The cheap kitchen makeover

Welcome all DIY'ERS

Have you been wanting to paint your kitchen cabinets? I'd been dying to do it for a few years. Yes, I'm a procrastinator, too!! I finally got up the nerve and just went for it! I lurve them!! Here's a little more info!

I've painted my kitchen cabinets....FINALLY! Do you know what it's like to walk into your kitchen everyday and loathe your kitchen cabinets. Feel like you've walked back into the eighties and wonder Why? Why? Why did someone think this was a good look?! I was being overrun by Oak. It was everywhere. Every cabinet in my house is the same cabinet. Oh, yes, you heard me right. Every. Single. Cabinet. Let's see...that would include all 3 bathrooms, the mud room and of course the kitchen.

Would you like the ugly tour?

Here you go...

Blech!

Gross!

Uh, forgot to take the picture until half the cabinet fronts were off. Don't judge :)



Dear Lord, please don't make me look at these cabinets another day.

Lovely shot of the drill case in the forefront. Tune in another day for photography tips.





I don't know why people are against child labor. I mean, hey it's cheap! And they are begging to do it!!

What technique!! Tune in another day for painting tips!


Here's the glazing technique. Brushed it on (door on right), waited for about 5 mins. and then wiped it off with a damp cloth (door on left). This spread it around in a really nice thin layer and then I could rub harder where I needed more white to show through.

Here's a close up of the texture I put into the paint. I added some dry joint compound mix that I've had hanging around and that made the paint really thick. I brushed it on very haphazardly and let it semi dry. Then went over it lightly with the bristles of my paintbrush. So essentially I was wrecking the paint. You know when you wanted a smooth finish, but then you try to paint over it again and it hasn't quite dried so it looks all bumpy.

I did this so the glaze would look old and worn. It really worked out well!!

The rest was just a matter of getting out the sander before glazing and going along the edges of the cabinets and the corners in a very random way.


Soooo...here's the reveal:

I'll just say that I'm thrilled with how it turned out!

I chose a distressed look for the obvious reason that it's kid friendly. When the cabinets get kiddie fingerprints on them...it won't be so noticible. And because no matter how much I would've sanded and prepped those cabinets, that paint would've come off somewhere. You. Just. Know. It. Would.

Finally, I received the best compliment I could have. Finn came in after I'd rehung a few of the doors and said "Ewww...they look so old and dirty." Bingo!! My job here is done!

To see lots more transformations and ideas, head over to The Shabby Chic Cottage's Transformation Thursday and over to Kimba's Diy Day

Playing just got a whole lot greener

Ok....is this not the cutest homemade kitchen you've ever seen?! Wondering what makes it so "green". I made it out of cardboard!!! Yes, ladies and gents, cardboard. Thanks to a wonderful pattern from Laura at fortytworoads who seems to be inventing all kinds of things lately! Check out her blog to find out all her latest plans. FYI, she just got featured in Craft magazine for this. Anyway, I'm just glad I happened across her shop on etsy, while looking for a play kitchen for the Kellster.

So here's my version. The instructions were easy to follow. Getting the cardboard, not so difficult with all the big box stores around. For some reason it was scary to cut the cardboard. I had been dumpster diving for the morning, and didn't want to mess anything up. But once I got going...man was it fun!!!

I'd say overall this was a weekend project. One morning to gather supplies. One afternoon to cut and glue together the cardboard. One morning to cover it in contact paper, and put together. Then voila...

Now you're not only going green, but you've made something sturdy that will last, and is so much more attractive than those big plastic kitchens :)

xoxo ~L