Category: Home Renovation

Another challenge with this 1950 home is the paneling.  I hate panel (sorry wood lovers).  I mean, I hate it! But sometimes you are just stuck with it.  So I am going to do something else wood lovers disapprove of, I am going to paint it!  Whitewash it actually.  A thinned down, lightly applied coat of white so that you can still see the wood grain and a bit of brown peeping out is all you need.  Then to distress it I brushed black with a dry brush which I will also be doing to the cabinetry.  Here are the preliminary results!  I will add more pictures as I move along.

This panel had a particularly awful color, so my first attempt with a 1:1 ratio of paint and water wasn’t enough.  I used straight paint on this bad boy, I just pressed my brush in harder to make the paint spread farther.  I used a tiny brush to get in where the bricks are and the edges.

Nothing helps a kitchen as much as a cabinet makeover.  These cabinets I am redoing are plain plain plain.  After taking the ugly hardware off and stripping them, they actually are already a thousand times better.

Cabinet Makeover Step 1:  Stripping the Cabinets

There was only a coat of stain and varnish, which was not too difficult to remove.  I spent about 3 evenings doing 14 doors front and back and 9 drawer fronts.  I used this:

and a razor scraper (Dollar Tree 4 in a package) and some steel wool for the stubborn spots.  You also need latex gloves.  For this particular cabinet makeover, I only used a little over half the can.  Just apply, wait until you see blisters and scrape away.  You should scrape with the wood grain and try to avoid gouging the damp wood.

If you are removing paint, expect to use much thicker coats, longer waits, and harder elbow work. I strip cabinets because they get washed a lot and get heavy use and I DON’T want them to peel.  Peeling is ugly and then you HAVE to strip!  So just to be safe I strip it down so the paint will stick.  You can try just a light sanding if you are opposed to stripping.  I can’t say it doesn’t work, I just am too scared to go through all that work and take the chance.  I am one of those people who try to carry 20 grocery bags at once from the car  because I don’t want to make the second trip.

 Cabinet Makeover Step 2:  Getting the New Look with Trim

Now that my cabinets are stripped, I want to give them a more modern feel.  I found that people were just adding trim to transform their cabinetry.  Now, I don’t like to think too hard, so I am avoiding any angle cuts, but these quaker cabinets are just simple straight cuts.  Yippee!   I had a little bit of trouble finding the trim, but I finally found lattice wood at a local lumber store.  Lattice wood is about 1/2 in x 2 in.  I think mine was a little overpriced at 2.99 each, but still a cheap makeover.  You can see there are no fancy cuts to this trim, so it’s pretty easy.

I can’t be bothered with a measure tape, so I just laid the trim on top of the cabinet, drew a line and cut it to length.  This is the stage I am at now.  It is off to the store to pick up some new hardware!  (The fun part: shopping)

I will be sanding these edges, putting a little filler in where I didn’t make good cuts and painting!  Pictures to come!   I can’t wait!  Check out more home improvement inspirations at Merchant Kitty.