Monday, August 22, 2011

Changes Changes Part II

Okay, next up is the kitchen.  Here's our kitchen.  It's not large, and therefore improvement projects seem a little less daunting.  So after our fireplace tiling success, we decided to buy some more clearance tile (20 sq. feet) and create a backsplash.  This took us one weekend and cost about $50.  It was actually the same weekend we did the fireplace.  Bonus. 



 This is before the grout was dry.  Once it dried, it blended with the tile completely (almost making the tile hard to see.  But that's okay, we know it's there.  And at least it's easy to wipe down now.)


And then this past weekend TJ was out of town to St. Louis.  Remember how I painted the cabinetry in the half bath that dark mocha color?  Well I really liked it.  A lot.  So I decided the kitchen needed the same treatment.  And it was very scary making that first paint stroke.  But there really wasn't any turning back after that.  And so I took a breath and dove in.


Why I chose to tackle this project on a weekend when I was a single parent I have NO idea.  I guess I was hoping it would help pass the time until TJ came home.  It wore me out completely.  Each surface needed two coats of paint and at least another two coats of a clear topcoat (my "Topher-proof" protection) Around this point I wanted to give up.  I posted this picture on Facebook and begged my friends to tell me it was beautiful.  Sometimes I run on compliments.


It worked.  The encouragement fueled me on.  I stayed up late into the night painting and then was up each morning at 6:30am when Topher pops out of bed like a Poptart on speed.  But by the time TJ came home, exhausted in his own right, I was so glad I had this to show him.  He was probably just glad he got to skip all the work.



These pictures make it almost impossible to see the backsplash but I promise it looks good in person.  And if I ever get enough momentum to repaint the walls, it will be more noticeable.  We still need to attach the new cabinet hardware (brushed nickel) but I'm so glad the painting is done.  And now I feel like my cabinets have always WANTED to be this color.  I feel that it matches the countertops so much better.  I might start calling this our cafe instead of our kitchen.  It's just a little fancier these days.

Oh, were you curious about the cost?  One quart of paint was $9.  One quart of topcoat was $13.  (I only needed one of each, which amazed me.  A little bit goes a long way!)  The handles WERE $5 each, but I bought them on clearance for $1.83/ea so my total cost for those was $36, since I needed 20 of them.  And since I didn't have to pay myself for my own time, that was it.

And now, even though we live in a complex with 250 nearly identical townhomes, ours is starting to look a little bit different from the rest.  And I like that.

--KC

2 comments:

  1. That looks great! Way to go. I love it.

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  2. Wow! Yes it IS beautiful! You amaze me once again with what you are able to do with paint.

    luvs, aby

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