The kitchen is the heart of your home so if yours could use a bit of love, take a look at our DIY step-by-step kitchen reno. We’ve added an island to give this kitchen a spot for prep, cooking and dining. Done in edgy industrial style, the kitchen features horizontal lines for a streamlined effect and is sleek but still welcoming to make it a place everyone will love to be.
Out with the old and in with the new! Make sure you call in the tradies for all plumbing and electrical work but you can do the stripping, design, painting and cabinet installation yourself.
1. Clear the room
Turn off all plumbing and electricals. Remove cabinetry and appliances, leaving the sink cabinet in situ. (Not moving the sink will save you heaps on plumbing costs.) Re-use cabinetry in laundry or garage if you can, or list on an online trading site such as on Gumtree. Also remove the tiled splash back using a hammer and chisel.
2. Design the layout
Use cardboard cutouts in the actual size of appliances and cabinets to set out the kitchen layout on the floor. Name the cutouts and mark with their size in millimetres. Taking the existing sink location as your cue, aim to create the classic kitchen work triangle of sink, fridge and cooktop.
3. Strip and prep walls
To remove paint easily, here from a brick column, use Peel Away (peelaway.com.au). Apply the paste, cover with the laminated sheet, taping the edges, leave for the recommended time, then remove and wash wall with water. Patch or repair the splashback wall and prepare it for tiling.
4. Install cabinetry
Position all the base cabinetry for the island, following the layout plan, and clamp together. Repeat for the cabinet adjacent to the existing sink cabinet. Check for level across the cabinets, adjusting feet as needed. Ensure any drawer runners are attached before installing the cabinets.
5. Install the benchtops
Use Paperock (paperock.com.au), a nonporous, composite material, for your benchtops. Measure, cut and install the sink benchtop. For the island, make a cutout in the benchtop for the timber panel. The waterfall has mitred join, so cut island bench and side piece with a 45° angle at one end.
6. Tile the splashback
Apply tile adhesive using a notched trowel to the wall. Mask off benchtop edge, then lay first row using spacers at the base and between tiles. Use a tile cutter where needed. Lay second course. Apply grout with a float, washing off haze with clean water and a sponge. Seal join and leave to cure.
7. Paint the walls
Lay drop sheets and mask off electrical outlets. Clean walls thoroughly with diluted sugar soap and leave to dry. Cut in around the edges and electrical outlets with a wide brush, then apply paint with a roller. Once paint is completely dry, install floating shelves and the wall cabinets.
8. Make benchtop cutouts
Mark the benchtops for the sink and cooktop, then use a jigsaw to make cutouts. Position sink and cooktop, then have a plumber hook them up, along with the oven and dishwasher. Put the fridge in its nook, add your small appliances and accessories and your new kitchen is ready to go.
Streamline your cooking
Now you’ve streamlined your kitchen’s design, you can also streamline your cooking with your choice of appliances. Gone are the days of bulky rangehoods over your island bench. Go sleek and smart with a 2-in-1 induction cooktop with integrated ventilation from Bosch – no rangehood needed! With an integrated air duct and filter, it allows you more freedom and flexibility in designing your kitchen, making it a perfect solution for an island bench or anywhere you want to maximise on space.
Why induction?
- Faster cooking because heat is transferred to the cookware not the surface.
- Temperature control is much more precise than gas or electric, meaning more consistent results.
- Easy to clean as you can wipe the surface almost as soon as you finish cooking due to quick cool-down.
- Safer for families with timer and switch-off functions and a surface that doesn’t heat up.
- Combining induction with integrated ventilation gives you even more freedom when planning your kitchen, particularly for open plan and island bench designs.
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