After we painted the cabinets in our last kitchen, I vowed I would never paint cabinets again. Well, never say never, and that old saying about pain has no memory is true. Recently Mom came to visit just so we could tackle the cabinets in our Charlotte kitchen. While we were painting this time, it was my mom who declared she won’t be painting cabinets again. She is retiring. I know there is a lot of controversy on painted cabinets and whether it is a trend or not. If you look back at classic kitchens and many movie kitchens, they are white. And even if it is a trend, I love white cabinets. Yankee was even on board this time around. He took some convincing before we painted the cabinets in our Syracuse house.
This was what our kitchen looked like on move-in day.
The first thing I did was paint the walls Cotton Grey by Behr, which I LOVE. I added some white accessories above the cabinets, but I still need to add a few more. Grandma’s kitchen table was turned into our temporary island. The back splash is beige tile, and it worked with the beige walls, cream trim and cabinets. However, with all of the paint changes, the tile doesn’t look too great anymore. You’ll see what I’m talking about.
This room is the darkest one in our house, and it is not even that dark. However, painting those cabinets really lightens it up. I love the improvements! We used Sherwin Williams Pure White in acrylic latex semi-gloss enamel. It’s their Pro-Classic line of paint.
There are a million tutorials online about how to paint cabinets. We pretty much followed the same process we did at our first house. Since the weather was pleasant, I was able to set up my garage as cabinet door central. It was wonderful not having to live with the cabinets doors drying all around the house.
I plan to put some tall items on top of the two cabinets beside the exhaust. The large basket over the fridge is from Ikea and is housing Christmas wreaths for all of the windows. I have to be creative with storage, and since it is more of a pain to get it down, I figure once a year is perfect. After looking at these photos, I have decided it needs to be white, too.
Okay, everyone. Do you see the tan back splash? I would love to hear your thoughts and ideas on what we should do with it. I have thought about painting it white to hold us over till the day we decide to tackle removing and installing a new one. Installing a back splash isn’t difficult. It is the pain and dust and repair of removing the old one that is horrible. Disregard the fan missing a grate. It is broken and the repairman said we needed a whole new motor, so, we are going to buy a new one. #joysofhomeownership
A kitchen designer suggested that we “white-wash” the tiles. Another idea is to paint them completely. These tiles are very porous, so, I bought some similar tiles for experimenting. I hope you give me some ideas. I would love to hear suggestions from you. It would be nice to have a lot of choices before we decide what to do.
Well, there you have the painted kitchen cabinets. Along with painting or changing the back splash down the line, I also want to change out the hardware. There’s no rush, but it is on my never ending list. Till then I am really enjoying the new look in my kitchen.
By the time you read this, Yankee and I will be in Asia. We are spending two days in Hong Kong before we fly on to Bangkok and meet our little girl on Wednesday. Please keep up in your prayers.
Cheers!
Paint the tile! We bought our house in Louisville about 3 years ago and encountered the exact same issue. Stained wood cabinets and beige tile backsplash. I immediately contracted to have the cabinets painted white (they are lovely) and was talking to the painter about having the tile torn out and replaced when he said, “Why don’t we paint them white and then you can take your time deciding what to install”. What a great idea! As I said, it has been almost 3 years and we have had no problems with chipping at all, it still looks perfect. I am going to leave it painted and not replace it. I like a calm environment, so a busy backsplash is not my thing anyway. Good luck!
Jackie, can you give us specifics on the paint, etc.?
Jackie, I used Sherwin Williams pure white acrylic latex based paint in semi-gloss enamel. It’s their Pro-Classic line.
Jackie, what kind of paint did you use on the tile?
I spoke with the painter and he says he washed it and lightly sanded the surface (very lightly) and then applied 2 coats of a paint called Break-through. No primer. It may be a regional product, as it came from Porter Paints in Louisville. I’m very happy with the results!
Exciting time for you ! Kitchen looks amazing. Is there a link to your steps to kitchen painting? What is the best paint to use and tips? Enjoy your blog very much.
Jackie, we lightly sanded and used deglosser. Then we did two coats of Zinsser primer and three coats of Sherwin Williams Pure White acrylic latex based semi gloss enamel. It’s their Pro-Classic line.
Susan, This post might help you out. http://the2seasons.com/2012/01/29/a-love-affair/ However this time we used the Pro Classic line from Sherwin Williams after reading lots of reviews and I really liked it. The prep is key.
Our prayers are with you as you travel to pick up Little Miss. Have a wonderful time. Also, paint the tile when you have time…or hire it done…easy peasy! Blessings…
Thanks, Cheryl. I will talk Mom into it.!
How pretty!!! I am not usually a fan of painting beautiful wood cabinets but I must say what an improvement this is. I think you should paint the tile for now. Paint that basket too. I sort of feel that your clock should be black. But, you are not going to be thinking about that kitchen for a while. I am so excited for you and your little girl! What a blessing for you all!
Thanks for the suggestions, Kathy. I think I will paint the basket, and painted tile is definitely getting the most votes.
I’m pretty sure it won’t be too difficult getting your mom to come visit (and paint!) once Little Miss arrives. If not the first visit, she’ll want to come back quickly enough! I’ve never seen tile painted or knew that it could be, but if that’s a possibility, it definitely sounds like the way to go! I’m sure you’ll give us an update after it’s done.
Prayers for safe travels and an easy trip home with your little one. I just know she is going to love her new life and family.
XO,
Carolyn
Thank you, Carolyn.
Can you temporarily put bead board over the tile?
That would be possible, but it would not pass code behind the stove.
I’ve had good success on punting tile on a few of my flips. With all your paint experience you will do great. Kitchen looks great!
I don’t see any other thing you could possibly do besides to paint them. When it comes to the area right above your stove, it might be pretty to paint the raised trim a contrasting color so that it looks like a frame, and leave the terra cotta colored tiles alone, and paint the rest white. Just a suggestion. And if you aren’t sure, you could just leave those until last to make sure you know whether you like them or not. Many blessings and prayers that everything will go as planned on your trip to bring your baby girl home!