Thursday, January 27, 2011

Kitchen Facelift Reveal

I always feel nervous, when I've been away from the blog for a while, to jump back in, but then I do and it's like a nice warm sweater and I get to feeling cozy again. I've been away for good reason, as you all know, I have been working non-stop on the reinvention of my small suburban kitchen. Thanks for staying around and if you're new here, thanks for joining me. It has taken me a little over three weeks to complete the facelift, but in reality, we have been paddling towards this goal for a while, and finally it's about 90% done and I couldn't be happier.





I haven't been bitten by the 'Spring' bug yet, so I've stayed with my green and white look, a time tested winner in my book. I hope to get some fabric ordered and as time goes on, more color will be added, but for now, I'm just happy to be done. I don't think I'm going to prime, paint, or sand anything for a while. I'm done.






I searched the photo archives and I couldn't have found a better before picture than when we first moved in, 6 years ago. Just a side note, I did not change the counter top in the facelift, so look closely at it here so you can see the change I did make to it.




When we moved in, we had the standard: Oak cabinets, laminate counter top, linoleum floors, and beige carpet in the eating area (whose idea was that?). Really, it is a decent space. Not too big, not too small, but of course my mind was spinning with the changes I wanted to make. Super speed, 6 years later, and I'm within close proximity to the beautiful kitchen that I always wanted to look at, I don't actually do the cooking. :) What we have done so far over the years making our way to now....that is saving up and buying, nothing bought on credit....replaced the carpeting and linoleum flooring throughout (6 years ago). New appliances (3 years ago), and new cabinet hardware (2 years ago), you'll see a close up of the pulls further down.




BEFORE:





AFTER:




The eating area, look at the carpeting! Yikes!

BEFORE:





AFTER:





If you like my hutch and would like to see the changes it underwent, click here.

BEFORE:


AFTER:



I don't think you can go wrong with this look, it's my favorite, and at this time of year, it's just enough. Coffee mugs from Crate and Barrel, round tray from Walmart reinvented with spray paint, vintage milk glass and pitcher from Kolh's.




I just don't think you have to go to the poorhouse to achieve the look you want. I almost prefer something second-hand or thrifted to be reinvented and who doesn't love a chance to be creative? The botanical art is a tea towel I stretched, see how I did it here. That white pear jar was a thrifted find that I painted, that was a fun project, take a look at it here.




So on to what all I did in the facelift, obviously painting the cabinets have been the number one changing force in this whole transformation. I've been sharing the 'during' and finally here is the final result. I primed, painted, sanded between each coat. I was a good girl and did everything just right so this will last for years to come. As you know, we added height to the top of the cabinets, crown mold and corbels to the bottom. I painted the uppers in Tailor's Chalk from Martha Stewart and the bottoms in Silhouette from Martha.






As much as I wanted to get new counter tops, we just can't afford it right now, so I had to work with what we had. The laminate has one thing going for it, it's neutral and easy to work with, what it doesn't have going for it was the oak trim. Who came up with that idea? So the literal counters are laminate and then trimmed in oak, geez...so I painted the oak. I taped everything off, the wall and the laminate part and primed and painted it, just like I did for the cabinets. The funny thing is, I used the same color I have on the walls in the living room.... it was a perfect match, I couldn't believe it. I'm pacified for a while, and it looks great. I've got to buy an outlet cover for the phone jack that I ripped out, but I just can't bear to make another trip to the hardware store, maybe next week


Stainless steel appliances, like I said, we bought about 3 years ago. I love the microwave off of the counter especially. One thing that I regret, although I just wasn't aware of it, is counter depth refrigerators, I would have certainly wanted that, but I just didn't know any better at the time, but it's only six inches, not too bad.



We kept the original sink too, but we'll be getting one eventually. I want one of those goose neck faucets. Those are the three big things that is keeping us at 90%....counter tops, sink and faucet and back splash. Is that four things?




I wasn't sure how the white and black was going work, but it is working so well for our family already, and I just can't imagine it all white, or just all black...this is perfect and of course oakless.
I found these corbels at the Home Depot. I fell in love with the profile, some of them are too scrolly for me, but this is perfect and adds some much needed character.

