One of my girlfriends warned me that when my health was finally restored after a really challenging Winter of continued tonsilitis, that I would feel an almost manic sense of purpose with energy to match. I pictured myself strutting out and about town for lunch dates and barre classes, but instead I went a different direction: a kitchen makeover.
Most of you will remember that we recently moved away from the white picket fence house of our dreams in Stittsville to pursue a life of quality over quantity in the Glebe. A smaller house for our family of four, a minimal commute for my hardworking husband, and a quaint lifestyle that includes walking to the grocery store and shopping local.
My mission: to take our hundred-something year old Glebe home and shine it up a little bit, infusing elements from the beautiful house we left behind. And the biggest sore spot was the kitchen. Even though it was renovated fairly recently, it wasn't my taste and it actually made the middle of our house like a black hole of sunshine, sucking up all of the light and reflecting shades of orangey-brown. No thanks.
But only $150 later, after 6 days getting closely acquainted with my paintbrush and roller, the kitchen looks and feels like new:
No orange or brown in sight!!
I like to keep things pretty simple when I paint. For me that means no fancy supplies or expensive couture "whites," and I hardly wait the recommended time between coats.
We painted 4 test cabinets that are the same finish as the kitchen ones, but serve as storage until a bench in the front entrance. That's where I found the perfect recipe for this type of cupboard, which you can see below. Sanding, priming, painting, and clear-coating made these puppies look brand new. All in all, we were looking at approximately $150 in paint and supplies, plus 6 days of caffeinated effort.
I've been getting lots of questions about the backsplash ever since sharing this before & after on instagram. We slapped two coats of paint over the red mosaic tile on the night we got the keys, and haven't thought about it since.
The paint was never meant to be permanent, but it would tide us over until we were able to paint the cabinets and get around to replacing the backsplash altogether. And now that's our next project!
Until then, I'll enjoy every morning spent getting coffee in this bright and beautiful space, knowing that every brushstroke was supremely worth it! I'll finish off this post with a few insights if you find yourself considering a major kitchen paint job like this one:
- When I say it took me 6 days, it's important to note that my husband helped me during
both weekend days. If I were doing it entirely by myself, it would probably have taken 8 days.
- Having a large work area where you can set out and work on 6-8 cupboards at
a time made this go so smoothly. Our 24 cupboards we broken up into 4 groupings.
- No one prepares you for how weird it is to see your kitchen with all the cupboard doors off...
but it does inspire a full minimalism overhaul and re-organization -- added benefit!
- Even if the paint can says "apply a thin layer with a foam brush," sometimes the real answer
is a thick layer with a synthetic brush. Trust your instincts.
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