Dublin makeup artist Paula Callan did budget renovation and created expensive-looking kitchen

Paula Callan did a budget home renovation and created an expensive-looking kitchen.

The Dublin makeup artist shared her incredible tips and tricks that saved her a fortune.

She told RSVP Interiors that instead of spending money on expensive items like door handles, she found much cheaper alternatives to achieve her vision.

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You recently gave your kitchen a complete renovation, how did it go?

I’d been thinking of getting my kitchen done up for years. There used to be a wall in between the rooms and it was just very dark. It was one of those things I wanted to do, but it was a big job. There was a lot of construction work to do. That was a big part of the job, after that we needed new windows, a new door and then the new kitchen island. From start to finish it took around four or five months to get it finished.

We were living on takeaway for a while. It was supposed to be ready for Christmas and it wasn’t, there was still a lot of work to do. So, this year will be the first Christmas in the finished kitchen. I can’t wait. I love cooking so that was one of the reasons I wanted to have a big island. Now everything is in the right place for cooking.

What’s your biggest advice when it comes to a renovation?

Always have a budget and stick to it. It's so easy to go over it. I spent most of the money on the construction work, that was the most expensive part of the whole thing. The cabinet frames were from the old kitchen but I got all brand-new doors. It was on a budget without looking like it was on a budget if that makes sense. There’s many alternatives to the expensive things, that look just as good. The only person who is going to know how much money has been spent is you. My handles I wanted from a gorgeous designer company - each door handle is about 300 quid! I love their pieces, but it was just too much money. With the amount of cabinet doors I have, to spend that much money would be ridiculous. So I actually have the same kind of door handles that I found in B&Q of all places. They were like €16 or €20 per handle. It cuts like that, you still have the same idea/feel at the fraction of the cost.

READ MORE: Irish woman completely transforms damaged mobile home into modern home

READ MORE: Irish woman completely transforms kitchen with stunning renovation for only €160