I painted the door to the garage with chalkboard paint, Logan is breaking it in as we speak. It's going to be a lot of fun having it.




The Bedford Gray on the walls have just been such a great neutral color, love it.




After we added the height to the cabinets, the seem between the tops of the cabs and the 1X4's were driving me crazy (yes, I'm that anal), so Justin added some trim for me to cover it up, it turned out great. I just painted and it blended right in, like it's always been there








Here is a close up of the countertops deoaked. This has a major impact too in the overall look, I'm really happy with the results. For now. I still hear Quartz counters calling my name.




One other little thing that I learned, plan out the placement of the corbels. Outlets are a bear to work around and I had to knock a couple corbels down (that I had already glued) because it wasn't working all the way around the kitchen....I worked it out and again, love the added interest. P.S....because I will be adding a back splash eventually, I glued them to the underneath of the cabinets, not to the wall, so when the time comes, they will come down easy and then accommodate the tile and not damage the wall.



Love the black.






Another close up of the hardware, I found it at Lowe's a couple of years ago on sale. $1.48 each, the perfect blend of retro, yet mod, love it and looks great on the white and the black. If you've replaced your cabinet hardware, you know how hefty a price tag that is! $1.48 was a steal.










Don't tell anyone, but it occured to me, that I'm going to be able to fit a lot of dishes up there behind that height addition! That's four inches of space plus the crown that I can store dinnerware in! What plate addiction? Whatever do you mean?




Oh, and another tip that I did to save on money...I spray painted the hinges. They aren't a perfect match to the brushed nickel, but can you imagine putting the gold back up there? Yuck! It would have ruined it! I used metal primer and 'Brushed Nickel' spray paint from Krylon. I priced new hinges in nickel and I saved myself over 130.00 dollars, less 6.00 for the cost of the spray paint and primer.




A little vignette on top of the fridge....hey, there's the bonus at having a full size fridge, more foo-foo room. Seasonal dishes are stored in the small cabs behind, if you're wondering.

Thank you so much for stopping by. I appreciate all the comments and encouragement and tips that I've been getting on this project. Thank you for taking the time. I can't believe how it's come out and I'm so tickled! If you have any specific questions on things that I might not have mentioned, ask them and I'll do my best to answer.
Also, if you'd like to see an obscene amount of pictures of this facelift, check out my photostream, click here.











Here are some answers to questions from the comments so far:




Did you paint the countertops or is it new?
I painted the oak that trimmed the existing counters. I used a paint that closely matched the color of the laminate.

Did you sand and prime the door before painting it with Chalkboard paint?

I did prime the door, I didn't sand, but it still took three coats of the chalkboard paint. Luckily, it dries really fast and it was a quick project. I love it and so do the kiddies! Plus, just doing a door is a big enough surface if you don't have a whole wall or nervous about taking the chalkboard plunge.

What did you use to to hold the corbels in place while the glue set?
I was watching This Old House one time (I don't have cable) and they used a combo of liquid nails and hot glue to adhere some countertop (or something), so I thought to myself, Why wouldn't that work for the corbels? and it did! I did sit a couple of paint cans under them as well, just in case, I just pushed them up against the wall part, but the hot glue really did the trick.




Visit thecsiproject.com












111 comments:

  1. Michelle - Your kitchen looks amazing! You must be totally thrilled. I love the black and white. The added molding is amazing. That is on our to-do but miter cuts our not my BFF..lol...and I'm dreading the pain. Great idea adding the extra piece for storage - that's brillant. I think the counter tops blend in perfectly with the new color scheme. Simply fantastic - Fabulous job! I'm so glad you are back! ~ Stephanie Lynn

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  2. Gorgeous gorgeous gorgeous!!! Love the black & white.

    One thing about the spray-painted hinges -- we did that on a stand-alone kitchen cabinet, one that we open and close several times a day, and the paint did begin to rub off those hinges from the frequent use within about 6 months' time. So if you find some hinges at a good price at some point along the way, you may want to consider swapping out the painted hinges for new hinges if paint rubbing off would bug you.

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  3. What an amazing transformation! Your kitchen looks so modern now. I'd never guess that under that pretty white paint hides builder basic oak cabinets. Give yourself a big old pat on the back!

