CAST your mind back to when you or someone you know were 37 weeks pregnant – chances are, they were putting their feet up in preparation of the countless sleepless nights to come.
But not Eloise Mitsides – in February, the Newcastle mum was about to give birth to her third child and looking after twins when she decided to dramatically upgrade her kitchen.
The 30-year-old explained: "We didn't have £15k spare for a new kitchen and I was desperate to spruce it up before the baby arrived.
"I didn't think our kitchen could look any worse than it already did, so I thought I would give it ago and do it myself. I have always been creative but I have never done anything like this before.
"Our kitchen was plain, dated and had no personality at all. I absolutely love to cook but I hated our kitchen. So I wanted to create a space I would love to cook in."
Determined to make her home "perfect" before welcoming her third baby, Eloise decided to try revamp the kitchen herself.
By picking budget-friendly items such as lino and £6 metal paint, Eloise transformed the kitchen for just £300 – and it only took six days.
Instead of ripping out the old tiles and replacing them with new ones, Eloise used stick on tiles which cost her £60.
She said: "I had seen people online using tile stickers and it looked great. There are hundreds of styles to choose from but I settled on a loud geometric style.
"They have completely transformed the kitchen. They are trendy and funky. I think they really give my kitchen the wow factor. In total, they cost me £60, but tiles alone would have cost far more than that and then you have to add on the labour."
What Eloise spent:
Wall Paint – £15
Metal paint – £6
DC Fix – £16
Tiles – £60
Shelf – £6
Lino – £60
Blind – £19
Tools – £6
Sockets and switches – £55
LEDs – £15
Decorations – £25
Clock – £25
Total = £308
One of the things Eloise disliked most about the kitchen was the work-tops – but she completely overhauled them thanks to some £8 oak-effect sticky-back plastic.
The mum continued: "I found an oak style adhesive cover to put over the surface tops. It looks absolutely amazing. I used two rolls which cost me £8 each and it was so simple to do.
"It took me just over an hour to complete, I just used a bank card and a hairdryer to smooth out the lumps. It had completely changed my kitchen.
"We also incorporated some DIY LED strip lighting to go under the cupboards which we bought from Amazon for just £15. They are just battery-powered lights and they look great.
"This would have easily cost us £400 if we got a professional in to do it for us."
On top of this, the mum also repainted her cupboards and handles and created a box around her boiler.
To finish off, she painted a feature wall, installed some new plug sockets and accessorised their new floating shelf with plants.
She added: "I didn't think it would look half as good as it does. I couldn't believe it. Everything went to plan.
"It only took me about six days just doing a few hours each day. My husband was working full time, I was looking after the twins and 37 weeks pregnant and ready to burst.
"I have absolutely loved the process of the renovation and I definitely think there has been a lesson learnt here.
"There absolutely no need to go out and spend tens of thousands on things like this.
"It is also so much more rewarding when you do it yourself, and knowing I have done it for £300 is even better.
"I love my kitchen now, and I loved the fact that it is original to me. No one else will have it as it's not from a showroom."
For more home transformation stories, this woman faked a marble kitchen using painting kit and saved thousands.
And this mum who couldn’t afford an £800 carpet creates new flooring using grey £20 B&M rugs.
Plus this thrifty couple saved hundreds by transforming their home with DIY hacks & even made their own rattan bed.
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