One of the first things we did when we moved into our house was PAINT THE KITCHEN.
I got all brave and went with this dark teal color to contrast my white cabinets and chunky white trim, and I absolutely loved it. And apparently you did too, because that post about me painting the kitchen has been pinned over 700,000 times on Pinterest. In my pajamas.
The big draw to this room was that one wall I did the glossy swirls on. This was back when Pinterest was first a ‘thing’… (remember when you needed an invite to join?!), and people thought the glossy pattern over flat paint was a ground-breaking / genius idea. Picture me bowing and waving.
And while I loved the color (‘Deep Emerald’ by Pittsburgh Paints), I started noticing myself turning the lights on in the middle of the day. Like bright sunny days. And that’s just silly.
So, I’ve known for awhile now that the dark teal has to go. But tackling this paint job would be no small feat. A few weeks ago, I decided to paint over our painted backsplash to paint a new one… and that’s when I decided MAYBE NOW’S THE TIME.
So I liquored the husband up, and we got busy,
We’ve had a couple readers email us recently telling us that they had a really hard time painting over THEIR glossy swirls, because the paint wasn’t sticking to that shiny paint. This was so good to know, because I wouldn’t have even thought of that.
So we started by taking the orbital sander to that wall to rough up that glossy paint and give it some ‘tooth’ for the paint to grab onto.
Because we needed to paint over such a dark shade, we did a coat of oil-based primer (Kilz) to cover as much as possible. That stuff is SO FUMEY, so we did it after all the kids were in bed for the night, and opened all the doors and windows on the first floor. Even with those precautions, I started feeling loopy and like I might be getting cancer if I lived in the state of California (how many of you get that reference?!). So I still wore a mask. Nick? #notsomuch
Let’s just say that we had to do two coats of primer, and 3 coats of white paint to cover all that teal. Nick has been spewing profanities in his sleep ever since.
Such a beautiful blank slate!! And looks like it belongs in a psych ward!
The Kitchen has been an ongoing project… and I’ve mentioned it before, but we’re going to extend the cabinets up to the ceiling, and all the way to the wall over the ‘mudroom area’. And I’ve got devious plans to paint the cabinets. ONE THING AT A TIME THOUGH… right? Wrong! We have about a meeellion projects in the works at this very moment!
But! for now I’m out the door to take two toddlers to the dentist. #sendhelp
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Sorry Friend, you HAVE to paint the cabinets now… they don’t look very white anymore :/
Bethany – I hadn’t realized until I saw that picture of you in the breathing mask that the girls have your eyes! lol!
I have always loved your back splashes and your swirls on the walls. I’m looking forward to what you come up with next. How you manage to do what you do with 3 little ones just makes me tired! You rock, girl!
We’re lucky to have 3 really good sleepers! We get a lot done after bedtime. 😉 We love to do projects together!
LOL! I love your mom!
I love the white walls but I am so missing that teal color. I almost cried when I saw the post on painting over the backsplash. That was so painstaking of a job to do. So what color are you thinking of for the walls now? 🙂
It wasn’t really painstaking when you consider the fact that we’ve painted over 200 backsplashes… haha! A year or two with the same backsplash gets so BORING when you know you can change it out so easily!
As for the white walls, I dare say I might leave them that way! Maybe I’ll bring in some color when I paint the cabinets 🙂
I have to concur with the idea of keeping the white walls. White walls – as well as dishes, appliances, etc. – keep the palette free for the color du jour (as I am constantly changing my mind about what I like best). Don’t get me wrong, I love color. Soothing pastels, bright jewel tones, warm neutral colors layered with pattern… However, because I do NOT love painting, I like leaving a blank canvas of a white wall so that I can change out the accessories and art projects to match the colors I love for the current moment.
I adore the counter on the island, the rock mat for the shoes, and the pegs and cubbies! Your layout is so similar to mine that I’m pretty sure I’m going to be stealing lots of your designs. Thanks for sharing. :0)
Holy crap, didn’t you just have a baby?? LOL
Yeeeeah, but it’s been 9 weeks! She’s practically a toddler! And she sleeps like a dream 🙂
Well you are amazing at what you accomplish! My third child didn’t sleep more than 3 hours continuously until she was over 3 years old. (Perhaps the reason for my insanity?)
ooh I love it all white!
I love the white so much!!! The island is definitely the star now as it should be!
So I liquored up the husband… 😀
I remember finding my mom hanging wallpaper one day, drinking a Mike’s hard. She told me, “Some things in life should just be done while drinking; mowing the lawn, painting, wallpapering, taxes, going to the divorce attorney…” Made me laugh!
Love the white – bright and cheerful is always in, in my opinion. 🙂 I live in CA – and yes, prop 65 is still with us. lol
Hehe! I’m glad you got that reference. 🙂 I always LOL when I read that on a paint can 🙂
I laughed out loud at the comment that you liquored up your husband first before you started the project. Can totally see that working at my house. I know you like color and will totally knock this kitchen out of the park, but I kind of like it white. Very clean looking which is something that would never happen at my house. Good luck at the dentist……
I like it white too! 🙂 I think I might leave it and bring color into the room when I paint the cabinets!
I love the California comment =]
I love the white walls!!