How to revamp your kitchen with this cheap DIY hack without damaging your rental – and make it look like a professional job
If you want to revamp your kitchen without wasting a lot of money, then you might want to try this clever hack.
How-to videos of the DIY trick called “vinyl wrapping” have exploded all over the place TikTokwith experts telling how they transformed worn-out kitchens into a brand-new space, using the unique packaging material.
Vinyl wrapping involves taking a sheet of self-adhesive vinyl and applying it directly to kitchen countertops or cabinets. They can be purchased in a variety of colors and finishes such as high gloss or matte.
This exciting new trend not only saves you the money of hiring a professional, but also spares your home the dreaded worker damage.
Jessica Toole from Manchester and owner of Jes Rose Vinyl showed on TikTok how you can modernize your kitchen in no time with the ‘popular’ method.
Experts have shared how they transformed worn-out kitchens into a brand new space, using vinyl wrapping material (Photo: A kitchen before and after a refurbishment by Wales-based expert Steven Gay)
In the video, she attempts to wrap an old kitchen cabinet door while verbally describing the process.
She revealed, “I’d advise taking the door off the hinges for an easier job, but I just wanted to do a quick tutorial so I’ll show you now.”
It is non-flammable and water resistant, making it excellent for use on cabinets.
“It’s as simple as sticking the vinyl on and then using your squeegee to smooth all the vinyl across the cabinet surface.
“If you do have grooves in your cabinet, don’t flatten the vinyl just yet, because we’ll do that later with a hair dryer.”
In this case, opting for a hair dryer is ‘very helpful’ as it heats up the adhesive on the vinyl and bonds it to the underlying surface.
If you find yourself with excess material, don’t worry; just cut away the excess.
However, some vinyl companies print custom sizes to order, for those who want to keep it simple.
Jessica Toole from Manchester and owner of Jes Rose Vinyl took to TikTok to show how the ‘popular’ method can modernize your kitchen in a jiffy. Vinyl wrapping involves taking a sheet of self-adhesive vinyl and applying it directly to kitchen countertops or cabinets
Here she explains that a hair dryer is “really helpful” as it heats up the adhesive on the vinyl and bonds it to the underlying surface.
A smooth vinyl cover is achieved by removing excess material with a utility knife once the vinyl has been applied to a surface
She illustrates how to remove the excess material with a utility knife once the vinyl has been applied to a surface.
She explained, “Now I’m going to stick the vinyl in the groove, so all I did with my utility knife was poke a little hole and then I used the squeegee to push out any air.
“The hair dryer here really helps to warp the vinyl in the groove. You don’t have to go crazy with the knife, just if it pokes a hole in the top.
“And then all the excess air can be pushed out of those holes.”
Repeat these steps with a dryer, squeegee and knife until all grooves are neatly covered by the vinyl. Make sure that the edges are also folded smoothly.
She finishes it off by making two small holes to reattach the handle to the cabinet.
If you’re brave enough to remodel the entire project, an expert has revealed how to fix vinyl desktops too.
Steven Gay, also known as ‘The Wrap man’, is a vinyl packaging expert based in South Wales. His company packed no less than 800 kitchens in seven years.
He said vinyl refurbishments are the best approach for “outdated” kitchens, rather than spending a lot of money on a brand new kitchen.
Steven Gay, aka the “The Wrap man,” says vinyl refurbishments are the best approach for “outdated” kitchens, rather than breaking the bank for a brand new one. In this clip, a large sheet of woodblock vinyl is placed over the countertop, before it is trimmed to size and the adhesive sealed with a squeegee
Done right, you should have a “really, really nice looking” kitchen that costs a fraction of the cost of buying a new one, he explains.
As the owner of Vinyl Revamps, he explained that vinyl packaging goes beyond cabinets, it can also be used for “countertops, backsplashes, moldings and baseboards” and that, in fact, “absolutely everything is covered.”
In a videohe transformed a kitchen space in black and wood into a refreshing white marble theme with a touch of grey.
While attaching vinyl to the kitchen surfaces, he explains, “We use commercial hardware and vinyl, so it’s waterproof, heat resistant, and stain resistant, whatever you can think of.”
He works his way around the room, applying the material to various parts of the kitchen, including the desktop and walls.
With just a squeegee, it smoothes the material so that the adhesive is properly applied to any surface.
For extra protection, he applies silicone to lines and sharp corners.
As a kind of ‘this is what I made before’ he also reveals some kitchen cabinets covered in a light gray sheen.
Another benefit of vinyl wrap is the ability to experiment with different patterns and colors without spending a fortune.
In another videoStephen decorates a kitchen with both glossy cream and wood vinyl.
He walks viewers through the transformation, saying, “So this kitchen was originally a beech wood kitchen with just basic black countertops, as you can see.
“We wrapped the cabinets in gloss cream vinyl, the entire frame, baseboards and mouldings.
“And then we came back to encase the countertops in commercially available hard-wearing log vinyl.”
In the clip, a large sheet of woodblock vinyl is placed over the countertop, before it is trimmed to size and the adhesive sealed with a squeegee.
The expert is careful to cut away permanent kitchen appliances such as the gas stove.
He concluded, “And the end result, as you can see, is a very, very nice looking kitchen, for a fraction of the cost of buying a brand new kitchen and without the hassle of breaking it down and replacing it too.”