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The Ultimate Face Lift: A Good Paint Job

I had been daydreaming of painting our kitchen cabinets for some time: our (almost) 9 year old kitchen was starting to show signs of age and was beginning to feel dated.

“Before”: nice enough, but also a little tired.

I had some hesitations, such as budget (I don’t know why but the idea of spending money to paint was difficult to digest. Maybe because it is so much more fun to…I don’t know, purchase a new accent table or a piece of art). I have also seen the unfortunate results of a bad paint job…so naturally, I was a little reluctant. However, after seeing some of the work of the professional painter I had decided to work with, I decided to pull the trigger and book the procedure (ha ha) in late October and I haven’t looked back!!

Now that is what I call a facelift!!

Let me begin by stating that I absolutely loved our “before” kitchen, it is very well-designed, high-functioning, and incredibly hard working. I totally respect all of that. Even the glass mosaic tile I selected for our backsplash 9 years ago is still relevant…but in order to keep things fresh, change was due.

“Before”: you can see the painted eat-in kitchen in this frame.
“Before”: I also had the ornate counter support trim piece removed while I was at it!

After a little bit of back and forth about what direction I wanted to go in regard to color (something bold? something monochromatic that blends into the walls? different upper vs. base cabinet colors?), I landed on a crisp, classic shade of white – Benjamin Moore’s Simply White. When paired with the existing design elements in my kitchen such as the glass mosaic tile backsplash, the oil-rubbed bronze hardware and stainless steel appliances, the white cabinets lend enduring style. And you just can’t go wrong with keeping it simple.

The process is quite an undertaking – make sure you are prepared!

Back in the fall of 2019 (on a bit of a whim!) I had the trim in our eat-in kitchen painted Benjamin Moore Van Courtland Blue to infuse some color and brighten up what was a bit of a dark corner, and I was beyond pleased with the results. I mean, just check out this before and after:

I love this option of combining two colors for adding an interesting twist – and it completely changed the feel of the space. So when I took on this bigger kitchen painting project I expanded on that approach by painting the island facing the family room the same blue to add depth and character. Again, I couldn’t be more pleased with the results! As it turns out, combining two colors throughout kitchen cabinetry is set to soar in 2020 – click here for a great article on kitchen trends in 2020 from my favorite shelter publication, House Beautiful.

Absolutely in LOVE with the results!

I couldn’t be more pleased with the outcome – I feel like this is how my kitchen was meant to be. The new look checks all the boxes on what a kitchen should be: an efficient and comfortable workspace that looks good and is nice to cook in. I love how bright and spacious it feels, and of course painting the kitchen turned into a purge / organization project (and even some new appliances that I’ve been test driving for ‘ya) so I’ll be spilling the tea on all of that soon.

So, whaddya think?!?

xo,

VB