Transform your kitchen into a simple, relaxed space using texture, muted colours and lots of white

Before

The problem
This small kitchen was very cramped with too many appliances and cupboards squashed into limited space. Different shades of beige on the cupboards, walls and floors also meant there was no natural flow.

Our solution
The owner loves large, open French country-style kitchens with muted colours and textured surfaces, so we devised a plan to give her the impression of her dream kitchen in this small city space. All the top cupboards were removed and the bottom ones were painted white to open up the kitchen. Cupboards and awkward shelving were replaced with rough-textured floating shelves, and the walls were given a textured finish with a cement-based paint from Earthcote.

The walls

Before you start
Remove any cupboards you want to get rid of. Look inside the cupboards for the screws, which are usually covered by small plastic caps. Pull off the caps, unscrew and pull the cupboard until it comes away from the wall. Sometimes a little force might be necessary because cupboards are often installed with silicone around the edges.

You will need
• drop sheets or old newspapers
• masking tape
• Earthcote Peinture cement-based paint in Ceramic
• 15cm-wide brush small brush

To paint
1 Cover all exposed surfaces with drop sheets or newspaper as cement-based paints can be messy to work with.
2 Remove plug and switch covers and cover the exposed areas with masking tape. Also mask off areas where the wall meets the counter or wherever a straight line is needed.
3 Apply the paint with even strokes, moving the brush up and down. For a more textured look, work in a crisscross fashion until the whole wall has been covered. Use a small brush for the corners and edges.

Whitewashed countertops
A whitewashed paint effect was used to give the shiny wooden veneer countertops a more rustic look to go with a countrystyle kitchen.

You will need
• belt sander with fine-grit sandpaper
• white enamel paint
• soft cloth
• sandpaper

To make
1 To prepare the surface for painting, sand the countertops very lightly with a belt sander, being careful to remove only the shiny top layer. Wipe off the dust with a damp cloth.
2 Rub a thin layer of white enamel paint onto the counter surface with a cloth, spreading and working it evenly into the grain as you go. Enamel paint is washable and very durable, which makes it suitable for kitchens. Also, you won’t need to apply a sealant afterwards.
3 If you make a mistake, simply sand it off and touch up the area with more paint until you have an even whitewashed finish. We also whitewashed the bar stools to match.

New-look cupboards
The original beige melamine cupboards were painted white and updated with chrome handles.

You will need
• screwdriver
• melamine primer
• small sponge roller with tray
• white paint (we used Plascon Wall & All)
• thin artist’s brush
• chrome handles

To make
1 Remove the existing handles and apply melamine primer to all the outer surfaces of the cupboard doors and drawers using a sponge roller. Allow to dry.
2 Apply a thin layer of paint to all the cupboard doors and drawers using a sponge roller, and leave to dry. Repeat with a second and a third coat of paint, if necessary.
3 Use a thin paintbrush to fill in awkward corners and paint the edges neatly.
4 Once the paint has dried completely, attach the new handles to the doors and drawers to finish

Floating shelves

You will need
• tape measure
• scaffolding planks
• white enamel paint
• sponge
• spirit level
• pencil
• 12mm Rawl bolts (about 20cm long)
• drill with masonry and timber drill bits
• drinking straw
• epoxy adhesive
• hammer
• Polycell Rockset

To make
1 Measure the space where you want to put up the shelves to obtain the correct dimensions, and ask a timber merchant to cut the planks to size.
2 Whitewash the planks by rubbing a thin layer of paint onto the wood with a sponge. Leave to dry.
3 Use a spirit level and pencil to establish the position of each shelf on the wall. Mark the positions of the holes for the bolts on the wall, hold the planks against those markings and mirror the markings on the planks. The number of bolts needed will depend on the length of the shelves. We used two bolts for each of the small shelves and four bolts for each of the long ones.
4 Drill holes in the planks first, then double-check the position on the wall before drilling holes in the wall. Clean out the holes by blowing into them through a straw.
5 Fill the holes in the planks with a little epoxy adhesive, insert half (10cm) of the Rawl bolts into the holes and use a hammer to secure. Work quickly because the epoxy adhesive sets within minutes.
6 Fill the holes in the wall with Polycell Rockset and push the shelves with the bolts into the wall.
7 Steady heavy shelves by placing a piece of wood between them until the adhesive has set completely.

White chalkboard
The melamine cover built around the geyser created a very awkward space, which we decided to turn into a feature with a white chalkboard.

You will need
• four pine strips
• universal undercoat
• white PVA paint
• paintbrushes
• sponge
• Bostik Mount-It

To make
1 Decide how big you would like the chalkboard to be, and ask a timber merchant to cut four pine strips to size. (Bear in mind that the top and bottom strips must be shorter to form the frame.)
2 Paint the melamine with a universal undercoat to prepare the surface. Wait for it to dry completely before continuing.
3 Paint the surface with white PVA paint and leave to dry.
4 Whitewash the pine strips by rubbing a thin layer of white PVA paint over the wood with a sponge, and allow to dry.
5 Attach the pine strips to the painted surface with Mount-It adhesive to form a frame.

Accessorize well
Use simple accessories and muted colours to create the desired atmosphere when decorating your kitchen. We chose rustic, vintage-style storage containers that complement the look and contrast strikingly with a few very modern chrome accessories.