This kitchen makeover proves that inspiration can come from anywhere. Some people sift through Pinterest or magazines looking for ideas, but one woman found her makeover muse an unlikely source: 1950’s Pyrex containers. That’s right, the kitchen color palate that was needed to both brighten and open up a cluttered and closed-in space was a white and turquoise set of antique dishes.

Tanya is a DIY extraordinaire and blogger that saw an opportunity to transform classic oak cabinets and a dull countertop into an airy and happy place in her lakefront home. Turquoise runs throughout her entire house, so opening up a kitchen with the light blue-green hue was a natural and preferred fit for her, but it also offers a lesson in how revamping a kitchen does not have to break the bank. Nor does it have to be stressful and complicated in terms of trying to find the right look.

Kitchen renovations are notoriously expensive and we’ve found ways to spruce up cabinets, make the most of a small space – even if you live in an apartment – and plenty of other ideas for cutting corners in your budget without skimping on style. Tanya shows one way of doing it that worked for her.

Usually the kitchen makeover determines the dishes, but in this case, the dishes led the charge on what the homeowner wanted from the entire room. Here are a few steps she took along the way:

Tanya painted her bottom cabinets her favorite turquoise tint (note the famous pyrex dishes on the corner of the counter). In addition to a new sink, the walls were refreshed with drywall, paint and paneling.

Remember those oak cabinets? Gone! Tanya removed them and popped in open shelves so those inspirational dishes could be prominently displayed. That may be the biggest part of the makeover since it opens the room and makes everything in the space seem like a Mr. Clean commercial – or the “after” photos from our kitchen cleaning hacks!

What kind of unlikely inspiration will you find for making over rooms in your home?