Before & After
A Kitchen Left Until Last
For Michelle, transforming the kitchen was never about rushing to follow trends or completing a renovation as quickly as possible. It was about creating a space that finally felt right for their family home.
Having moved into the property around ten years ago, Michelle and her family had gradually updated different parts of the house over time.
“It was in pretty good shape when we moved in but not to our taste,” she explained.
While each room slowly evolved to reflect their style, the kitchen remained untouched for years, despite always being part of the long-term plan.
“The kitchen was the last of the areas we wanted to update.”
The original kitchen was practical enough, but it never truly suited the space, or the style Michelle had envisioned.
“The previous kitchen covered a much smaller area of the room and was plain white gloss cabinets with silver handles and a wooden worktop.”
More than anything, the room lacked warmth and character.
“We’ve always preferred a more country feel so it’s been on our agenda for a good few years now.”
Country kitchens are a popular choice amongst renovators because they provide a warmth and timelessness whilst remaining highly practical. Michelle’s Rehome kitchen is no exception; however, it didn’t look like it does now on our website…
The Search for Something Better
After spending countless hours researching new kitchens online and visiting local kitchen companies for quotes, Michelle quickly realised how difficult it can be to find the right balance between quality, style, and budget. And, like many homeowners, she found herself searching for inspiration just as much as practicality.
A Happy Accident: Discovering Rehome
That’s when she came across Rehome completely unexpectedly.
“I came across Rehome when looking for inspiration online one day, completely by accident.”.
A very happy accident it proved to be indeed. What surprised Michelle most was how quickly she found a kitchen she could genuinely imagine in her home.
“I found the kitchen we ended up buying very quickly, almost as soon as I found the website.”.
Whilst some Rehome buyers find ‘the one’ almost instantly, some wait for the perfect match. Thanks to our kitchen alert finding your dream kitchen couldn’t be easier, even if you do have to wait. Our alerts will notify you when anything that meets your criteria is uploaded to our website- no constant refreshing, no endless checking. Plus, even with the wait, our lack of length lead times and fast delivery mean you could still have your dream kitchen before you ever expected, and for cheaper too.
Love at First Listing: Quality You Can See
The layout of the kitchen Michelle bought immediately stood out to her because it closely matched the ideas she already had for the room.
“It immediately caught my eye as I could see it was a fantastic quality kitchen and was a very similar layout to the plans I had for our area.”.
Beyond the layout, it was the quality of the cabinetry that really convinced her. Knowing it was a solid wood kitchen made it feel like a far smarter investment than many of the brand-new options they had been considering.
“I knew that it would be a huge saving for better quality than some of the kitchens I had been looking at.”.
This is the beauty of buying pre-loved or ex-display through Rehome- it unlocks a higher quality you didn’t think possible, and allows you to achieve the style you want without compromising on the build or quality.
Although Michelle could clearly picture the final result, she also knew the transformation would take work. “Although I knew it would be a lot of work to transform it to the style I was looking for, I was convinced it would be worth it.”. And it certainly was worth it…
A Real Family Project: Creativity Meets Craftsmanship
Thankfully, the project became a real team effort at home. “I’m fortunate enough to have a husband who is brilliant at this sort of thing,” Michelle said. While she focused on the creative side, including colours, ideas, sanding, and painting, her husband handled the technical elements of the installation and reconfiguration:
“He was able to configure the kitchen to fit our space perfectly.”.
Many Rehome buyers choose to reconfigure themselves, as once dismantled and delivered to your home, the kitchen units are essentially boxes in a row that can be moved to suit your space. The majority of kitchen fitters, carpenters, and builders are also happy to work with pre-loved and ex-display cabinetry.
That ‘What Have I Done?’ Moment (And Why It Passes)
Of course, like any renovation project, there were moments where the process felt overwhelming.
“The biggest challenge was living with the house in disarray whilst we were working on the kitchen,” Michelle admitted.
And, when the kitchen first arrived in pieces, there was a brief moment of panic.
“I have to admit a slight feeling of ‘what have I done?’ when it first arrived, purely because you are not getting an instruction kit with it, and in the disassembled state, it can look a bit daunting.”
That uncertainty didn’t last long. As the cabinets began to take shape in the room, the vision finally started to come together. “That feeling soon passed though, once I started to see the cabinets get put in place. We quickly realised it was a really good choice.”
Hazelnut Cream & Plum Raisin: The Colour Story
To achieve the softer, country-inspired look they had imagined, Michelle and her husband repainted the kitchen themselves using Benjamin Moore Advance, a paint designed specifically for kitchen cabinetry. They chose Hazelnut Cream for the main cabinetry and Plum Raisin for the upper display cabinets. We love the two-tone colourway, and when coupled with heritage elements like basket drawers and detailed cornicing, brings warmth and depth into the space.
The Finishing Touches That Tie It All Together
The finishing details played a huge role in tying everything together.
“We bought new handles for the cupboards and a new quartz worktop which really brought the look we were going for together.”.
Brass hardware is the perfect choice for this kitchen, and something as simple as changing the handles is a great way to refresh a pre-loved kitchen and give it a completely different look…
From New Year to New Kitchen: A Surprisingly Swift Transformation!
The entire process moved surprisingly quickly once work began. After reserving the kitchen shortly after New Year, delivery arrived just a few weeks later. That gave them enough time to remove the old kitchen and prepare the room before installation started. From repainting and fitting the cabinetry to plumbing, electrics, and worktops, the project came together over the course of just a few weeks. Another beauty of Rehome is the lack of lead times that come from shopping via the high street. Even if you find your dream kitchen but aren’t quite ready yet, storing until installation is a great option and allows you to still save thousands on RRP and achieve a quality kitchen.
Worth Every Bit of the Leap of Faith
Now complete, the kitchen feels exactly as Michelle had hoped. Warm, practical, timeless, and perfectly suited to family life. Most importantly, it never feels like a compromise.
“We’ve saved a lot of money in buying a pre-owned kitchen, but it doesn’t feel like a compromise at all.”
In fact, Michelle felt the quality exceeded many of the brand-new kitchens they had originally looked at.
“The quality was fantastic despite the age of the kitchen, when comparing with some of the new alternatives we’d been considering. It had been so well looked after and there’s nothing we’d change about it following the work we’ve done.”
Looking back on the experience, Michelle’s biggest piece of advice for anyone renovating is to trust their own vision.
“Research so that you know what you want your kitchen to look like and then trust the process and your own choices.”
With endless options available, she believes having a clear direction makes all the difference.
“The choices can be overwhelming when it comes to colours etc so having a vision you’re working to is really important.”
And for anyone considering a pre-owned kitchen? Michelle wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it.
“It feels like a bit of a leap of faith, but for us it was entirely worth it.”
A kitchen full of warmth, personality, and thoughtful details, Michelle’s home is proof that beautiful design doesn’t always have to start from scratch, and certainly doesn’t need to be bought new…
