Tuesday 14 February 2012

Painting your kitchen cabinets




Have you all noticed recently the number of upcycling sites and shops poping up? There are loads of ideas, and help out there to give your home a new look without spending a fortune. You just have to have patience, imagination and a good eye for a bargain. I have numerous things in my home I want to revamp and show off. I have several paintings and prints I picked up at auctions over the past few years that either need a new frame or a bit of paint to freshen up the existing one. Just yesterday I was in my Mother in Laws garage and spotted a little wooden stool that will look lovely in my bathroom...or maybe the spare bedroom.....with a vase of flowers sitting on it, once it gets a lick of paint. But that's all for another days blog. I will post before and after pictures of all my DIY'ing whenever I get round to it. Todays blog is all about revamping your kitchen. A much bigger task than a few picture frames or a stool and one that will take a lot more planning and work but going by the before and after pictures below...it will definitely be worth it. Painting kitchen cabinets is something you can do yourself or get a professional to do. If you have the time and attention to detail then you could take it on yourself. Here are a few tips if doing it yourself....Use the right paint...I have seen cabinets painted using an emulsion paint and it looked terrible. More hardwares are stocking kitchen cabinet paints now so It is easier to get a selection of colours. I have heard colour trend to a nice range of cabinet paints. Make sure you have an area where you can leave your cabinet doors to dry without getting damaged. As with any painting, preparation is the biggest part of the job. Cleaning your cabinets, filling in cracks, sanding down marks, protecting other furniture in your kitchen etc is essential......If this all sounds like a lot of work then get a professional. To be honest I don't think I would take it on myself. Whatever you decide...Make sure you do plenty of research...

Here are some before and after pictures that hopefully will help you decide what is the best look for your kitchen
I love the two different colours used in the kitchen. Notice on the right some of the cabinets were removed altogether and replaced with shelves. Its so much nicer to display your items rather than hiding them behind doors.
This is the same kitchen changed again to a pale blue/grey colour. Love this one!




Kitchen before
Dining area before

I love the green with the white cabinets and the black table breaks up the white.

Total transformation!



Kitchen before
Love the tiles that were already in this kitchen. So easy to match to any colour. Think I would like a different colour on top cabinets though.



It is hard to believe this is the same kitchen. I love the colours and the new worktop. The tiles on the wall are same just painted. Just shows what can be done.



Kitchen before. Not a lot wrong with it really.





 But it was worth changing the colour. I love the vintage look and the colours introduced using accessories. Here the cabinet doors were just simply removed helping to open up the kitchen. Love it! (only criticism, not gone on the table)