Featured Today!

One of my favorite design blogs, Little Green Notebook, is showcasing a few pics from my recent  kitchen makeover!  Wow!  Can't believe it!  Go on over and check it out!

 

While you are there, be sure to browse Jenny's blog and see her amazing design work.  Also, check out this post telling about the birth of her third daughter.  What a cool story!

The Kitchen Details

I am still loving my new kitchen. I said in my last post that I would share more info about how I refinished the cabinets.

Remember our kitchen cabinets used to look like this:

They were really ok as they were. They were in good condition, but I just really wanted to lighten up the kitchen and I really wanted cream cabinets.

So, here's what I did:

I numbered each cabinet.

And I made a little diagram to remind myself where each numbered cabinet door belonged.

Then, I removed all the doors and began the grueling process of painting them!

I did not sand, but used a Zinser oil-based primer. I had planned to spray the doors, but my sprayer was acting up so I ended up using a brush.

I brushed on about 3 coats of semi-gloss cream paint.

Now, if you noticed, in the before pic, there is a wood bridge that connects the two sets of cabinets on either side of the sink. I HATED it! I desperately wanted to take that baby down and separate the cabinets. So, my awesome husband did!

He was able to cut the existing piece of trim and fit it around the two sets of cabinets.

We had planned to install a super stylish barn sconce (previously there had been a fluorescent light mounted under the wooden valance), but unfortunately, because of window framing- we were going to have to hire an electrician to install a light box.

So, instead, my aforementioned genius husband, reinstalled the fluorescent light and mounted it to the wall.

My valance covers it completely!

It really worked out perfectly, because if we had installed the sconce I had picked out, I wouldn't have had room for my valance!

And that, my friends, is my favorite part of the makeover!

I chose to replace all the doors before distressing them because I couldn't handle the chaos of my messy kitchen any more!

First, I sanded the edges of the doors.

Then, I used Watco Danish Oil (found at Lowe's) to bring out the distressed marks.

I simply brushed on the danish oil, let it sit for a minute or two and then rubbed it off with a rag.

Once the doors were dry, I replaced the knobs. I needed a total of 24 knobs, and I only had 21. I had some pulls leftover from our last home that ended up being the same finish, so I used those on two cabinets. I chose two bottom cabinets that didn't have drawers over them so that having a different pull would make sense.

Since all the doors previously had only a knob, I had to drill an additional hole to use the pulls. This can be tricky. I have totally messed this up before, so here are a few tips.
Make a template. Use a piece of cardstock. I taped on the cardstock being sure that it lined up EXACTLY with the edge of the cabinet door. I then used an awl and poked through the cardstock into the existing hole in the cabinet door. Then, I removed the cardstock, attached the pull to the cardstock through the hole with a screw. Make sure the pull is pushed up flush to the cardstock and then using the awl, again, poke through the cardstock into the bottom hole in the pull.

Now you have two holes! You have to make sure this part is right. If you have your holes marked wrong, the pull will not fit when you try to install it.

You can see that I have x-ed out one set of holes, because they were wrong!

Next, drill through your cardstock. I used a small drill bit first and then used the drill bit that matched the size of my pull screws. This worked perfectly. If you don't use the small one first, it is easier for the wood to split and just harder to drill all the way through.

Here's another great tip that I actually learned from Young House Love. Put a little piece of tape right below where you are drilling and it will catch your little shavings! Makes for much easier clean up!

Then, wa- la:

So, those are the details! Now, I need to go load the dishwasher!

*****Update: I am now blogging over at vanessadolberry.com/blog.  Check it out!****

The Kitchen Reveal!!

Can I just say....I L.O.V.E. my kitchen!! After a lot of work, it is finally done (well, at least for a while! : ) )

So here it was back when we moved in:

And they are my usual bad before pics! :)

Now I did tweak it along the way by painting and changing out some furniture, but I was dying for some white cabinets. So, I broke out the primer and went for it.

And I'm so glad I did!!

Source list:

Paint- Valspar cream oops paint $5, Danish oil for distressing $11
Primer- Zinser Oil based $14
Cabinet hardware- Resale shop $10.50 (21 @ $.50 each, already had the 3 pulls)
Valances- P. Kauffman fabric (Old Time Pottery) for $20, other supplies $11 (used this tutorial to make them)
Accessories- Yellow step stool (Hobby Lobby) $12, small yellow pitcher (Goodwill) $1, 3 glass jars (Target) $6 each, everything else, I already owned!

That's $102.50!! Woo hoo!!

So this post won't be horribly long, I will share in the next few days about how I painted and distressed the cabinets, tips for changing out cabinet hardware and my favorite part of the whole makeover!

PS- If you are visiting from YHL- my blog has moved to vanessadolberry.com/blog!  Please check it out!

     

Gallery Wall

I have a post all ready about my kitchen makeover, but first, I wanted to do another quick post.  The Inspired Room is doing a Gallery Wall party so I thought I would share mine!
This is a wall in our family room where we have started a gallery of frames with pictures we have taken on international mission trips we have been on.  There are two pics my husband took when he was in Brazil and Panama.  The other pic is one I took of a beautiful little girl I met in Africa.  We hope to add many more pics as the years go by.

These next pics show the grouping a little better (taken before I painted that old dresser and before we got hardwood flooring put in).

I added a cream plate with "faith" on it in vinyl.

I also made this little sign out of a piece of wood.  The words are from an awesome song by our church worship ministry called, I See the Poor.

I pray this pictures will remind us of our times in these other countries and the mark it made on our lives.

We have another gallery wall on the other side of the room.  Our family rules poster (found here) is in the middle surrounded by family portraits.

P.S. Did you see those GORGEOUS floors???!!! : ) Love them!  Oh, and I promise I will post about the kitchen tomorrow!


We'll take your truth and we'll take your justice to this broken land
take your salvation to every single nation.
We want the world to know, there's no one like You, Lord.
Every nation is Yours.


Get your copy of I See the Poor or shoot, just download the whole album!  You won't  regret it! Go here.

Kid's Bathroom

I must say that this bathroom was done A LONG time ago. I just never posted pics. This is the upstairs bathroom shared by the kids. It used to look like this:

Yep, pretty pitiful. I attempted putting up a little of the kids art and a colorful lamp, but that's about it! I mean, the toothpaste is out and the toilet lid is up. Pretty gross.

These vintage drapes were my inspiration. I found them at a thrift shop about 4 years ago and fell in love with the graphic design and colors.

I cut off the pleated top of the curtains and added small grommets for the shower hooks to loop through.

The walls were painted a warm grey (another of my oops paint finds!). I did a board and batten treatment on the bottom half of the wall and painted it a glossy white

I put the kids' paintings back in the room. I also added the pair of owls, also painted a glossy white. The towel rack is a board I found at Hobby Lobby that I washed with some teal paint and added some thrifted brass hooks.

I had my two oldest kids paint these canvases. I just told them what colors to use.

A gentle reminder for them to brush their teeth.

I also changed out the cabinet knobs. Nothing too fancy, but an upgrade from builder basic.

I decorated this bathroom for less than $60. It works for me!
If only it were always this clean! : )