I am so incredibly happy with how my stupidly cheap kitchen makeover turned out. Literally everything was purchased on Amazon, and I did it all myself on random weekends while very pregnant (safely, of course). If I could do it, you can, too! The whole thing (minus the kitchen gadgets--just the makeover) cost around $500 and was chosen for cost, looks, and simplicity of application (very pregnant, very impatient). I'm attaching the before and after images, and I'll talk about the individual part relevant to this review. Here is the list of all remodeling purchases: 1.General Finishes Antique White Milk Paint, Gallon +General Finishes Water Based High Performance Polyurethane Top Coat Semi-Gloss Gallon 2.d-c-fix 346-0478 Decorative Self-Adhesive Film, Rustic, 17.71" x78" Roll 3.KINGO HOME Commercial High Arch Stainless Steel Single Lever Brushed Nickel Pull Down Sprayer Kitchen Faucet, Kitchen Sink Faucet with Dual Function Spout Sprayer 4.Mosaic Peel & Stick 10" x 10" Backsplash, Kitchen, Bathroom, DIY Wall Tiles - Set Of 6, Black And White 5.Achim Home Furnishings VFP2.0SS40 Tivoli II Achim Home Imports Silver Spruce 6" x 36" Self Adhesive Vinyl Floor Planks Planks/60 Square Feet, 40 Pack, Piece 6.Brilliant Evolution BRRC135 Wireless LED Puck Light 6 Pack With Remote Control - Operates On 3 AA Batteries - Kitchen Under Cabinet Lighting This flooring turned out SO MUCH better than I anticipated. We were always intending to get bamboo flooring in the kitchen, but never got around to it. The biggest hurdle, and I think a lot of other reviewers were in the same boat, is that our kitchen floor is very uneven. Laying actual vinyl blanks, or bamboo, or pretty much anything else, wouldn't work without demolishing existing tile and evening out the floor (there is a noticeable 'hill' right in the middle between the kitchen and the dining area, so it'd be quite an undertaking). Since we were clearly never going to get to it, and since the tile was eating away at my pregnant nesting soul, I picked this. I chose this color simply because it was the cheapest of all Achim offerings (remember, we wanted bamboo). It was such a good price, I didn't even feel bad, and figured the color would grow on us, if only because of all the left-over cash for other fine things in life. I also ordered some floor glue because everyone else seemed to. I didn't read too much about it, just got whatever everyone else seemed to be getting (frequently purchased with). The prep work for existing tile was half-heartedly mopping the floor and scrubbing the baseboards because they were filthy. NOTE: I did not fill in the existing grout lines. The flooring did sag a little into the lines, exactly as I would expect. I actually bought another set of this exact floor to go over the existing floor, which I also hope will better insulate it, and go over imperfections caused by my impatience in some areas (slight gaps) and the glue situation described below. I laid the glue down per instructions. It's one of those soft-setting types, so it wasn't going to harden. As I laid the floor, no matter how thinly I spread the glue, and no matter how hard I tried to not step on the tiles I laid down, the glue kept seeping through the laid planks and getting everywhere. The tiles also kept shifting ever so slightly, because of the gooey mess underneath. Once I got out of the dining nook and into the kitchen, I gave up and just laid the tiles down with no additional glue--just the adhesive they came with. What's the worst that could happen? Turns out, I still don't know, because that worked so much better. No weird glue goo coming through, no shifting, it was perfect. My only issue was for the area under the fridge and the stove, which was... oily? I scrubbed it with all kinds of degreasers, but it was still slippery and weird. I just laid the tile and hoped for the best. It definitely did shift under the fridge (not the stove), so the second layer I intend to lay down will have fixed this gaffe, and I also got two types of multi-purpose floor super glue, so maybe that'll help too. The color itself looks great with stainless steel appliances. I have absolutely no complaints. It's been down for a few months with hyperactive dogs and a lot of foot traffic, and the planks look like new. Every possible downside is our fault as outlined. Great choice all around. If my floor wasn't all kinds of warped, I may have considered a more hardy type of flooring, but after all's been said and done, I'm not even sure that'd be worth it. My kitchen makeover with the floor cost almost nothing!
