When we last talked houses, I was telling you about our plans for a kitchen face lift.
Our kitchen functions well, and we like the space. We have upgraded the stove and fridge since we moved in two years ago, so they are wonderful. I love the pot rack. The cabinets are quite old (originals from the 1960s) but they function well and have a good amount of storage, so there was no need to replace them. But what I really wanted to change were the countertops and backplash.
I dislike both our butcher block and concrete countertops (and the fact that they are mixed materials!) Neither counter is sealed well. Every little stain, wet spot, drip of wine, scratch or ding shows up on the wood. The concrete is scratched and has holes in places. About a year ago we tried resealing them ourselves, but it didn’t last. There are also tons of seams that are filled with crumbs of all flavors, including a two-level seam on both sides of the kitchen that makes prep more limited. Neither are caulked, especially where it matters behind the sink, so who knows what kind of water damage is behind them. Lastly, I really don’t like the dark look of the concrete and 6-inch splash. I prefer a bright and airy style. These have been decent counters for the past two years, but I’m ready for something with better function and style.
We decided that with our new updates the cabinets would look very worn, so a fresh coat of paint became part of the plan. It’s a bit hard to tell in photos, but they are an off white color and have a lot of marks on them. There are also places where they were not primed properly and knots of wood show through. I have tried touching them up, but it has only been a temporary solution.
So who did we call? Painter Justin!!
Remember when Justin did some painting for us when we first moved in? I think he got more comments than the salmon did in that post ; ) He runs SLP Paint Company here in town, and we were glad to hire him to help us out again.
Here’s the before:
And here’s the after! The cabinets are much brighter and smoother.
I also bought new oil-rubbed bronze hardware, which I found online for a fabulous price.
Before:
After:
I bought these drawer pulls and these knobs through Amazon and am really happy with them.
Surviving the mini reno without our kitchen was not very fun, but it was a quick 3 days. We had to empty everything out of the kitchen so Justin could sand
Here is where most of it went:
And here – on the porch! We were determined not to have to pack too much into boxes. I covered these with a fitted twin sheet for the duration of the project.
Finally, we also had the white wall and ceiling painted because next to the brighter cabinets everything would look yellowed. A previous owner sure loved the color off white!
After: Now it’s all bright white and we love it!
Next up: How the furniture went for a ride!
Anele @ Success Along the Weigh says
Yay painter Justin! I love the hardware. So pretty and there’s nothing like finding a deal when you’re trying to make a budget stretch for a reno! All of this is giving me the itch. I won’t tell the Mr where I got the idea. 😉
Have a great weekend!
Anne Weber-Falk says
Ahhh!!! The suspense is killing me! Don’t make us wait, please.
KathEats says
We are waiting too…. the counters are delayed!
Katie @ Peace Love and Oats says
Very nice! I like the drawer pulls and cabinet knobs you added. I think replacing the counter top is a great idea, my biggest pet peeve in my kitchen (other than its insanely small size) is that food always falls down into little cracks!
Elizabeth says
I always say changing the knobs on cabinets can make a world of difference! I love the updated look and bright white is such a great choice! Can’t wait to see the rest of the update!
Dana @ Conscious Kitchen Blog says
It’s amazing how big of a difference a fresh coat of paint can make! I’m looking forward to seeing what you do with the backsplash. Our house doesn’t have one and I really want to put one in. Where did you get your pot rack? Love it!
KathEats says
It was already here but I suspect it’s IKEA
Melissa says
Wow, looks great, thus far! I love the added brightness and color to the kitchen.
Sandi says
Hhaha..more comments than the salmon!
Looks great Kath – SO much more light 🙂
Elisabeth says
Looking good already! I love the bright white with the oil rubbed bronze hardware. Can’t wait to see what you’re going with for countertops (my favorite part of the kitchen 🙂 ).
Michelle @ A Healthy Mrs says
Looks great! What a difference a little paint & hardware can make! Can’t wait to see the rest!
Amanda says
LOVE bright white kitchens with white cabinets. Did you have to paint the originals, or were they already done? I would love to paint ours as a temp fix until we can redo our kitchen in a couple years, but I’ve heard mixed stories on DIY cabinet painting so I’m a bit nervous!
Can’t wait to see the rest of the story. 🙂
KathEats says
They were already painted by in only fair condition
Laura says
We did the same thing to our kitchen a few years ago. They were this ugly pink-brown ’90’s builder grade style and so awful. We did the work ourselves rather than hiring someone to do it using the younghouselove blog tutorial and it was such an easy project! Time consuming but a major change which we were able to accomplish in one weekend. And the project cost less than $100 since we only bought supplies-we used the Advance paint too!
[email protected] says
Can’t wait to see the next update!!! Looking much brighter and fresh already!
Anna @ Fitness à la Anna says
It’s amazing what a bit of paint and some new hardware can do! Looks like a great facelift for your kitchen 🙂
Livi says
it looks awesome!
Jennifer @ Peanut Butter and Peppers says
Ahhhh yes Justin! I remember him quite well! I think I need a lot of rooms in my house painted, lol! Wow, it looks great and I love the hardware!!!!
Leila Dishes says
Loving this little reno-series so far 🙂 Our previous owners also loved off-white. My ceiling and baseboards always looked so dingy to me until I painted them white last month. Crazy how a fresh coat of paint elevates your mood.
Lisa @bitesforbabies says
I’m disliking my knife block as well…way to cumbersome! I’m not convinced about the metallic knife holder…I’m paranoid that a knife will fall and somehow end up on the kitchen floor…for the kids to explore!!!!!
KathEats says
There’s no way they will fall. .. the magnets are hella strong
Lisa @bitesforbabies says
Great! Good to know 😉
Kori says
Looks great! Can’t wait to see the rest!
Linda says
Hi Kath,
Wondering do you like your kitchen radio? I really want one but also think I could
Just listen to iTunes or pandora on computer… Thoughts?
Thanks
Linda
KathEats says
We don’t have a computer upstairs, and our phones usually need checking so I hate to hijack one for music. Thus, we love the radio!!
Alex @ Kenzie Life says
I know I’ve said this before but I just love your taste in decorating. And how you manage to keep your house so clean?! I wish I was as organized as you!
Christina @ The Beautiful Balance says
The kitchen looks awesome and I love the new hardware 🙂
Neil Butterfield says
Stunning, your kitchen looks so spacious.
Samantha Terry says
I love your kitchen! And it looks a lot brighter, even slightly bigger, optical illusion of course because of all the light, but a great bonus.