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  4. Never enough pictures, what a change! I love the pops of green. I still don't understand the countertops, you painted the laminate or added new?

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  5. Beautiful...great job everything looks wonderful...

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  6. It looks wonderful, Michelle! Love the wall color and the cabinets. I also love that you added molding to the top of the cabinets and painted out the oak strip on your countertops.

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  7. This is gorgeous! You did such an amazing job... I would looove cooking in a kitchen that pretty :) Amazing.

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  8. I loved looking at this project. Yours came out really great. I want to paint my cabs as they are maple and the kitchen feels too dark and too much brown...you have inspired me!

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  9. Wow! What a transformation. That was definitely worth the wait :) I love the Bedford Gray!

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  10. Gorgeous! You did a fantastic job. I really love it.

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  11. Awesome!! No other words but AWESOME, love it!! Thanks for sharing your kitchen and inspiration.

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  12. Your kitchen redo is stunning. Love the black and white and the addition to the tops of the cabients. Fantastic and just beautiful. Hugs, Marty

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  13. Looks wonderful! What a serene gorgeous space you have created! Great job!

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  14. Michelle,

    Your kitchen is so Beautiful!!!!!! Great Job!!!!! I know you and your family will truely enjoy it!!!!!!


    Michelle Torres
    decorater4life@aol.com

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  15. Wow. It looks like it belongs in a magazine. Love the black lower cabinets and the green accesories. Well Done.

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  16. Oh everything just turned out fabulously, fabulous :) I just changed my cabinets 2 yrs ago, and my husband won't let me paint them :( but maybe I could talk him into just the top cabinet idea? I also have chalkboard paint to do the door in my kitchen, did you have to sand and primer the door first? I am thinking that I do, I am kinda timid about doing this chalkboard paint for some reason?
    Thanks for the inspiration.

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  17. Gorgeous, I love it! I'm gearing up to paint my old, ugly, oak kitchen cabinets and have been dithering between all white or black and white (my husband wants all white). I plan on showing him your lovely pictures and I'm sure he will be convinced that black and white is the way to go. I love the corbels under the cabinets. They really give it a custom look. Thanks for sharing. Oh, and a vignette on the fridge, great idea!

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  18. It looks amazing!
    Such an inspiration :)

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  19. Wow Michelle, I love the transformation. You did a fantastic job. The black bottom cabinets are so classy...and I love the white on top with the corbels. It's amazing how an old countertop can still work when everything else is upgraded. Stainless appliances give it such an nice look. Job well done...thanks for sharing. I love the apothecary jar with limes...I have the same one (HG). lol

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  20. It's so pretty. I like your use of two colors of cabients! It's all so perfect and looks amazing!

    p.s. I can't tell you how excited I was to see that you painted the trim on your countertops. I think I have the same exact countertops and have been trying to work up the nerve to paint them. Now I know it's possible and that it looks great! Thank you.

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  21. By the way, you mentioned that you glued the corbels to the underside of the cabinets. How did you get them to stay in place while the glue (or Liquid Nails, I'm assuming) set?

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  22. Wow, great job! I love the look of the black and white. Your photos are great too, I feel like I've been invited for breakfast :) I can only imagine the relief and rewarding feeling you must have completing this project!

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  23. Oh Wow!! I truly love this kitchen remodel. I love the black and white together. It is perfect, especially with the added touch of green. Truly, one of my most favorite kitchen makeovers.

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  24. I love your color scheme and the corbels. I'm going to suggest them to my husband. They add so much character!

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  25. I LOVE it! It looks absolutely FABULOUS!

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  26. Thanks, Michelle, for sharing your kitchen facelift and including all the lovely photos! You guys did a wonderful job. So hard to choose favourite things, the overall picture is so lovely. I think the black lowers really ground the room, while the white uppers keep everything so fresh and bright-brilliant! And the floors, oooh, I dream of wood floors to replace our pinkish ceramic. Your accessories add so much character, as do the corbels. I popped back over to the hutch post, amazing transformation! Thanks again for sharing, I'm going back to reread the whole post now and admire your photos once again.

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  27. Wow!!!! looks really good!!! I really want my microwave off the counter too! I'm in love with everything!

