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Courtney Barch and her husband updated their Colorado kitchen by painting the cabinets, changing the lighting and adding wood details around the island. They kept the existing countertops, which looked less busy alongside the new white and gray cabinets. The paint, supplies, cabinet pulls and lights cost about $500; a later refrigerator purchase brought their reported total to $2,100.
Courtney Barch and her husband refreshed their Colorado kitchen with painted cabinets, brass lighting and added wood details, while keeping the existing countertops. The makeover changed how the couple’s dated kitchen looked without the expense of replacing those counters, according to Apartment Therapy’s report.
The couple had recently bought the home and wanted to reduce the orange and brown tones in a kitchen with oak cabinets, ivy wallpaper and 1990s-style light fixtures. Barch told Apartment Therapy they wanted “an updated look to tone down all of the orange and brown.” The cabinets and island were in good condition, so the pair chose paint rather than replacing the built-ins.
Barch painted the upper cabinets Valspar’s “Ultra White” and chose a soft gray for the lower cabinets. She said the gray added interest and kept the room from feeling too stark. 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.
To add detail, Barch installed slatted wood around the island and on the ends of the lower cabinets. Apartment Therapy reported that paint, supplies, pulls and lights cost about $500. Barch later bought a counter-depth refrigerator for $1,600, bringing the reported total for the kitchen work and appliance to $2,100.
How Paint Changed the Countertops’ Look
The makeover’s central change was visual: the existing counters looked less busy against the newly painted cabinets, Apartment Therapy reported. That let the couple leave the countertops in place while changing the overall palette and details around them. The report does not identify the counter material, give a replacement estimate or quantify any savings, so the financial effect of keeping them cannot be calculated from the available information.
The project also illustrates a practical choice for homeowners whose cabinets remain usable. Paint, new hardware and lighting can alter a kitchen’s appearance without replacing every major surface. In this case, the couple had already installed new flooring across the main floor, a separate expense they had completed before beginning the kitchen update. Their approach combined that earlier work with changes to the room’s existing cabinetry and fixtures.
The reported costs are specific to Barch’s project, not a general estimate for a kitchen makeover. The roughly $500 figure covers paint, supplies, pulls and lights; the later refrigerator accounts for the increase to $2,100. The source does not specify labor costs, the amount of paint used or whether every project expense was included.
The Couple’s Renovation Choices
Barch and her husband had bought, renovated and sold three homes before purchasing this Colorado house, according to Apartment Therapy. The report describes them as comfortable taking on do-it-yourself work. Their experience informed a project built around keeping components they considered to be in good condition, rather than starting with a full kitchen replacement.
They had already installed new flooring throughout the main floor shortly after moving in. By the time they addressed the kitchen, that larger flooring project and its expense were behind them. For the cabinets, the couple focused on color and smaller changes: white uppers, gray lowers, brass fixtures and pulls, and slatted wood on the island and cabinet ends.
The source frames the house as a potential long-term home. Barch and her husband hope to stay there, and Apartment Therapy says they are making changes with that possibility in mind. The report does not give a renovation date, the home’s purchase price or further details about the couple’s plans.
““We wanted an updated look to tone down all of the orange and brown.””
— Courtney Barch, as quoted by Apartment Therapy
Costs and Countertop Details
Apartment Therapy’s report does not identify the countertops’ material, age or condition beyond describing them as existing surfaces that the couple kept. It also does not provide before-and-after measurements or images in the supplied source text, making it impossible to assess the visual change independently here.
The reported $500 covers paint, supplies, cabinet pulls and lights, but the article does not list each item’s price or state whether the figure includes all project expenses. The later $1,600 refrigerator purchase is presented separately before being added to the total of $2,100. No labor charge is reported, and it is not clear whether the couple paid for any assistance or used only their own labor.
The story is a single-home renovation report. It does not establish that painting cabinets will make other countertops appear less busy, nor does it offer a general cost comparison between painting and replacing counters. Barch’s comments describe her own reaction to the color choices and finished room.
The Home’s Future Plans
Barch and her husband hope the Colorado house will be their forever home, and the report says they are making updates with that in mind. Apartment Therapy does not identify a scheduled next project or provide a timeline for further work. The kitchen makeover is presented as completed, with Barch saying she likes how the room looks.
Any additional plans remain with the homeowners. The available report does not say whether they intend to change the countertops later, make further kitchen updates or undertake renovations elsewhere in the home.
Key Questions
Did the couple replace the kitchen countertops?
No. They kept the existing countertops. Apartment Therapy reported that the counters looked less busy alongside the new white and gray cabinets.
What changes did the kitchen receive?
Courtney Barch painted the upper cabinets white and the lower cabinets soft gray, removed curved corbels from the island, and added slatted wood details. Her husband installed brass globe pendants and new brass cabinet pulls.
How much did the makeover cost?
The paint, supplies, pulls and lights cost about $500, according to Apartment Therapy. Barch later purchased a counter-depth refrigerator for $1,600, bringing the reported total to $2,100.
Why did the couple choose to paint the cabinets?
The cabinets and island were in good condition, so the couple chose paint instead of replacing them. Barch said they wanted to tone down the kitchen’s orange and brown colors.
Source: rss
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