Kitchen Refresh....The story of a kitchen I tolerate.

     It was a crazy weekend for this girl.  I should have know better than to try and get anything done with a little boy running around the house but I finished most of what I wanted to get done.  Just like any mom out there, life and finances always seem to get in the way of our grand plans. 
    
     I managed to finish the cabinets, refinish the hardware and paint the walls.  I guess I will call this phase one.  Phase two will consist of installing open shelving in three different locations and accessorizing the kitchen.  The accessories are always fun because that involves my favorite hobby ... Thrifting!!!

     I know the suspense is killing you, so, here is the before and after of my weekend.

 

Before

After

 

     Although I'm very happy with my finished product, I cant help but obsess over those things I cant change.  Budgets stink!  I would love to get rid of my beige tile countertops for one but it is what it is.  One day I will have my quartz countertops and I will be so happy that I may never leave them!

Now, lets talk about how much brighter and modern this looks shall we.  I love the contrast between the upper and lower cabinets.  It was exactly what I was going for.
 
1 - Starting at the top, the bright white cabinets are painted in a flat white paint but I put a coat of semi gloss polyurethane on them  for texture and protection. 

2 - The door handles where painted using the same technique I used for the hardware on my coffee bar.    I wanted them to be there for the convenience of having them, but, I also wanted them to blend in. 

3 - The hinges were returned to their brass roots.  This was the hardest part of this whole makeover, but well worth the cuts and scrapes my fingers suffered.  I spayed the handles on the lower cabinets with a gold spray paint and then brushed with a antique glaze.

 

     I painted all the walls of my eat in kitchen the light gray I shared in Part I.  I have yet to put it back together because, as always, I have bigger plans.  The upside is, I will always have plenty to do because I am never really done.  There's always something.

 

     I have big plans to put barn wood on that wall behind the table.  We usually keep the table pushed up against the wall.   And, because of that, scratches are going to happen.  The barn wood will serve to add that vintage look while protecting wall.

 

 

 

     I don't know about everyone else, but I could never have a "move in ready" home, especially those with generic, "builder-grade" materials.  I believe that every house should be finished with personal touches that make it a home.

 

     My home tells a story, my story.  Each room has a journey.  And I love that I'm not just a part of it, but that I created it!