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  28. Michelle . . it is beautiful. What a great feeling. Love all of your choices and I really like all of the pops of green.

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  29. looks fantastic!!! I bet you are so excited to have it done. I'm a little faint of heart trying this soon after I read it took three weeks. :/ seeing the results though, I'm sure I will just have to suck it up and be patient. I'm such a get it done fast girl! ;)

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  30. Fabulous! So fresh looking!Love your new kitchen.
    Waiting to see what your mantle looks like after Christmas. I've been waiting since my fall and holiday mantles were crafted after seeing yours! Your vignettes are so creative and I love how you use what you have or pick up cheap and give it a high end look . You are very talented

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  31. OMG, I so want your kitchen. I mean, I always wanted your hutch .. but NOW, I need the whole shibang. GREAT job!

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  32. Gorgeous....I know I am the envy of all the commenters! I get to enjoy it up close and personal! So....when did you say you were coming over to get started on my kitchen????

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  33. Michelle, the kitchen is stunning!! Congratulaions and a very Happy New Year. Take care Anu

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  34. It's beautiful! Similar to what I want to do in my kitchen. I've been thinking about doing the black on bottom, white on top thing, and you've convinced me. My only problem, similar to yours, is that I have laminate countertops, but mine are faux wood and they are horrible. But, like you, that is not in the budget any time soon so I will have to work with it. Thanks for the inspiration!

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  35. Hi Michelle! I've been lurking/stalking!lol your blog for a few months now and I must say your kitchen remodel is the best WOW I've seen in a long time! I love your style and have found much inspiration here!! We have several of the same items around the house - now if I can only find some of your energy I would be able to get my blog up and running!!! Thanks so much for inspiring me to get going today! EXCELLENT JOB ON THE REMODEL (hubby did good too!) Sincerely, Jeannette

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  36. Your kitchen is amazing. I love the colors and the way you were able to complete this without huge debt.. Your money saving tips are spot on!

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  37. This is a favorite color combo of mine and it really is beautiful, what a relief to have it done! I'm ready for a change myself and you have provided me with gorgeous inspiration!

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  38. that looks fantastic, i especially love the white and black cabinet combo. well done to you!

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  39. Coming over from Jen's party. I can't imagine how much work this was for you, but you did an awesome job! I like that you went dark on the lower cabinets, too. Such a pretty transformation.

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  40. I love love love this kitchen. We are in the process of painting our cabinets white. We had a tough time choosing between white and black, but now, we are going to add black. AHH! I love it! Thank you for the inspiration!

    www.readit-and-eat.blogspot.com
    www.craftsforarainyday.blogspot.com

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  41. Love it, it looks amazing; what a great transformation! I really want to paint my cuboards now, mine are the same w/ the arched doors.

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  42. WOW!!!! I am so impressed! I refinished my kitchen cabinets back in the summer. It was a TON of work, but worth every minute!

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  43. Awesome transformation! I'll be painting my cupboards in the spring and am thinking of a white/? combo. Did you use oil based primer/paint? I'm thinking that's the best way to go for durability. Thanks for the wonderful inspiration.
    Kim:)

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  44. Your kitchen looks so beautiful! I love all the light you have shining in and your bottom cabinets painted black look awesome! The white painted cabinets look fabulous too!
    Be a sweetie,
    Shelia ;)

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  45. Absolutely gorgeous ... love, love, love your painted cabinets! When we bought our new fridge, Hubby and I went into a total stand-off because I wanted a counter depth fridge and he was opting for a deeper one. I held my ground and now we're both happy with it. Ours sits in a spot where losing that little bit of space would have been a real pain. Nice job -- congratulations!!!

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  46. Fabulous! It looks like a brand new space! Good for you!

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  47. This is gorgeous! I just redid my kitchen in all white...due to a flood...oops! I am loving the two tone look that you went with though. The black would hide dirty little fingerprints too! I think the countertops look so much better, I would have never thought tho paint the oak trim.

