Amazing Chalk Paint® Transformation on Oak Kitchen Cabinets

A few months ago, I was hired to paint the dated, oak cabinets in this spacious kitchen.  The owners wanted a custom look without replacing all the cabinetry, which would be quite costly in a kitchen this size.  

Before

The kitchen looked drab and uninviting before, with the heavily grained oak overpowering the whole space. It was definitely the perfect time for a fresh look in this kitchen.

After

After scrubbing the cabinet doors with an orange oil cleaner, I applied three coats of Old Ochre Chalk Paint® to cover the open grain of the oak. I sanded all the doors using super fine, 600 grit sandpaper before painting the third coat.  After the final coat of paint, I used 220 grit sandpaper to sand all the edges, adding dimension to the drawers and doors. When all the sanding was done, I applied two coats of Annie Sloan's Clear Wax over the paint and the finish turned out smooth and silky.

The man of the house, who happens to be a contracter with an eye for detail, was fairly skeptical that Chalk Paint® would live up to its reputation as the best paint in the world.  I think he was also a little bit doubtful in my ability to handle painting a kitchen this large all by myself and, although I did not let it show, I was a bit doubtful myself (my business partner sprained her ankle the first day on the job). However, by the time I finished painting all the cabinets, he was singing praises!

The old linoleum was replaced with a rich, dark, hardwood, which offers the perfect complement to the creamy cabinetry.

Initially, the owners were considering replacing the tile countertops with a solid surface, like granite, but after seeing the painted cabinets paired with the tile, they love the combination and decided to keep the tile.

They put iron cup pulls and knobs on the cabinetry, which definitely added to the new custom look of the kitchen.

 Old Ochre is a beautiful, soft color and it brings much needed warmth to this spacious kitchen.

Another enhancement the owners added to the cabinetry, is the lovely crown molding on top. This is such a small detail, but it made a monumental improvement to the look of the kitchen cabinets. 

The final improvement to this kitchen was replacing the boxed-in flourescent light with an elegant iron light fixture.  What a lovely kitchen we created together!

Pure White Chalk Paint® Kitchen Cabinets

 

One of our customers at Loot hired Nancy and I to paint the kitchen cabinets of her beach house.  She just purchased this home and I wish I could show you pictures of how different it looked before she started her remodel. Everything in the house was in a shade of brown when she bought it. First, She replaced the floor with this lovely, beachy hardwood.  Then, she hired us to transform her brownish-orange kitchen cabinets.

 

 

I forgot to take pictures before the cabinet doors were removed, but at least I remembered to take a few shots before we actually started painting.

 

 

 

The finish on the cabinets before was outdated and did not look right with the pretty, light countertops and bright blue backsplash.  After a little Chalk Paint®, they look like they were made to go together.

 

 The Pure White Chalk Paint® on the cabinets really tied the look together.

 

Here is the Chalk Paint® in action: no need to prime, sand, or strip the existing finish.  Just paint away! 

 

 

In order to achieve a really smooth finish, I thinned the top coat with a bit of water by dipping my brush in a cup of water periodically to keep it moist as I painted.

 

The kitchen is modern and sophisticated now and Chalk Paint® helped achieve the look.  This demonstrates that Chalk Paint® is valuable for creating many different types of finishes.  It looks beautiful and authentic on antique pieces and creates an equally stunning finish on modern, clean lines, like these kitchen cabinets. The coverage, ease of use, and versatility of Chalk Paint® are some of the reasons why I love using this paint so much.

 

 

Of course, the predictably perfect finish created with Chalk Paint® is the main reason it is my favorite decorative paint.

 

 

Chalk Paint® sticks to everything and looks the same, no matter what is beneath it.  The bar is a perfect example of this. Once covered in Chalk Paint®, the cabinets match the, newly installed, back paneling, making it look like it was always meant to be that way. 

 

 

I love her industrial style bar stools against the bright Pure White. 

 

We opted to use Annie Sloan's matte lacquer rather than the wax on these cabinets.  It is designed for use on floor, so it is really going to hold up to wear and tear on the cabinets.

 



What a brilliant kitchen now!

 

 

 

 

She also hired us to paint her front door and French doors throughout her home. 

 

Before

 

After

 

 

 

The Pure White Chalk Paint on the doors gives this sophisticated beach house a fresher, more unified look.

 

 

If you live in the Santa Cruz area, and would like to get an estimate for custom painting of your kitchen or bathroom cabinets, send me an email: amandapierre@mail.com

 

My Mom's Shabby Kitchen Table

Last time my parents came to visit me, we went shopping in Pacific Grove and they bought this table from Blessings Boutique.  My mom loved the vintage table, but when they bought it, the table had a weird kind of distressed finished with what looked like blotchy spray paint.  I told my mom to just paint it white and we cold distress the edges when I visited her.

Unfortunately, I do not have a picture of the table before, but here is what it looked like after my mom gave it a fresh coat of white paint.

I am visiting my parents right now and we decided to work on her table in between upholstering some chairs.  My mom has a nice pneumatic staple gun, so I am getting my difficult upholstery project done while I am here too.

Here is what the table looks like now, after my mom and I distressed the edges and applied a paste wax.

The tabletop is so pretty with a little distressing and reminds me of a shabby, old door.  She is collecting small, vintage chairs to go with the table and we are going to paint and reupholster them next.

The cool thing about her table is that both sides fold down to save space.  This table is actually for my mom's kitchen (I took the pictures in her dining room), where she does not have a lot of space, so it is perfect!  

I found stuff my mom had lying around her house for a centerpiece - some seashells, a silver tray, candles and bud vases holding some pretty desert weeds.

This post is linked to:

Mid-Week Design Inspiration: Dream Kitchens

I prefer kitchens that are an eclectic mix (no matching counters, cabinets and islands from Home Depot) and creative. I searched everywhere to bring you this lovely collection of unique, dream kitchens. What does your dream kitchen look like?

Do you prefer a traditional kitchen with a few unexpected pieces, like this one? I like the creamy painted cabinets paired with this beautiful antique center island.

Photo from House Beautiful

Or.... A fresh, white kitchen with a large picture window? I love the gray walls, open shelving, industrial lights and the painted green, iron chairs.

Photo from Homes and Gardens

Or.... Something more formal like this gray kitchen? I love gray, although I usually like a more pale hue. Gray is the new white! The antique center island incorporates a relaxed element into an otherwise very formal kitchen and adds some character to the space.

Photo from Desire to Inspire

Maybe you want a more romantic kitchen. This classic, breezy kitchen has beautiful french doors and a pretty chandelier. I love the marble countertop too!

Photo from Cottage Living

Or..... Are you looking for a cottage style space? I love the industrial lights above the weathered, marble-topped island.

Photo from Rachel Ashwell's Shabby Chic

This all white kitchen with a very rustic farm table shows a nice contrast between refinement and simplicity.

Photo from chicanddeco.com

How about this beauty for something a little different? Isn't the painted, arched ceiling incredible? I just love windows that open out. I can almost feel the warm breeze coming through.

Photo from House Beautiful

I hope you enjoyed my little tour of inspirational kitchens. Which one is your favorite?