A can of spray paint was the game changer that transformed Laura Keegan’s kitchen from bland and boring to bold and colourful. Here, she tells us all about her kitchen makeover...
Welcome to our home...
A bit about me I’m Laura Keegan, 37, an NHS safeguarding admin assistant. I live with my husband, Tom, 37, a mental health nurse, our children, Toby, 10, Ezra, four, Daisy the Labrador and Sam, our Romanian rescue dog. Our home is a detached three-bed new-build in Kingswood, Hull. We moved here in August 2016.
My problem kitchen The house wasn’t even built when we bought it, so when people talk about a blank canvas, that really is what we had! It was a case of completely starting from scratch, which sounds ideal, but it meant we had lots of decisions to make and it was hard to know where to start.
Laura's story...
Buying off-plan was a new experience as we’d always lived in period properties, but as the kids came along, we needed to upsize. I loved the layout of the show home and the open-plan kitchen-diner and large island completely sold it to me.
As the house wasn’t built, we were able to pick all the fixtures and fittings within the purchase price, but I wasn’t sure which look I wanted, so to future-proof any style or colour we might want down the line, we chose a classic white kitchen, light wood-effect worktops and, after saving for a few years, we laid light LVT flooring, all with a view to creating a neutral base.
The decorating finally began one day when, on a whim, I spray-painted the window casement neon pink. It didn’t actually work, because the paint dripped badly but I loved the look so I did the job properly, adding a matching strip around the door.
A bit more about our kitchen...
How I made it work I chose neutral fixtures and fittings so that I could take my time to decide on the final style and colour scheme, which came when I was playing around with some bright pink neon spray paint. It inspired the whole look.
My favourite part Adding the panelling was really transformative because it turned the island from a large white box into a textured feature, adding warmth and interest to the space. I originally wanted half dowels but when we priced it up, panelling was around half the price. Having such a practical, family-friendly space is a bonus every day.
I’ve always loved a pink and green colour combo, so I complemented the neon with mint green walls.
We already had the colourful chairs, but the dining area felt bare, so I went in search of something to jazz it up and stumbled across the pink animal-print wallpaper, which added the pattern and pace that the room needed.
Adding panelling to the white island was a cheap and easy change that transformed the kitchen end, and the pink tap and gold accessories were the finishing touch that completed the look.
Neon isn’t for everyone, but I’m proud that I went with my gut as it’s given us a quirky family space that we all love.
Feeling inspired? Don't forget to check out the rest of our real home makeovers!
Feature and styling Lisa Moses. Photos Katie Lee.
