Finally – everything I know about painting cabinets, condensed into one place. And it all applies to painting furniture too! Painting your cabinets, especially a whole kitchen full of cabinets, can be a daunting prospect. As with most things in life, there’s no one “right” way to do it, but there sure are lots of wrong ways! If you’re thinking of painting cabinets or furniture, and aren’t quite sure how to do it well (so you only have to do it once!) then you’ve come to the right place. I’ll show you what supplies you need based on the type of material you’re painting, which method works best for busy… Keep Reading
How to Install Cabinet Hardware without Losing Your Mind
How to install cabinet hardware the right way so you don’t mess up the lovely finish on your new cabinets. You’re standing in front of your brand new or freshly painted cabinets. You know you want gorgeous drawer pulls and cabinet knobs to complete the look, but there’s only one thing standing in the way… Installation. If you’re going to get those fabulous pulls onto your cabinets, you’re going to need to drill holes in them. But they’re so pristine, so beautiful, so unblemished. Just the thought of putting holes in that unmarred surface gives you second thoughts and you start wondering if you really need hardware at all. But… Keep Reading
How to Paint Laminate Cabinets without Sanding
What do you do if you want to paint your kitchen cabinets, but they’re not real wood? Using the right method, you can paint right over those laminate cabinets, or any other kind of laminate furniture that needs a color update! This is a post that has been almost three years in the making, and boy is it a relief to finally get it out! When I published my original tutorial on the best way to paint kitchen cabinets (without sanding!), I got a barrage of questions like “Does this method work on laminate cabinets?” Or “My cabinets are melamine, will this work?” The short answer is yes, with one… Keep Reading
Flip House Hattie’s Big Reveal
It’s here… Reveal Day! I love a good makeover, don’t you? Our current flip house, named Hattie, seemed like she didn’t need much, but in reality all the little changes added up to a full remodel. This was the kind of house that just needed a few of the right touches to bring it up to date. And while that’s not as exciting a makeover as some of the falling-down houses I’ve seen, the overall effect turned out to be really satisfying. But enough of my musing, let’s get to the pictures, shall we? Hattie Before her Makeover Here are a few “Before” shots of our beloved Hattie, to remind… Keep Reading
Small Changes Add up to Big Change at the Flip House
I love a good “before” and “after,” don’t you? Well, my apologies because today is all about the “during.” When we started the makeover on our new flip house, “Hattie,” I was a little disappointed because she just wasn’t very ugly to begin with. I mean, I really love to get into a horrible rundown mess of a house and bring it back from the brink of city condemnation. Let’s rip out some walls. Let’s carry out the grossness with shovels. Let’s back up a dump truck into the driveway and fill it with terrible old cabinets and tiles and (gasp!) sludgy toilets! (I know, I’m a little bit of… Keep Reading
A New Flip House Named Hattie
Ladies and Gentlemen, I’d like you to meet Hattie, our latest flip house adventure. Yes, I know it’s probably weird to give people’s names to our houses, but we need a way to keep track of them and I get so attached to each one that it’s as if they have their own personality. I like to think of it as a term of endearment, rather than naming a natural disaster. Although to be honest, I’m sure both have an element of truth. If you’re just joining, you can check out our first flip here, and our second flip here. Back to Hattie. She’s a wonderful, stately lady, full of dignity… Keep Reading
Painted Kitchen Cabinets FAQs and How They’re Holding Up
Answering all your burning questions about my painted kitchen cabinets, and how the finish has stood the test of time and heavy use. There sure are a lot of ugly, outdated kitchen cabinets out there! How do I know? Ever since I wrote this post about how to paint your kitchen cabinets, I’ve heard from approximately 300 of you who are thinking of doing the same thing. In fact, I’ve had so many questions over the past year about my painted kitchen cabinets, that I thought now would be a good time to answer them all together in one place, as well as let you know how the cabinets’ paint… Keep Reading
$100 Room Challenge Family Room Reveal Week
It’s finally here – reveal week of the $100 Room Challenge! I have to admit, there were a few moments along the way that I questioned whether I would get this one done. You would think that a whole month would give you plenty of time to finish a project that only includes painting closet doors, painting bookshelves, and a little stenciling. But like me, you would be wrong. The optimist in me always thinks projects are small when I get started. Then the procrastinator takes over, telling me I’ve got plenty of time to get it done. Then reality hits and the work actually gets done, usually a little… Keep Reading
Week 3: Painting Bookshelves & Cabinets
Painting bookshelves and cabinets in my den is one of the foundational pieces of this room makeover. It’s already week three of the $100 Room Challenge! I’ve gotten my closet doors done, and this week I (mostly) finished painting my bookshelves and cabinets. Today I’ve got a few tips for you if you’re thinking of painting a bookshelf. For these shelves and cabinets, I used basically the same process as I did with the doors, but I added an extra step of sealing the shelf tops with Polycrylic, to protect the paint from books sliding in and out of the shelves. If you’re just joining us, check out Week 1… Keep Reading
A New Year and a New $100 Room Challenge
I love January. Not the weather, you understand. I love the feeling of a whole new year stretching out in front of me. Just think of all the projects I can accomplish! Or at least start and never finish. All the organizing. All the planning. All the good intentions. It’s a time full of hope, and for a procrastinator like me, it’s a time of new resolve to finish what I start. Or just start. Baby steps. The other reason I love January is it’s $100 Room Challenge month. Basically, it’s my best shot at actually getting my projects done. The $100 Room Challenge If you’re just joining me, or… Keep Reading