Kitchen Cabinet Painting Ideas – Fabulous Kitchen Paint Colors

December 8, 2014 Jennifer Davenport 1 Comment

When it comes to kitchen cabinet painting ideas many people stick with the standard white, cream, or black colors. Any other colors seem to be intimidating and hard to visualize.

Edie from Life in Grace shows us that you do not have to be scared of color! If someone said to me I am going to paint my cabinet a turquoise blue, I would be really curious how that was going to turn out. But I love the look of cottage style kitchens.

Let me just say her kitchen…..turned out FABULOUS! It just screams “I’m a happy kitchen, let’s bake some cookies and sit down and have a chat”!

“Here’s a photo of the cabinets before. And although the results look dramatic it’s all cosmetic changes.”

You truly can make a dramatic difference with paint! If you are willing to work hard, and take a chance you can save a ton of money!

Primer and sanding are key when it comes to painting previously stained wood. This is not the fun part! But, if you want to bake a cake, you have got to break a few eggs.

Do not skip this part of your project. I cannot stress enough the importance of doing the correct “prep” work. Proper priming and sanding insures the durability and longevity of your paint.

This was my kitchen when I first laid eyes on it. If ever there was a kitchen in need of some kitchen cabinet painting ideas, this one was it!

So much better! Painting kitchen cabinets is not for the faint of heart. But, if you are looking to save money and don’t mind tackling your own DIY project, painting your kitchen cabinets will make a world of difference.

Below are a few more kitchen cabinet painting ideas from other sources.

Who says you always have to have white kitchen cabinets?

A little paint goes a long long way in changing the look and feel of any room! For more detailed instructions on cabinet painting, visit This Old House.

Home Painting Tips

December 8, 2014 Jennifer Davenport

Tips to help your job go smoothly

Here are some home painting tips that will help you be successful in painting a room. I absolutely love to paint! It is the quickest, least expensive, and most transforming decorating project you can do. But, it can be very frustrating if things don’t go well. So, I would like to share a few tricks I have learned along the way, that will help your project go more smoothly.

This is my master bedroom. I painted it with Porter Paints in the color “Gray Shell”.

Home Painting Tips – Choosing Interior Paint Colors

Choosing interior paint colors can be really exhausting. But following some simple interior wall painting tips can make the process a little easier. When you decide on a certain color, like green for instance, don’t immediately choose one green that seems close to what you want. Instead, get at least four or five sample paint swatches of greens in the same hue.

Tape them up on the wall and step back and take a look. Comparing all the greens together will help you really see how one green may have a little more blue to its hue. Or you may see another green that has more of a yellow hue.

Next, hold up the color to a piece of white paper. This lets you see how strong the color will really be once it is up on the wall.

Always get a sample quart of your favorite color. Our store charges $5 for a sample quart. It is the smartest money you will ever spend, because that little paper paint sample can be very deceiving!

Next, paint some of the color onto a piece of cardboard and hold it up to all four walls. This is probably one of my best interior wall painting tips. Light hits every wall differently, so you really want to look at your paint on every wall.

How to Touch-Up Your Walls

When you need to touch up a wall that you have previously painted, it is always best to add a little bit of water to your paint. WHY? After paint has been on the wall for some time, dirt and dust settle in the pores of the wall. (it happens to the best of us) When you then apply a fresh dab of paint, after it dries it will not be exactly the same.

I like to apply the paint with a brush, and gently go back and forth forming an “x”. Then, go outside the touch up spot, and apply the paint much lighter.

How Much Paint Do I Need?

Figuring out how much paint you need isn’t too difficult when you use a paint calculator. This will get you pretty close without leaving you short.

Store your left over paint in a new quart paint can from a home improvement store. Be sure to label your can with permanent marker. Doing this saves from having a garage overflowing with half-full paint gallons. It will also keep your paint much longer.

Paint Sheen Guide

Flat – soft, no gloss finish. In my opinion, the ceiling or a faux treatment is the only place to use this sheen. Flat is easy to scuff and hard to clean!

Matte – very light gloss that hides minor surface imperfections.

Eggshell – smooth, delicate, yet durable finish with a slight gloss.

Satin – rich, all-surface finish which is perfect for any room. One of my favorites!

Semi-gloss – stain resistant, gloss look that is highly resistant to scuffs and scratches.

Gloss– brilliant, polished finish that is great for trim, doors, and furniture. It has maximum durability, stain resistance, and wash-ability.

Oil or Latex?

I don’t like to work with oil on walls or trim because I get impatient. However, oil is wonderful for painting kitchen cabinets and furniture. Once completely dry it has a tough finish, and that I do love.

Home Painting Tips: Remember, you can paint oil over latex paint, but you cannot paint latex over oil.

So, if you purchase an old piece of furniture that you are not sure whether the previous owner painted with latex or oil you need to do a simple test.

Take a cotton ball and wet it with fingernail polish that contains acetone. Rub the cotton ball in a circular motion on an unseen section of the furniture. If the section remains unchanged, then it was painted with oil-based paint. If the section turns gooey, then it was painted with a latex paint.

