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Courtney Barch and her husband updated a dated 1990s kitchen in their Colorado home by painting oak cabinets, removing corbels, and swapping light fixtures, spending about $2,100 total. The existing countertops stayed, and the couple says the space now reads modern. The project was documented by Apartment Therapy.
A Colorado couple transformed a dated 1990s kitchen — oak cabinets, ivy wallpaper, and orange-toned surfaces — for about $2,100, using paint, new hardware, and lighting while keeping the existing countertops, according to a before-and-after feature published by Apartment Therapy. Courtney Barch, who documents projects as The Homebody Life, did most of the work herself with her husband after buying the home.
The couple had bought, renovated, and sold three homes before this purchase, according to the report, so they took on the work without reservations. Shortly after moving in, they installed new flooring across the entire main floor, which meant that expense was already covered before the kitchen update began. Because the cabinets and island were in good condition, painting them was, in Courtney’s words, the smartest and easiest option.
Courtney painted the upper cabinets in Valspar’s “Ultra White” and the lower cabinets in a soft gray, a two-tone approach she said added interest and kept the space from feeling stark. The only structural change to the built-ins was removing the curvy corbels from the back of the island, which the report says pulled the cabinetry out of its 1990s look.
Her husband replaced black builder-grade light fixtures with brass globe pendants matched to new brass cabinet pulls. Courtney also added a slatted wood detail around the island and on the ends of the lower cabinets, which the report says gives the formerly plain cabinets a custom appearance. Paint, supplies, pulls, and lights cost about $500; a later counter-depth fridge purchase of $1,600 brought the total to $2,100.
Why Paint-Only Kitchen Updates Matter
The project illustrates a budget-conscious alternative to full kitchen renovations, which typically involve replacing countertops and cabinets at far higher cost. By painting sound cabinetry and choosing a calmer two-tone palette, the couple made the existing counters read as less busy, avoiding a major expense entirely. For homeowners with structurally sound but dated kitchens, the approach shows how hardware, lighting, and millwork details can shift a room’s style without demolition.
The Kitchen’s 1990s Starting Point
The Colorado home’s kitchen featured oak cabinets, vintage-looking ivy wallpaper, and 1990s light fixtures, with heavy orange and brown tones. “We wanted an updated look to tone down all of the orange and brown,” Courtney told Apartment Therapy. The couple considers the house a potential forever home, according to the report, and they say they are making updates with that long-term plan in mind.
“We wanted an updated look to tone down all of the orange and brown.”
— Courtney Barch (The Homebody Life), to Apartment Therapy
What the Report Leaves Out
The Apartment Therapy feature does not specify the kitchen’s square footage, the countertop material, the timeline of the work, or how long the painted finish has held up. Durability claims for painted cabinets — a common reader concern with DIY updates — are not addressed in the source material. Whether comparable results are achievable in kitchens with damaged cabinetry or different countertop styles is also not covered.
The Couple’s Long-Term Home Plans
According to the report, Courtney and her husband plan to continue updating the house as their forever home. The fridge purchase suggests appliance upgrades are part of the ongoing plan, though no specific future projects were detailed. Readers can follow subsequent renovations through Barch’s Homebody Life channels and Apartment Therapy’s before-and-after series.
Key Questions
How much did the entire kitchen update cost?
Paint, supplies, pulls, and lights totaled about $500. A counter-depth refrigerator added $1,600, bringing the full cost to roughly $2,100, according to Apartment Therapy.
Were the 1990s countertops replaced?
No. The report says the new white-and-gray cabinet combination made the existing counters look less busy, so the couple kept them in place and avoided that expense.
What paint colors were used on the cabinets?
The upper cabinets were painted in Valspar’s “Ultra White”, and the lower cabinets in a soft gray for a two-tone effect.
Who did the work?
Courtney Barch painted the cabinets and added the slatted wood details herself; her husband replaced the light fixtures. The couple had previously renovated three other homes together.
What changed besides the paint?
Curvy corbels were removed from the island, black builder-grade fixtures were swapped for brass globe pendants, and matching brass pulls replaced the old cabinet hardware.
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