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  48. It looks wonderful! I am going to be painting my kitchen cabinets soon (a project I have been putting off for over a year). Can you give more detail on doing the cabinets? Did you sand too or just prime? Did you paint all of the insides of the cabinets? What paint did you use? .... :0)
    I have done the cabinets in both of my bathrooms and it was much easier than I thought it would be. I didn't use a primer, only did LIGHT sanding. I am interested in how you did yours though...it looks WONDERFUL!
    :0)
    ~robin

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  49. Your kitchen is dreamy!!!! You did a fantastic job! We have been budgeting for re-doing ours...

    I was wondering if you could give a close up pick of the cabinet doors. We have the oak/ woodgrain style cabinets like you had, and I am wondering if you can see the woodgrain underneath the white. I'd appreciate you letting me know. Thanks!!

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  50. This looks amazing!! We moved into our house about a year ago and I'm just itchin' to start painting our oak cabinets. I've actually been wanting to do this same thing: white uppers and black on the bottom cabinets, but this is the first picture i've seen of someone doing it...and so well!!! Thanks for sharing this! It's such an inspiration, and to know such big beautiful changes can happen on a budget! :)

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  51. Wow! What a great idea to do black AND white instead of a uniform color on the cabinets. I am so inspired for my own kitchen makeover!

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  52. WOW! Great job! I haven't met a white kitchen yet that I didn't LOVE! It's a lot of work, but so worth it, I love it!

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  53. What an amazing transformation. I absolutely love your Kitchen. And the contrast between the dark and white cabinetry is just amazing!

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  54. HI!

    Saw your feature on TT&J!

    Looks just fabulous! I painted a a kitchen in a previous home and it made such a BIG difference. I like that you used two different colors - really makes it 'pop'! :)

    Cheers!
    ~

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  55. absolutely adore your kitchen! love the black and white cabinets! you did a fantastic job!

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  56. I LOVE all the details like the corbels, the difference in color on the top and bottom of the cabinets AND my small fave details are the pet dishes on teh silver tray - tres fab!

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  57. Love the kitchen facelift! It's gorgeous! Definitely makes me want to paint our old oak cabinets!

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  58. Your "new" kitchen looks so beautiful Michelle! I love how much you were able to do with what you already had. Amazing. I think the corbels are my favorite part!

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  59. Beautiful....You did a great job! Believe it or not I am in the middle of the same thing.....I am 1/2 done, can't wait to get it done!

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  60. Gorgeous!!!

    I saw this on Tatertots and Jello and was like "That's my kitchen!" :)

    Well, not exactly...yet. But it's what I have planned out to do!! I am dying to add moulding to the tops of my old cabinets to beef them up! And I want to add corbels under my cabinets too!! I have green on the bottom cabinets and white on the top (which I love!).

    It's kind of nice to see my future (sort of) kitchen. Now if mine would grow to the size of yours, we'd be all good. LOL

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  61. oh man!!!! I love the black bottom cabinets with the white ones on top!!!!! Seriously, I'm going to have to really hold myself back from running to the paint store right now. Your kitchen/dining room are just beautiful!!! I can't compliment it enough!

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  62. Your kitchen looks great! Did you know that you can have your countertops spray painted for around $200-$250? We did it in our old house and my mom did it about 10 years ago and just barely redid it (they were starting to look dull, but she got some mileage out of them). It is more of a car paint that is used, strong and chip resistant, and they can put flecks in them so it gives the appearance of a faux stone counter. It holds up really well. Just thought I would let you know about that because a lot of people don't know.

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  63. Wow this looks AMAZING!! Awesome Job! I've love for you to link it up at I Heart Nap Time.

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  64. Wow -- That is so beautiful. I love how painting the cabinets makes such an amazing difference. We just did that ourselves and love the transformation.

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  65. I have quartz countertops and they are maintenance free and always look great. You will love them once they come into your life. Your transformation is just stunning and beautiful. Stop over at my blog for my giveaway.

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  66. Great job! I think my husband is sick of me sending him pictures of white painted cabinets (as gentle encouragement) but I think I must send him this blog post! :)

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  67. Ahhhhhhhhh-mazing! I love it all! Great job! I think the fix for the countertops was genius. They look like different counters. I really like the black cabinets on bottom with the light on top.

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  68. Hey Michelle,
    Ok girl...were we seperated at birth??? We have such similiar taste in kitchens. We even picked out the same corbels!
    Love...love...love what you did.

