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Thursday, October 4, 2012

Long Overdue!

Finally. I painted my awful cabinets! 



I have wanted to paint my kitchen cabinets since the moment we owned the house. (I'm not going to tell you how long ago that was!) I have had a paint swatch tucked in a cabinet door for 2 years but I would forget all about it until someone would see it and ask, "Oh, are you going to paint your cabinets??" Yes, last year and the year before and the year before... 

The golden oak color has been out of date for years and made the kitchen seem dark, small and very ugly.


I found out about a Benjamin Moore product that goes on like a latex and cleans up like a latex paint but dries and is as durable as an oil paint. It is called Advance and I am SO pleased with how great it looks and how easy it was to use!


I love my kitchen now! I know it will never be on the cover of a magazine but it is wonderful nonetheless. It is bright. How bright, you ask? It is so much brighter I keep coming around the corner thinking I left the lights on and then realize it's all that elbow grease and white paint that brightened the place up.


I'm leaving the upper cabinet doors off for now because my life is so busy that I can't be opening and closing all kinds of doors! (Brian Regan reference). Actually, I do really like how open it feels but the long term plan to take out the center of the doors and add glass panels. Maybe I should put a time limit on that project!

I used to have big bulky blinds in the window but decided to take them down and go with something airy and bright. In steps ivory lace to the rescue! 


Now that my kitchen and I are on speaking terms, I'm pulling out my pretties that have been boxed up for years because they just didn't quite "go" with the kitchen before her makeover.


Now as I sit at the table drinking coffee while one child does artwork and the other drums for the entire Star Wars collection, I can enjoy looking at my lovely kitchen (and then get up and go find my ear plugs).

Boob lights, watch out. Your days are numbered.


Cabinets are Bejamin Moore Acadia white
Back wall is Benjamin Moore Woodlawn Blue
Walls are Clay Beige with green added to take out the pink so it is much closer to Nantucket beige.



9 comments:

  1. Uh-MAZING! So glad you did it. It looks great (and I love the kitchen chairs, too!).

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    1. Thanks Wendy! Seeing your kitchen inspired me to get my booty in gear and get it done. Also, hosting a baby shower helped motivate me!

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  2. Wow, wow, wow! I can't wait to see this in person. You've done a great job! Congrats! I can totally relate to having a paint chip taped up for an undisclosed period of time...

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    1. Thanks, Vanessa! It was hard work but definitely worth it!

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  3. SO FRESH AND BRIGHT! I really love it Melissa. You deserve a lime-a-rita. ~ Angie

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  4. OMG it's fabulous!!! Yay for kitchen paint. I painted my kitchen Woodlawn blue too by the way. Coincidence!
    Sarah

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  5. I love it! Been wanting to paint my cabinets for years too - funny thing is mine ARE white but need to be an off white to light taupe shade - you have given me some inspiration. If you lived closer I would hire you which is really what I would prefer!
    xo Aunt Becky

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  6. Did you sand cabinets first? Any primer? How many coats of paint did you use?

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    1. Katie,
      Yes, I DID sand the cabinets. As much as I was hoping to remove that step in the process,it really is best not to skip it. I cleaned the cabinets first with Murphy Wood Cleaner, sanded them and then wiped them down again. I did not prime, however, and my total number of coats of paint is 4. It would probably be the same even with a primer. I have painted cabinets before and I used 2 coats of primer and then 2 of the paint so it ends up being the same amount of work. Have a project you are thinking of tackling?

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