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Emma and Zack Shay refreshed their kitchen in a 100-year-old Craftsman-inspired bungalow for about $600, replacing its blue-gray look with sage cabinets, white walls, patterned peel-and-stick flooring and vintage-style hardware. The Apartment Therapy report says they kept the existing cabinets and plan to address the countertops later; the couple has not disclosed a full itemized budget or a schedule for that work.
Emma and Zack Shay spent about $600 refreshing the kitchen in their 100-year-old Craftsman-inspired bungalow, replacing a blue-gray color scheme with sage cabinets, white walls, vintage-style flooring and new hardware. The makeover, reported by Apartment Therapy, matters as a low-cost example of changing a kitchen’s appearance without replacing its existing cabinets.
The couple told Apartment Therapy that the previous owners had updated the kitchen with blue-gray cabinets, gray flooring and gray walls. Emma Shay said the look felt out of place in a home with original wood floors and wide trim. The couple aimed to make the room feel warmer and more in keeping with both the house and Emma’s preference for vintage and cottage details.
They replaced the old gray peel-and-stick flooring with a black-and-white, vintage-tile-style peel-and-stick product. They also installed wider trim and floorboards, added beadboard, and painted the walls and new paneling Benjamin Moore Simply White. The cabinets received a sage color matched to Farrow & Ball’s Lichen. Brushed-nickel bin pulls and glass knobs completed the update.
Rather than buy new cabinetry, the Shays kept the existing cabinets, despite two that do not close properly. Emma told Apartment Therapy that living with the kitchen disrupted by the work was the hardest part: she said the project left the room in disarray for two months. The source gives an approximate overall cost, but does not provide a detailed breakdown of spending by material or task.
A Lower-Cost Alternative to New Cabinets
The makeover shows how paint, flooring, trim and hardware can change a kitchen’s visual character without the expense of replacing its cabinets. The Shays’ choice to work with imperfect existing cabinetry helped keep the reported cost around $600, although their result also involved new beadboard and other materials, and the source does not itemize labor or costs.
For homeowners, the account offers a practical distinction between a cosmetic refresh and a full renovation. The kitchen’s surfaces and details changed, but the couple did not replace the cabinetry or counters. The project also reflects a design decision specific to this home: using a softer, older-fashioned palette to complement its reported Craftsman-inspired character, rather than treating gray finishes as a neutral default.
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How the Gray Kitchen Changed
The home is described by Emma Shay as a 100-year-old Craftsman-inspired bungalow with original wood floors and wide trim. According to her, prior owners had altered the kitchen to fit a gray trend, leaving a color scheme that did not suit the couple’s taste or the house’s older details. The Shays wanted to bring in a more cozy, vintage-influenced style without undertaking a full kitchen replacement.
The flooring was one of the first changes after the couple moved in: gray peel-and-stick material gave way to a black-and-white patterned version. They also addressed damaged plaster as best they could before covering the area with beadboard and trim, Emma told Apartment Therapy. She said the couple would eventually like to replace the temporary flooring with linoleum sheet flooring, which she sees as a better fit for the home.
“The blue-gray cabinets, gray flooring, and gray walls were a bit uninspired and not our style.”
— Emma Shay, speaking to Apartment Therapy
peel and stick vintage tile flooring
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Costs and Countertop Work Remain Open
Apartment Therapy reports that the makeover cost about $600, but the story does not include receipts, a materials list with prices, or an explanation of whether the figure includes tools or any paid labor. It is not clear how the total would compare with costs in other homes, which can depend on materials, condition and the amount of work involved.
The counters remain unfinished. Emma Shay described them as tan tile painted white by previous owners that chips easily. She said she still needs to repaint them and hopes to make them manageable for a few more years. The report does not specify the paint or repair method, when this work will happen, or whether the planned eventual flooring replacement has a timeline. Two cabinet doors also still do not close properly.
white kitchen paint Benjamin Moore
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Countertops Are the Next Planned Task
The Shays’ next stated task is to repaint the existing tiled countertops, rather than replace them now. Emma said the surface chips easily but that the couple has chosen to keep it in use for the time being. The report gives no date for the repainting or details of the preparation and product they will use.
Farther ahead, the couple would like to swap the peel-and-stick floor for linoleum sheet flooring. That remains a future goal, not a completed part of the reported $600 project. The Apartment Therapy account does not outline additional planned cabinet repairs or a broader renovation schedule.
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Key Questions
How much did the kitchen makeover cost?
Apartment Therapy reports that Emma and Zack Shay spent about $600. The article does not provide an itemized budget, so the cost of individual materials and any labor is not clear.
Did the couple replace the kitchen cabinets?
No. They kept the existing cabinets and painted them sage green. Emma Shay said two cabinets do not close properly, but she accepted that issue rather than spend several thousand dollars on replacements.
What changes did the Shays make?
They installed black-and-white vintage-style peel-and-stick flooring, added wider trim and beadboard, painted the walls and paneling white, painted the cabinets sage, and fitted brushed-nickel bin pulls and glass knobs.
Are the countertops finished?
No. The counters remain tile painted white by previous owners, and Emma Shay said they chip easily. She plans to repaint them, but the report does not say when or describe a specific method.
What is the couple’s longer-term flooring plan?
The Shays would eventually like to replace the peel-and-stick flooring with linoleum sheet flooring. Apartment Therapy reports this as a future intention; it does not give a timeline.
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