Patience

Remember when you are painting with a color that has strong colorants like reds, purples, or dark blues, they will take longer to dry. Many times they will also take more than one coat. Red is a color that is notorious for needing several coats to obtain the hue you want.

For more interior paint color ideas, search Pinterest to find some inspirational colors.

Take a Break
(One of my favorite home painting tips!)

If you need to take a break, you don’t have to wash your brush, just wrap some foil around it and put it in the refrigerator! Everyone needs a coffee break!

White Ceilings Are Boring!

Here is an interior paint color idea that really makes a difference. I like to see color on a ceiling, white is boring. The eye follows color and light. If your wall is green, and your ceiling is white, the eye stops at the top of the green colored wall.

If you don’t want to paint a color on your ceiling, try choosing an off-white color. Even a cream gives the illusion on a larger and warmer room. My favorite ceiling color is “Heavy Cream” by Porter Paints.

If you want your ceiling a color in the same monochromatic scheme as your walls, go about 2 to 3 shades lighter than your wall colors. Beautiful!

I have used Behr paint, Benjamin Moore, and Sherwin Williams.

I hope you found these home painting tips helpful! Good luck with your paint project!

Distressed Painted Furniture

December 8, 2014 Jennifer Davenport

Distressed painted furniture is one of my favorite DIY projects. It is taking a furniture piece I paid next to nothing for, and turning it into a custom item that I love and adore! Are you thinking, “Great, but I don’t know how to distress furniture!”. Well, I am going to show you how I distress furniture, and a few other things! Let’s take a look at some ideas first.

This dresser was in a beach rental on Tybee Island. I really wanted to load it up in my car and take it home!

Distressed painted furniture doesn’t always have to have a “chipped paint” look; it can just have an aged look with either dark wax, or acrylic antiquing paint.

I saw this really cool piece in a downtown condo in Nashville. What a ton of character!

This is a chandelier that hangs in my dining room. I absolutely adore the distressed and aged white paint.

How to Distress Painted Furniture

the Right Way – 4 Easy Steps

The key to distressing painted furniture, is making the furniture look like a piece that has been distressed naturally through time. Steps to distressing furniture:

1. Paint Furniture

You can paint your piece using chalk paint. I love chalk paint because there is no sanding or priming necessary. Two of my favorite brands to use are Amy Howard and Annie Sloan paint. If your furniture is stained, no worries! Chalk paint will apply perfectly. For more information about chalk paint, read my post “Chalk Paint Furniture“.

2. Distressing Like a Pro

Remember, you want to sand off the paint in places where time would wear off the paint naturally. In the photo above, I have pointed out several example areas where you want to sand off the paint. Be careful not to take off too much paint in one area, and not enough in another.

3. Aging the Distressed Paint

This is the last step when distressing furniture, and one the most important. Adding a dark wax or acrylic antiquing paint gives the piece another layer of “age”. Take a look at the close-up photo I took above; see the dark color, and how it adds age? Again, the key is darkening the piece where it would naturally become dirty and worn from time.

Dark Wax – Annie Sloan instructs you to apply a coat of clear soft wax first, and then apply your dark wax. Use a bristle brush to get into the cracks and grooves.

Acrylic Antiquing Paint

I am a huge fan of using acrylic paints to distress furniture. I know chalk paint and wax are really popular and I love them, but I have been distressing for years using acrylics. My two favorite colors are called “Burnt Umber”, and “Raw Umber”.

“Burnt Umber” is a brown color, and “Raw Umber” is a very dark black/brown color. So, it depends on the particular job and patina you are going for, as to which one you should choose. In the photo above “Raw Umber” is on the left, and “Burnt Umber” is on the right.

My Antiquing Technique:

I pour out a small amount of the acrylic paint onto a paper plate. Then I add a little water to the paint, (about a teaspoonful) and mix into the paint. Next, I take an old brush and wipe on the paint, immediately following with a slightly damp rag, rubbing in the direction of the grain. If you find you want the antiquing darker, let dry and repeat. This is a really simple application!

4. Sealing Your Furniture

If you apply wax to your distressed painted furniture, that will seal your furniture. Some wax manufacturers tell you to use a clear wax first, then apply your dark wax after the clear wax is dry.

When I distress furniture with acrylic paints, or latex paints, I use polyurethane to seal my pieces. You can purchase it in a small can for small jobs. Minwax also sells quick drying polyurethane in a spray can. I have had really good luck with it, and find it much easier to use!

My Best Places to Find Furniture

I am an avid garage saler! Since I was a toddler, Saturday mornings my parents would load me up in the car and head out to find sales. You NEVER know what you will find! Garage sales are the best places to find the cheapest furniture.

My second favorite is the flea market. You won’t find furniture as cheap, but you will find it all in one stop.

I hope distressed painted furniture never goes out of style. I think if it does, I won’t care, because I love it. Good luck on your DIY project!