downsy's Kitchen

Kitchen Facelift, complete DIY under $7K

Contact: downsy (My Page)
Posted on Wed, Dec 10, 08
Link to kitchen photos: http://s475.photobucket.com/albums/rr116/downsymom/Final%20Kitchen%20Facelift

Details:

• Cabinets: existing cabinets painted BM White Sand with outline painting in BM Bittersweet Chocolate. Glaze is BM Umber Glaze (L30).
• Countertop: Baltic Brown Granite
• Backsplash: existing old granite tiles painted with bronze paint - added a wood molding to them so they look like tiles.
• Appliances:
  ~ new Kenmore 5 burner gas range
  ~ existing GE spacemaker microwave with hood vent
  ~ existing Bosch dishwasher
  ~ existing Kenmore Fridge - painted
  
• Sink: new Stainless steel sink
• Faucet: new Price Pfister Marielle single faucet
  
• Hardware: Decorite Atlantis cabinet handles in oil rubbed bronze. I spray painted the old hinges to match the new handles.
  
• Paint - wall is BM Northhampton Putty

I started my makeover about 8 weeks ago with painting my almond fridge black. I refinished the cabinets with a cream paint and umber glaze. I wanted a heavily glazed finish (yes, I know it looks dirty - but I like it!) The only appliance I replaced was the gas range. I was going to keep my granite tile on my island, but decided to put the Baltic brown on it once we got the new granite on the perimeter cabinets. I also planned to keep my wallpaper, but after I got the cabinets finished I didn't think there was enough contrast between the walls and the cabinets so I painted the walls too.

This was a completely DIY remodel and I did almost all of it myself with a wee bit of help from my husband. We also repainted the laundry room to match and added overhead cabinets in there in place of an old closet maid shelf.

My total between the 2 rooms was about $6500.

I put a basecoat of zinsser oil primer on the granite squares before I sprayed them with the bronze paint. I don't know how they'll hold up over time, but I figured the painting was worth a try. If it doesn't work - then I'll have to chip out the old granite square and find a tile the right size to put in there! However, the paint seems to be sticking fine and I don't really get the backsplash too dirty where I'll have to wash those tiles often.

I used Fleck Stone paint to paint the lightswitch plates. I happened to have a can on my shelf from quite a few years ago and it matched nicely with the tiles.

I used the epoxy appliance paint that I found at Lowes. I can't remember now who makes it - but its labeled appliance paint. To be honest - that is one thing I will NEVER do again. It was a major pain - the mist is very fine and carries everywhere. I started out in my breakfast room and realized the fine spray was going under my plastic sheeting and was all over my wood floor. I moved it outside on my deck to finish it. It was very hard to get an even coat and I wound up having to put a poly coat over it to get the finish to look nice. So in hind sight - it was alot of trouble, but it saved me the cost of buying a new fridge.

I added 2 boxes to change the height level of my upper cabinets and put up crown molding. I added decorative feet, boxed molding to the end cabinets and decorative baseboard molding under the granite and decorative baseboard molding to the desk so it looks like furniture. I took out the leaded glass on my corner cabinet door and put in a painted piece of decorative sheet metal.

I sanded the cabinets to remove the old shiny poly coat, then I primed 1 coat of Zinnser oil based paint. Next I put on 3 coats of BM White sand. I painted an outline in all the routed edges using BM Bittersweet Chocolate. I didn't do any sanding to reveal the old stain. I tried that on my test piece and it looked more rustic than I wanted. I did distress them with a hammer, nail holes and hit them with a bag full of lug nuts. I brushed the glaze over the paint and let it sit for a few minutes and then I wiped the glaze off leaving it heavier in some areas than others, and letting it stay in the dented ares. (I found a tip on here from soneone and I can't remember who - but she used Viva papertowels with her glazing and that's what I used to remove my glazing. They were just the right softness.)

Features:
DIY
Bay Window
Cabinets: Base >24"deep
Cabinets: Base >36"high
Cabinets: Wall >36"high
Ceiling Fan
Island: Multilevel
Lighting: Under Cabinet
Message Center/Desk
Reach-in Pantry
Leaded glass
Decorative wire screening
- posted by starpooh @ 10:44 AM