Our Kitchen Update – Phase 1 – Painted Cabinets

It has been over four years since I painted my kitchen cabinets.  

Painting kitchen cabinets is one of those projects that you either love or hate.  I am somewhere in the middle.

This post is being updated and reshared for where we are now with our kitchen upgrades.

Daydreams of a beautifully finished space that I confidently DIYed myself that I get to stand back and admire and post my accomplishment of “I did it myself!” is one of the things that motivates me to dream in the first place.

But it is somewhere in the middle of sanding, priming, and applying several coats of paint, hopefully with no brush marks, that I lose my love for the project.

Can anyone else agree with me?

A few years ago,  my husband and I got a quote to resurface our well-made, but dated kitchen cabinets. 

As much as I would love to have all new cabinets and countertops, with a $20,000 price tag, it was not our first priority at the time for that amount of money. 

New windows had to come first which we had done in the summer of 2020. 

So instead, I decided to paint my kitchen cabinets to give them an update until I could afford a whole new kitchen.  This was Phase 1 of our kitchen updates I attempted not only to refresh my kitchen but to also stay within a tight budget.

My most important focus for the project was to make it quick and easy.  Sometimes that isn’t the right thing to do.

This post contains affiliate links for your shopping pleasure that help to support this blog, at no additional cost to you.  My wish is that you find something amazing for your home through these links. 

First, I will share photos of my unique modern kitchen with its dark cabinets and 17-foot ceilings.

Our house was built in 1979 so back then this kitchen was designed for only one person to work in it (trends of the time) comfortably and is a long, but tight galley kitchen.  The ceiling is 17 feet high and has faux wood paneling (again a trend of that time). Thankfully it has 3 large clerestory windows along one wall that allow in lots of natural light because the 3 small can lights provide very little light to the kitchen.

Imagine how much fun it is to change those lights at that height!  My husband is tall but not that tall to make it any easier.  He has to use a long extension pole with a sucket cup on the end to secure the expensive light bulb and climb a small ladder.  

Thankfully, technology has improved over the years now the lightbulbs last much longer and he can avoid this circus act for longer periods. 

I haven’t painted kitchen cabinets in many years and that is okay with me.

And I swore that time would be my last time.

However, I talked myself into the project to paint over my slightly damaged and dated stained kitchen cabinets and doors once and for all hoping that it would make me love this long tight kitchen a little bit more.

I still didn’t enjoy it but I am glad that I did it.

This time I decided to try Annie Sloan™ chalk paint because of all the posts I read on the ease of chalk paint to cover up old cabinet stains with no prep work.

Remember, I was looking for a quick and easy solution. It didn’t work out that way.

Chalk paint is popular because it is a good idea to use on furniture DIY projects to cover most stains and finishes.  I have used it on several furniture makeovers in the past and have never been unhappy with the results.  However, using it to paint kitchen cabinets despite following other blogger’s tips for a chalk paint DIY, gave me a different experience and outcome than I had hoped for. 

Possibly, if my cabinets had been newer, a lighter color, or had less damage I would have felt more successful with the project. 

After the first cabinet door, I quickly figured out that using a deglosser, sanding, and two layers of primer, and then two coats of chalk paint worked best on my cabinets and doors.  

My idea of a budget-friendly DIY with chalk-painted kitchen cabinets was accomplished with a lot of work. 

I went with the Annie Sloan™ Chalk Paint Lacquer in Gloss for a durable finish instead of a wax finish or matte finish.  This was a good decision and has provided a tough top coat for the cabinets.

I started this project in early April of 2020 and thought I would get it done in just two weeks. Two weeks later I was out of paint and lacquer and because of the pandemic the shops couldn’t get new stock.

For weeks my cabinet doors were scattered throughout the house, half painted or needing the gloss lacquer topcoat.  It was a chaotic mess.

Finally, in late July the paint and lacquer were available again.  Thankful for to the local Annie Sloan stockist who kept me informed and saved cans for me.

I finished painting the kitchen cabinets a week before my daughter’s wedding in late August.

Since the cabinet doors were older, I thought it best if I kept the same hinges but used silver polish over them to match the new modern handles.

These T-Bar handles were a great find on Amazon and give the cabinet doors a nice modern look even with the traditional design of the doors.

So now my kitchen is much better and brighter with a mix of Annie Sloan™ in Paris Grey for the lower cabinets, and in a white paint called Pure White for the upper cabinets.  

It has been Four years, Are you wondering if I like my new painted cabinets?

The answer would be a yes, especially for the lighter color on the upper cabinets, and the darker color on the lower cabinets.  The combination of colors has given our kitchen a more modern updated vibe.

However, four years later, my answer would be slightly different if you asked me that today.

Even though I am glad I tackled this painting project a few years, I can be honest and admit that I am less in love with my kitchen than ever. 

Why?  Because needs change, families grow, and you realize that you should have just painted the cabinets in the colors you wanted them to be in the first place.  

Honestly, I don’t like my attempt at this paint job! 

I am so OCD and even though I tried to get a smooth finish with the chalk paint by following the guidelines on Annie Sloan’s website and videos, I didn’t get the exact look I dreamed about for my cabinets. 

Don’t get me wrong, the Annie Sloan™ chalk paint was wonderful and easy to apply, even though it took multiple coats on my cabinets. I blame the outcome on my skills in working with the product on cabinets instead of furniture. 

when you envision resurfaced cabinets, a painted-on finish by hand is not the same. My desired vision and the product I used didn’t match.  The disappointment in the outcome is on me.

I can see every little flaw and imperfection in my painting skills and no matter what I tried, there are still brush strokes in the finish.  Thankfully no one else has pointed these things out. 

Unfortunately, the old countertops look pinkish with the gray paint.  Not a good look!  We haven’t updated them for the all-white quartz countertops I want even four years later. When you are undecided about a space, you stall on finishing it. And since a kitchen gets used every day, you delay even more.  

Maybe I shouldn’t have rushed the process in the first place.

Sometimes Almost There is Pretty Darn Far After All!

This project was meant to update our kitchen on a budget until we either remodel the entire space or downsize to a smaller house. That is what we accomplished with this cabinet painting endeavor that really does look so much better than before.  

If you are considering painting your kitchen cabinets, whether it’s DIY or hiring a contractor, here are 11 Pro Tips On How To Paint Kitchen Cabinets that I will be following next time around. 

I didn’t go with the blue cabinet color choices that I adore!

Gray seemed like the safer color to go with.  I like it better than the damaged and dark stain we had before.  It looks nice.  And still, it is not quite there for me yet. 

So what is the next phase?  That is still in discussion.  Leading in that discussion is the possibility of replacing the cabinet door fronts, a few that have warped over time, with a more modern clean style. 

In the last few years, my husband painted some of the pocket doors, and a barn door, for a foyer update project, in a deep navy color that we love.  Since these doors are part of the kitchen entryway, we are strongly leaning toward another cabinet painting project in the future.

This past December, we finally replaced the large black refrigerator with a more modern cabinet-depth Samsung Bespoke 4-Door Flex French Door Smart Refrigerator.  I love it! 

It has sparked a renewed interest in changing the look of our kitchen again. Trying to decide what to do and when is another challenge altogether.  The next one won’t be so budget-friendly. 

Hugs,

2 Thessalonians 3:3 But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one.

More posts to visit and enjoy:

Painted Cabinet Door Signs

DIY Patriotic Tray – From an old cabinet door