    The white paired with the dark...brilliant.

    Well done girl.

    Thanks for visiting my little blog and leaving such a nice comment . Come visit anytime.

    Your friend,
    Janet xox

    http://theemptynest-janet.blogspot.com/

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  69. It really looks great! Kitchen redo's are a lot of work, but well worth it. I'm still in the midst of mine.

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  70. This looks fabulous! I know how much work that is having done it myself. My cabinets are currently a subdued yellow, grey walls. However, this is not the first kitchen I have seen lately with white upper cabinets and grey or black on the lower. I love it and am thinking about doing the same thing.
    But so much work...have to get psyched up.
    Thanks for sharing.
    ~Pam
    pamspaintparlor.typepad.com

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  71. Just beautiful! I love the two-tone look! Way to go!

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  72. I'm loving your kitchen redo! Great job!We are in the finishing stages of redoing our kitchen. I had black cabinets in my previous kitchen & when we remodeled I knew I wanted them again. Our base cabinets are black. We currently don't have any upper but the one above the microwave. I'm trying to decide if I want to do all the upper black or do the white like you did.

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  73. Love this kitchen! Where did you buy the window shade? Everything looks absolutely beautiful.

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  74. Thank you everyone for commenting! Keep the questions coming if you have them.

    Anon,
    Thank you, I bought the bamboo shades at the Home Depot.

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  75. Your kitchen is fantabulous!
    What is the microwave for?
    Please don't eat anything out of it or
    stand in front of it when its running.
    Your health is worth more than any
    convenience it may offer.

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  76. Very nicely done. I love how you did white and black cabinets...I don't think I've seen that for a while. Beautiful...

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  77. wow, that's a weird comment about the microwave...

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  78. I love it! I am so inspired by your make-over! This is exactly the vision that I have for our kitchen. QUESTION: Could you give a step by step how to for adding the 1x4 and moulding to the tops of your cabinets. I really want to do that but can't quite figure out the execution on my own. Thank you so much!

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  79. I love how fresh your kitchen looks. We recently painted our cabinets too. I wanted to replace the handles/pulls or spray paint them black. My dad wanted to just clean them, so I let him. They look rustic bronze now. He's in his 80's and it made him happy to help out. Actually he has more energy than I do at 49. lol

    I love the towel art, I'm going to ck that link.

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  80. Hi Michelle - I L-O-V-E your kitchen re-do, and it's funny because it's almost exactly the same layout as my kitchen and I've been thinking about doing a very similar renovation! One question... I love the idea of the microwave over the stove, but I'm concerned about clearance. Would you mind telling me how many inches you have between the top of your cook-top and the bottom of the microwave?? THANKS so much!!

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  81. This is just so stunning I love it all and I love to see the cabinets with the black base and white top, I totally want to do something like this in my kitchen!

    I would be SO happy if you would consider writing a special guest post about this project for my blog Remodelaholic. Please let me know if you are interested, and I will send you the details!

    Thanks,
    Cassity

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  82. This is really admirable, i am freaking out.thanks for sharing.

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  83. I bet some uplighting would really look nice on the top of the upper cabinets. But great work! Love the look!

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  84. Stumbled upon your blog today - your kitchen remodel is terrific! It certainly is a kitchen to be proud of - great job!!!

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  85. Michelle, You have done an AMAZING job...I love everything you've done and you've given me the inspiration to try this at my own home. Thanks!

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  86. We are renovating a home with almost the EXACT layout as your kitchen. The dishwasher is on the other side of the sink-I think that's the only different. Your kitchen has been great inspiration. So lovely!! And great use of the space.

    My question: Do you know the measurement of your kitchen window? Ours is huge, and I want it to be just same size as yours. If you could let me know I would SO appreciate it as I have to order windows tomorrow and have no idea on the exact measurements. Thanks!!

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  87. Amy, the window is 34 1/2" square (oddly enough), hope that helps!

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  88. Lifesaver! I appreciate it. I told the window guy I wanted a "standard" kitchen window and he laughed---apparently there is no such thing! Were the window shades easy to find in that size? Thanks again! :)

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  89. Yes, I found the bamboo shades at Home Depot in stock.

