I have always loved my kitchen. It has lots of storage space, it is roomy and perfect to host a holiday gathering or a social dinner to cook and chat at the same time. It is also a great space for kids to help in the kitchen or to eat at the counter.
Our entire house was move-in ready but when the world is hit with a pandemic and one spends most of their time at home, it gives them a chance to really observe their space and find ways to tweak it.
One of those spaces is the kitchen. All the appliances are in good shape, as are the cabinets, cupboards and countertops. But much like the majority of the house it felt dark to me. When lockdown happened in MI, back in March of 2020, I opted to stay home and one of my quarantine projects was to paint the kitchen a lighter color.
After the paint job, and adding lighting to the underside of the cabinets I felt better, but as Chris and I kept talking and visualizing it was clear I wanted the kitchen to be our first MEGA house project. Over the next year and a half we began planning out each section of the kitchen.
In today's post I am going to be talking about the main portion of our kitchen. Again there was never anything wrong with the appliances and the space is very functional. However, I love the look of white kitchens. Originally my dream was to purchase and install all new cabinets and countertops.
After having over 2 years to think about it and mull things over, I decided I didn't want to mess with the structure of the kitchen. After all, my main "problem" was it's color and so we headed over to Lowe's and I picked out a few shades of white to bring back and test. Chris and I both agreed on the shade Snowcap White, and the project was begun!
First we went around cleaning off the grease and dust from the fronts of the cabinets and we labeled which drawer and door belonged to which cabinet/cupboard, so we wouldn't mix them up when reassembling them. Then we disassembled them all and set them aside. Next we sanded down every nook and cranny to get the original varnish off.
Often when I have become impatient towards a project I rush through it and then am forced to re-do the project. It is so important to understand, no matter how big your kitchen (or family) is, this project is going to take time. Don't rush through the process, take breaks when needed and remember patience is key. The sanding took us a few days and the next part was the painting.
Picking out the color is the easy part, and even though I have painted my fair share of walls, I was nervous and not very confident in my ability to paint all of our cabinets and give it the flawless, or professional look we desired. A lot of time, and research on technique helped us out, plus me working from home and having the flexible hours made this project move along quicker.
Since they were a darker color, after sanding them down and wiping them off, I primed them with a bonding primer, next came the first coat of paint, then the second coat and finally the sealing finish. Again this is not a project for the impatient. You have to read the priming, finish and paint cans and wait until the suggested time before moving to your next step. It takes time but it is worth the wait!
We liked the dark countertops but to add a nice transition from our new white cabinets to our dark counters we put up a new backsplash. I didn't want to mess with the grout and tiling of a regular backsplash and we also found that the original backsplash was installed behind the cabinets. Since it was a last minute idea, we purchased the peel and stick mosaics in a white marble. That took me about 2 days to complete and the final look is amazing!
Next up new hardware! After the bases of our cupboards and drawers were finished as well as the drawer fronts and doors, I attached the new knobs and handles. We went with a dark, brassy distressed look and we picked up new hinges for the doors to give them a slow-close. We added some rubber bumper protectors to keep the doors from sticking to the bases and then reassembled everything. Our main kitchen project was complete.
The final touch was to add a peel and stick, magnetic, whiteboard to the side of our fridge cover. Because we painted it white, it was a super simple addition and the girls I watch over the summer have loved drawing on it and leaving little messages.
We love how big and bright our kitchen looks with just a simple touch of paint and updated hardware. It was a lengthy project, but the results have us both, patting ourselves on the back! I did most of the visible work, backsplash, painting and sealing and Chris handled the sanding, attaching the new hinges and re-installing the cabinet doors (which gave him a good deal of struggle). We are so proud of our work and feel extremely accomplished, we hope you like this first part of our Kitchen Facelift and we can't wait to share the next part!
Before + After
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