{The Kitchen} before & after

As I am typing this Jason and Lilli are in the kitchen fixing a huge breakfast.  We have been snowed (really just iced) in for a few days now.  I gotta say, it has helped me get many things crossed off my list, including this blog post!

It is only fitting that I start with the kitchen, the heart of any home.  When we walked into the house, this is what we saw:

Now, you can see it isn't terrible.  Just DARK.  Lots of red and brown.  But the cabinets were in good shape and the appliances were working.  We didn't have a huge budget to spend on new cabs and countertops so  I decided to work with what I had.

The original plan was to do a white wash to the brick.  I knew I wanted a brighter kitchen so I thought I needed to start there.  Here was my inspiration-

Pretty, right?  The problem with white washing brick is that you cannot go back.  If you mess up, it is DONE.  I was not on board with that sort of risk.  So I went another direction.

White cabinets!

The floorplan is such that we wanted the dark wood floor to run the entire first floor.  With dark wood floor I knew I had to update the dark wood cabinets.  After much research, I decided to try Annie Sloan Chalk Paint.  This paint is loved because it gives an "old" look, which was perfect for my farmhouse kitchen.  Not to mention no sanding or prepping- I was easily sold!

I used these blogs to get information/inspiration -
Southernhospitalityblog
A Ruffled Nest
shabbysweettea
This one was really helpful about wax application - Purple Painted Lady

Tips and Tricks to painting you cabinets with ASCP, according to Shabby Sweet Tea:

-Yes the rumor is true, you do not need to sand or prime your cabinets if you are painting with ASCP.

-Wash your cabinets well and dry them.

-Remove all hardware and hinges.

-Set up in a dust free environment. We were lucky to be able to do it in my empty master bedroom.

-Start by painting the frames of your cabinets. You will need two coats. I waited a day before applying the second coat. This is probably not necessary since ASCP dries extremely fast. 

-Apply one coat of paint to each cabinet door (one side only).

-After the paint has thoroughly dried, flip the cabinet over and paint the other side. 

-Repeat this until you have two coats of paint on both sides. 

-Sand off any drip marks and touch up if needed.

Wax

-Next up is waxing. This step is time consuming and an amazing arm work out! 

-I worked in small areas by applying clear wax in a circular motion with cheese cloth. Next, I buffed it off and moved on to a new area. 

-I allowed my first coat of wax to dry for 3 days before applying my second coat.

-If you have any sticky spots, buff them until they are smooth. 

-Remember that a little bit of wax goes a long way!! 

It should be noted that MY MOM did all the painting and waxing!  I just did the research and the purchasing!  Speaking of purchasing, we bought our "Old White" chalk paint in Paducah at Flower+Furbish.  And I bought these brushes on etsy - Chalk Paint Supply.  They were expensive but worth it!  I will say this...if you want a factory, glossy finish, Annie Sloan is not for you.  If you want something that can take a beating and not show the wear, chalk paint (or milk paint) is the way to go.  I knew with our family and style of home that the distressed style should be embraced!

Now for the AFTER pictures!   

Wall color is "Dill Pickle" by Benjamin Moore.  It isn't photographing well but is pretty in person!  This is my 3rd green kitchen, apparently I like green!

Light fixtures are from Lowes, island is from Amazon.  Still need to get matching oil rubbed bronze knobs.

 

Eventually we will have new bar stools and a large farmhouse table in this spot.

You can see the molding we did on the bulkhead above the cabinets.  They have recessed lights so we didn't want to take it out but I wanted to bring your eye up to the ceiling so we painted it the same color as the cabinets.  It has not been waxed yet but that will make it look just like the cabinets below.

You can see the wood and distressing.  I took a light sanding to the edges and where I thought it would naturally wear down.  This was AFTER the first coat of wax.  We used clear wax, but Annie Sloan does have a dark wax.  Once I distressed them, mom added another coat of wax for more protection. 

You can see the wood floor here.  It is engineered and hand scraped and so far it seems to be holding up well to 2 kids and 2 dogs (and someone who has already dropped a casserole dish straight out of the oven!)

The breakfast room is empty - I plan to do a table in Annie Sloan very soon!

Countertops:

We priced new laminate and it was WAY too much for what we wanted.  We just wanted a new color, I didn't care much about anything else.  It this were my dream kitchen I would want a solid stone, but I hope in about 15 years we will be able to gut it and start new.  So I didn't want to pour money into the countertops.

I did some research and found this product - SpreadStone

For 125 dollars we could do the entire kitchen.  Deal!  Mom did this as well, and she said it was really easy and took no "artistic" skill.  I am pleased with how they turned out.  They are the EXACT color we wanted (dark gray to match the brick mortar) and I love that they have stone mixed in to give some character and hide food and dust.

They have a video on the website that tells exactly how to do it.  They do have a poly clear coat on top but some texture underneath.  I am very pleased and saved over 2000 dollars by not buying new counter tops!

On top is the sample of Formica I wanted.  So color was pretty close!

So before and after -

Now I am posting at almost 10:00.  This is how long it takes me to blog, which is why I don't do it often! 

 If you have any questions, just ask!