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  90. We just redid our kitchen with cherry cabinets--and I just wanted to comment on your kitchen. It is very nice, but I think taking the cabinets to the ceiling would have been better. That is what we did with ours and it looks fabulous!

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  91. Your black/white kitchen looks fabulous! I have been wanting to do that but my kitchen is light sage, dinette is taupe and family room is taup with one accent wall (which connects to a hallway) is rust. It just seems like too much color.
    Tai

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  92. I would love to do blk lower cabinets and off white upper cabinets. I have a small kitchen which opens to the dinette & family room. The kitchen is light sage, dinette and family is 2 color taupe with one accent wall of family that is rust that continues (95 degree turn) down to the front door. Is it too much color to do the blk/wht cupboards?

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  93. Anon, based on what you have described here (and without seeing pictures) It does sound like too much would be going on if you went with B&W cabinets. Your set up sounds a lot like mine...What makes it work for me is my fireplace (and the wall above) is the same white as the upper cabs and I have a black hutch the same color as the lower cabs...I'm just repeating colors I already use...that is what helps it all make sense (and because it's all connected). I use B&W on all visually 'heavy' items and accent with color and other neutrals. I hope this helps, but again with out seeing pictures....it might not.

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  94. It looks wonderful! Your works shows me that we can do this on our own and it will turn out beautifully :o)
    Love the black and white on the cabinets, oh, and the corbels add a nice touch as well. Your rock, woman!

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  95. You did such a great job on your kitchen. I came via Pinterest. I'm looking to paint my cabinets as well. I need to stop talking about it and do it. I want to do the lowers in a darker color (not black, probably blueish gray). But your kitchen shows me it can be done. I want new countertops, too. :-)

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  96. Hi, I love your kitchen. Especially the black bottom white top situation. Do you mind me asking what color the bottom is? We have white cabinets and I am toying with the idea of dark lowers, and I love the way yours look.

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  97. Hi Michelle. Beautiful kitchen!! I'm so excited I found your blog. My kitchen cabinets are totally the same as your were. I've been toying with the idea of painting for the 5 years we've lived in my house. I for sure want to do it after seeing your results.
    I have a few questions I'd love for you to answer if you could...
    How have the spray painted hinges held up over the year + since you did them?
    What type of paint did you use (oil, latex, latex kitchen and bath, etc.)?
    How did you paint it on (spray, roller, or brush)?
    What grit sandpaper is best to use and how many coats did it need?
    Did you do the same for the outside of the cabinets as you did for the doors?
    Thank you so much!!
    Your hard work is truly inspirational!!!! Such a gorgeous kitchen!
    - Heather

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  98. Hi Heather, Thank you so much, I'm glad you are inspired!
    Answers:
    The hinges overall have held up great with the exception of about 1/2" where it actually opens/closes...but it's not even that noticable.
    I used regular semi-gloss paint and used a sponge roller and also a brush in places.
    I used 150 grit/fine sand paper in between each coat. Generally, I did two coats, unless something looked like it needed another coat.
    I used the same paint for everything.

    Hope that helps, thanks again

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  99. Wow, what a triumph! Your kitchen looks great. I love hand painted kitchens, it always seems such a shame when people rip out good quality oak units just to replace them with laminated units when you can rejuvenate your existing kitchen like this.

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  100. What color white did you use? Love it! Did you sand and paint with brush or spray it?

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  101. What color white did you use? Love it! Did you sand and paint with brush or spray it?

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    Replies
    1. Tailor's Chalk from Martha Stewart is the color for the uppers. I primed with Zinsser 1-2-3 and used a foam roller for most everything.

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  102. Truly beautiful! Love everything – from your new kitchen,You did an amazing job. 

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  103. I know this is an old thread, but I wanted to comment on the beautiful job you did! My kitchen is the exact same layout - absolutely identical, so it's given me some great ideas. I wish I could send a pic to get your thoughts! Thanks and happy housing!

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  104. I love what you've done! My kitchen is the identical layout to yours, to the tee. I wish I could send a photo and get your thoughts!

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Thank You for taking the time to comment! Because of the insane amount of spam comments, I had to stop anonymous comments-sorry for the inconvenience.
Michelle