I’ve been promising to update y’all on how my kitchen has been coming along for quite some time now. You know how it is though – when something is driving you crazy it’s like a toothache you can’t stop thinking about. Once you get the toothache to stop hurting, you forget all about it and what it was like and how badly it hurt.
That’s like my kitchen.
I hated it quite a lot. Every time I looked at it all I saw was a huge list of all the things I wanted to do to it.
Apparently it didn’t like itself much either because all by itself it started to change and renovate itself! You think I’m joking? Check out my first post all about it HERE.
If you saw my Fall Home Tour, you might remember I had a much different looking kitchen back then and I promised myself that before I put up my winter decor, I would tackle the cabinets. Again. I already drastically changed the look of my kitchen cabinets once back when I first moved into this house. I showed the process of how I took them from builder boring honey oak cabinets, to what you’ve become accustomed to. That’s part of the reason I wasn’t quite as anxious to jump headlong into doing them all over again. Been there – did that!
But one day my need to start liking my kitchen – I mean REALLY liking my kitchen – took over and I broke out the paintbrush and my favorite chalk paint recipe. It’s from my friend Emily over at Le Cultivateur. I’ll share it at the bottom of this post.
I am using the COLOR of Benjamin Moore White Dove on these cabinets. It’s my current favorite white. Just a lovely soft white that works with everything. I have it mixed in Behr Premium Plus paint, however.
It’s that first coat of chalk paint that always makes you wonder what you were thinking and why this seemed like a good idea! It looks so much worse than what you started with.
Ah! That’s better! Maybe this wasn’t such a bad idea after all! Maybe I’m not crazy. Well, the jury is still out.
My next step was to search and search until I finally found some hardware I actually liked for my cabinets. Wouldn’t you know it – they turned out to be vintage brass handles. Sounds like me, right?
I carefully measured for their placement and drilled the holes in each and every door and drawer that was going to get hardware. Now a lot of people would have left the cabinets like this. They’re acceptable, after all. Much lighter and brighter and it isn’t the same color as my wood flooring now so that’s a plus. Also it looks so much better with the granite countertops and that was the whole reason behind this change.
But I’m not most people.
I don’t leave well enough alone.
So I got some antiquing glaze and I set to work.
And this is what I did with them. For now.
You see my kitchen still has some other plans and wants to add a wee bit more to these cabinets yet so this is just a major step in their new look. Itโs not the complete makeover. Itโs like getting your hair done but not doing your makeup.
Apparently my kitchen also wanted some new lace curtains so thereโs that.
Now, as promised, here is the chalk paint I use.
DIY CHALK PAINT
1/2 c plaster of paris
1/2 c water
2 c flat paint
Mix the water and plaster of paris until itโs completely smooth. Slowly stir in the paint.
If you are using a thinner paint then you may want to add less water. With the Behr Premium Plus that I use, this is the perfect consistency. You will want to always use a flat paint when you are mixing chalk paint.
Until next time….
Your kitchen is looking great , Iโve been through three stages with mine… Painting cabinets just to make them look better, with no great avail I may say!!
Totally get you about the tooth ache lol!! That why I ripped mine out ! I couldnโt bare the pain of living another day with it!!
Now Iโve got to choose hardware and Iโm so lost as what to choose ..
I love everything about your kitchen!!
Teresa!
I was having the same issue with hardware too. Either I couldnโt find anything I liked or it would have cost way too much for how many pieces I needed. Finally I found something I liked for a great price when I stopped looking at new hardware and started looking just at vintage hardware. I got mine off eBay.
I want something that looks vintage or maybe a brushed toned looking hardware .. I think I just found something ๐
I know exactly what you mean and I searched for a really long time before I found something I liked, that fit my budget and that had enough pieces for the number of drawers and cabinets I have. It was worth the time though. I love them!
I found mine . Yay!! it was hard but worth the wait.. It took me a week lol!!
Oh wow! You’re so lucky! I was looking for a couple months I think. I can’t wait to see yours all finished!
[…] how I made some major changes to my kitchen just before Christmas 2019? I went from my very dark stained cabinets to light, bright antiqued […]
[…] the cabinets to a dark color but eventually, once I got more of my home the way I wanted it, I redid them with a white chalk paint and antiquing glaze. I also added vintage brass hardware to all the doors and drawers and […]