Testing Industrial Spray Paint for the Kitchen Cabinets

As I prepare to take on one of my biggest challenges - the kitchen - I found out about some high pigmentation industrial spray paint that would stand up to the rigors that kitchen cabinets go through. I ordered a gray primer and a can of power white to try a test board on as well as to do my own "quality control check".

I picked up an unfinished door at my local Habitat for Humanity Restore for 2 dollars - can't beat that! Put on a coat of primer and 2 coats of white. Let it dry completely between each coat. Then a few days later decided I'd try out a few potential "threats" these cabinet doors would receive due to wear and tear. I raided my cleaning closet and fridge - I didn't go out to the store to buy anything special. On the left you have Shaklee's Basic H, virtually harmless, you could brush your teeth with it. Second from left, Tile and Grout Magic. I would NEVER put this on my cabinet doors, but since it removes grime, soap scum, and more I figured it would be a good harsher chemical to test the paint's chemical resistance. Third one is Minwax's Wood Cleaner which cleans cabinets, furniture, and doors. The final one - good ol' spaghetti sauce. I put each of these on the door and left them on for 3 days. Below is the result.

Basic H? Untouched. Tile and Grout Magic left a stain- but didn't go through the paint at all. Miniwax's Wood Cleaner left nothing, and the spaghetti sauce surprisingly came up extremely easy! I took my scrubber brush with a little water, took a few scrubs, used the scraper edge, and it just slid right off! Now this is my kind of paint!! (Too bad I can't coat my dishes and pans with this) It left a very slight discoloration, but you really have to look to see it. I'm SOLD!

AFTER: Dining Room Set

Here's a BEFORE photo again of the dining set.....

And its finally done! Here is the AFTER shot.

It took about 7 cans of primer and 7 cans of black satin spray paint ( both Valspar) from Lowe's.

I'm debating putting on a wipe on polyurethane finish, I have the bottle, just haven't tested a spot yet. It's amazing what a change of COLOR can do!

Cabinet Door Makeover

I absolutely love this cabinet door makeover! Jen, over at Noting Grace gives step by step instructions on how to make this great piece of decor! You can also use vinyl lettering for this as well. I've gone to the Habitat for Humanity Restores and they sell different shapes and sizes of cabinet doors for around 3 dollars a piece which is a huge bargain! You should have a store in your area. This is definitely on my upcoming project list!

Master Bedroom Furniture Painting Completed!

I have finally finished painting all the bedroom furniture, woohoo! All the furniture was a honey oak color, we purchased the headboard at a garage sale for 150 dollars (it was custom made, if you look at it close up the detail is incredible), and the dresser and two end tables I got off craigslist for 225 dollars. All quality solid wood furniture built to last.

The headboard and nightstands have been done for a while now....but I just recently conquered the dreaded dresser...

And after many coats, its finally done! Phew! I love the whole coastal cottage look!

Spray Paint Project #2: Dining Room Set

My hubby finally agreed to let me paint the dining set black - so it will match the hutch (see the first post below) that is behind it and the black mirror in front of it. We agreed that I would only do one chair at a time so that we could all use the table and other chairs in the meantime.

One chair is done....Here's a sneak peek!!!!

What do you think?

My Love Affair with Spray Paint Project 1: End Table

I found this worn end table at our local Salvation Army for 15 bucks. This is a picture after I sanded it, but there was some water damage on the top and lots of scratches and gouges on top, so I did my best to sand those out. I loved that this was a solid piece with the large beadboard panels in it - plus I loved the furniture feet! A well built solid piece.

Of course I love to spray paint furniture, so I chose black for this end table.

And here it sits in its happy new home. Took less than 2 cans of black spray paint. I also spray painted the tin can that is on it as well, it was silver - I thought cream would look much more nicer. I am on a spray paint frenzy right now!!! The dining room table and chairs are next!!

Easy DIY Burlap Wreath

After Christmas was over, I was ready for a different wreath on the door. I found a great easy tutorial for this really easy to make burlap wreath over at the blog Where the Heart Is. (Click on the link and it will take you there) Super cheap to make!

Hutch Makeover from 2009

I thought I'd start out the blog with a furniture transformation that I did last year and had great success with! My sister in law had gotten a steal of a deal on a black bookcase from an overstock furniture store for $175.00. When I went there, they were already sold out. But I loved it so much that I was determined to make my own and got my creative mind in gear! I bought this oak china hutch off Craigslist for 150 bucks. I removed the doors, primed it, took out the two center supports, and painted it dark kettle black (from Lowes) which is the same paint that we used on our built in entertainment unit that came with the house. I even kept the original hardware - I primed it and then spray painted it with appliance epoxy spray paint in stainless steel. (That stuff is DURABLE)



It took hours, but I love the result!