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A few weeks ago I helped a reader, Krista, solve decorating dilemmas in her dining room. As we finished our email conversations about the dining room, she shared a before and after look at the kitchen remodel she and her husband just finished, “maybe just for interest or thoughts of perhaps helping out others who might be in the same circumstances.”
Krista’s Kitchen Before
"When we moved here we didn't have the money to replace the cupboards," said Krista.
Close look at the old cupboards.
Krista’s Kitchen After
Krista painted the old cupboards and added new hardware to them, installed new countertops, new appliances and a new light fixture.
Only the crown molding and the new light fixture are missing in this photo.
Another viewpoint - missing only crown molding and the new light fixture.
Close-up of finished cabinets and new countertop of Brionne Acrylic Solid Surface in "Aura."
Brionne Acrylic Solid Surface in "Aura."
After installing the crown molding it's time to paint it.
- With crown molding and a new light fixture the project is complete!
Project Details
During our email conversation Krista wrote:
“I love our kitchen now…when we were thinking of buying this house, we were able to look past all the cosmetics… wall paper and things that we needed to (ignore)… sure glad we did because now we have our dream home.”
Q. What type of paint did you use – latex or oil? Primer?
A. I used oil, but now they don’t really sell oil here in Canada, it’s alkyd. I primed the cupboards (2 coats which was tinted the same color as the final paint color – also alkyd) and then painted 2 coats…so took me awhile as we had 30 cupboards in all including our laundry room which has 8 (you can see the laundry through the kitchen if the door is open so did those too).
Q. How did you prep the cabinets prior to painting?
A. Prep work related to the cabinets was a good sanding on the solid oak trim (inside the cabinets was melamine), gave it a good clean and then started priming with my tinted primer.
Q. What do you like best about the results – what is your favorite part of the kitchen?
A. Favorite part, I would have to say the cabinets. I did all the work for it and it took me some time, but I am picky, and the reward was worth it. All the hard work and time paid off.
Q. What was the hardest task in the remodel?
A. Hardest task was just the time consumed by painting (4 coats). I have two young children so the only time I could really do it was when they were finally in bed at the end of the day and sometimes by that time I was ready for bed too. But I would spend 1 hour and do one coat for the cabinets that I had taken down…I did it in stages. I would definitely do it over in a heart beat.
Q. Is there anything you would change or do differently?
A. I don’t really think I would change anything. My husband picked out the color of the countertop and I think he did a great job, he has more color and decorating sense than I do. LOL
Q. What was the time frame from start to finish?
A. I would say for the cabinet painting, hardware and putting them all back up, etc, 6 weeks although it could have been done sooner but sometimes I was just too tired to paint after a long day so I would go days without painting the next coat. Time frame from start of the kitchen till now with the crown just put up, almost 2 years.
Q. Anything else you want to share?
A. Just that if people can look past the cosmetic stuff and get some design information and details on how to spruce things up they can do it. Paint, new hardware and new a countertop took this kitchen to a whole new level.
I love the new look and it is so much cheaper than putting in a whole new cabinet system…the whole kitchen with new countertops and sink and hardware, totaled (not including appliances) approximately $4000.00.
- Paint- $150.00
- Countertop (most expensive) - $3000.00
- Hardware - $250.00
- Crown Molding- $400.00
- Light Fixture – $65.00
Are You Considering a Kitchen “After”?
Krista’s hard work and dedication to her kitchen update paid off with the results she’d hoped for. Have you updated or fully remodel your kitchen? Did your plans work out as you’d hoped? Would you do something differently if you were to do it again? What tips do you have for those considering transforming their kitchen to an “After?” Comment below or email us at solutions@yourdecoratinghotline.com – we’d love to hear your experiences.
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I have to comment on Krista’s kitchen remodel – it is one of the best ‘real life’ kitchen remodels I’ve seen and an amazing before and after!
I’m inspired – it’s given me some ideas for my kitchen and I love Krista’s honesty about the process, sharing that she didn’t paint every day; when I watch the remodel shows where the couple completes a job in what seems an impossibly short time, I don’t even want to attempt a longer process such as repainting my cabinets! My husband and I are S-L-O-W on our projects and sometimes I feel like we are the only ones who take forever – although I know that isn’t true in the real world by some of the houses I drive by that have been in the remodel process for years! I have one friend who has been in her remodel process as long as I’ve know her – over 22 years! Her husband is a perfectionist and insists on doing all the work himself – so I know it wouldn’t take us that long!
Thanks to Krista and yourdecoratinghotline.com for sharing these pictures and information – the Q & A was very helpful!
Kathy:
Thanks for your comment. I agree, it was great of Krista to share her project. We can all learn from each other if we’re willing to share! As much as I love the TV decorating shows, you are exactly right – they do not realistically illustrate the actual time involved in decorating projects. Having worked in TV I know that they have only 20 minutes or less to get a story told in a 30-minute time slot. Time is compressed on TV in order to tell the story . In real life decorating is an on-going process that simply takes time!