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Courtney Barch and her husband updated their Colorado kitchen with painted cabinets, new brass lighting and pulls, and wood slats around the island. Apartment Therapy reports that the work cost about $500 before the couple later bought a $1,600 counter-depth refrigerator; they kept the existing countertops.
Courtney Barch and her husband refreshed their Colorado kitchen by painting its oak cabinets, changing the lighting and hardware, and adding slatted wood details, while keeping the existing countertops. Apartment Therapy reported that paint, supplies, pulls and lights cost about $500, offering a lower-cost update for a kitchen whose built-ins were still in good condition.
Barch and her husband had recently bought a home they liked, but its kitchen felt dated to them. It had oak cabinets, ivy-pattern wallpaper and 1990s-style light fixtures. “We wanted an updated look to tone down all of the orange and brown,” Barch told Apartment Therapy.
Because the cabinets and island were in good condition, Barch painted the upper cabinets Valspar’s “Ultra White” and the lower cabinets a soft gray. She said the two-color scheme added interest and kept the room from feeling as stark as an all-white design. The couple also removed the island’s curved corbels.
Barch’s husband replaced black builder-grade fixtures with brass globe pendants, which coordinate with new brass cabinet pulls. Slatted wood added around the island and at the ends of the lower cabinets introduced another detail. The new cabinet colors made the existing countertops appear less busy, according to the report, so the couple left them in place.
A Refresh Without New Counters
The project shows how a homeowner can change the look of a kitchen without replacing every visible surface. Here, paint and updated details shifted attention away from the orange and brown tones Barch disliked, while the existing counters and built-ins remained.
That choice also limited the reported cost of the makeover. Apartment Therapy puts paint, supplies, pulls and lights at about $500. The figure does not include the later refrigerator purchase, and the report does not break down individual prices. It is one couple’s project, not a guarantee that another kitchen could be updated for the same amount.
For readers weighing a renovation, the condition of what is already installed matters: Barch and her husband chose to keep cabinets and counters they considered usable. The result was a change in style without the cost of replacing those features.
How the Kitchen Was Updated
Barch and her husband had bought, renovated and sold three homes before this one, according to Apartment Therapy. The report describes them as experienced with do-it-yourself projects. They had also installed new flooring throughout the main floor shortly after moving in, creating a more cohesive feel before turning to the kitchen.
The couple’s sequence of work matters to the project’s cost. The flooring was already complete by the time they painted the kitchen, but the article does not state its price or include it in the makeover total. The approximately $500 figure covers the paint, supplies, cabinet pulls and lights that were part of the kitchen update.
Barch later bought a counter-depth refrigerator for $1,600. Apartment Therapy reports a total kitchen cost of $2,100 when that purchase is added to the earlier work. The report does not specify whether that combined figure includes the flooring or other costs beyond the listed items.
““We wanted an updated look to tone down all of the orange and brown.””
— Courtney Barch, speaking to Apartment Therapy
Costs and Project Details
The report gives approximate totals, not a full project budget. It does not list the prices of the paint, supplies, hardware or lighting separately, or say whether the couple’s own labor was counted. The later $1,600 refrigerator is described separately from the initial $500 update.
Apartment Therapy does not provide the countertop material, the kitchen’s dimensions, or a detailed account of the painting and woodwork methods. The report also does not establish how long the work took or whether the couple encountered problems. Those details limit how directly readers can compare this project with their own kitchens.
The Couple’s Longer-Term Plans
Barch and her husband hope the Colorado house will be their forever home, Apartment Therapy reported. They are making updates with that goal in mind. The article describes the kitchen makeover and later refrigerator purchase, but does not announce another planned project or give a schedule for future work.
For now, the reported result is a refreshed kitchen with its original countertops and built-ins still in place. Whether the couple will make further changes, and what those might cost, remains unknown.
Key Questions
What did the couple change in the kitchen?
Courtney Barch painted the upper cabinets white and the lower cabinets gray. The couple also removed curved island corbels, added slatted wood details, and changed the cabinet pulls and light fixtures.
Did they replace the countertops?
No. Apartment Therapy reports that they kept the existing countertops because the updated cabinet colors made them look less busy.
How much did the update cost?
Paint, supplies, pulls and lights cost about $500, according to Apartment Therapy. A later $1,600 counter-depth refrigerator brought the reported kitchen total to $2,100.
Were the cabinets replaced?
No. The cabinets and island were in good condition, so the couple kept them and changed their appearance with paint and added details.
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