island were in good condition, so painting them was a practical alternative to replacing the built-ins.
The work also included removing the island’s curved corbels and adding slatted wood around the island and at the ends of the lower cabinets. Barch’s husband replaced the black builder-grade fixtures with brass globe pendants; the couple also added brass cabinet pulls. Together, the changes toned down the orange and brown cast of the original oak cabinetry, ivy wallpaper and ’90s-era lighting.
Apartment Therapy reported that the updated cabinet colors made the existing counters look less busy, allowing the couple to keep them. Barch later bought a counter-depth refrigerator for $1,600, bringing the reported total for the kitchen updates to $2,100. That total includes the fridge, while the roughly $500 figure covers paint, supplies, pulls and lights.
Paint Changed the Countertop’s Look
The makeover illustrates how the appearance of a countertop can depend on what surrounds it. In this kitchen, changing the cabinet colors and lighting made the existing counters work better with the room’s updated palette, according to the report. Keeping them also avoided the cost and disruption of replacing a major kitchen surface.
The reported figures offer a concrete example of a smaller-scale renovation: the couple spent about $500 on paint, supplies, pulls and lights, then spent $1,600 on a refrigerator. The result is specific to their kitchen and materials; the account does not establish that the same changes or budget would suit other homes.
A Kitchen Updated in Stages
Barch and her husband had bought, renovated and sold three homes before moving into this Colorado house, according to Apartment Therapy. They liked the home but found the kitchen dated, with oak cabinets, ivy wallpaper and older light fixtures. Their stated aim was to tone down the orange and brown, rather than undertake a complete kitchen replacement.
Before painting the kitchen, the couple installed new flooring throughout the main floor to create a more cohesive feel. With the cabinets and island still in good condition, they chose paint and detail changes for the next stage. The report describes their approach as a response to the condition of this particular kitchen, not a full renovation or a universal cost guide.
““We wanted an updated look to tone down all of the orange and brown.””
— Courtney Barch, as quoted by Apartment Therapy
Project Costs and Details
The report gives approximate costs for the paint, supplies, pulls and lights, but does not itemize each expense or say whether the figures include taxes or any tools the couple already owned. It also does not specify the countertop material, the exact paint quantities, or how long the work took. The $2,100 total includes a later refrigerator purchase, so it is not the cost of the cabinet and lighting work alone.
Apartment Therapy describes the couple’s outcome and design choices, but provides no independent cost comparison or assessment of how the finishes have held up over time. The report does not establish whether the same paint approach would be suitable for other cabinet surfaces.
A Long-Term Home in Progress
Barch and her husband told Apartment Therapy they hope the Colorado house will be their forever home and are making updates with that goal in mind. The article does not identify another planned renovation or give a timeline for future work. For now, the reported kitchen changes are complete, with the existing countertops still in place.
Key Questions
Did the couple replace their kitchen countertops?
No. They kept the existing counters after the white and gray cabinet colors made them look less busy, according to Apartment Therapy.
What changed in the kitchen?
The couple painted the upper cabinets white and the lower cabinets gray, removed curved island corbels, added slatted wood trim, replaced the light fixtures and installed brass cabinet pulls.
How much did the makeover cost?
Paint, supplies, cabinet pulls and lights cost about $500, the report says. A later $1,600 counter-depth refrigerator brought the reported total to $2,100.
Why did they paint instead of replace the cabinets?
The cabinets and island were in good condition, so Barch and her husband chose to paint the existing built-ins rather than replace them.
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