I wanted to change my cupboards. Not because they were bad but because I didn’t feel they fit the home. The house is a bungalow and the hickory cabinets are great but would look better in a cabin. What I would really want is a dark cherry because that would match the homes style. I pondered this for awhile and because it is a small galley kitchen I thought making it lighter would make it feel a little larger. My cousin is a cabinet maker and he wasn’t pleased I painted wood. If I could afford it, I would have him make me new cabinets but I am on a tight budget.
Since I have already discovered chalk paint, I wanted to explore that further. Once again I go to Amazon.com and found a linen color I liked called Renaissance Chalk furniture and cabinet paint. This was great to work with and only needed two coats. I used an electric palm sander and sanded the edges but the part I didn’t care for is the lighter cabinet color is what came through. I did something that wasn’t part of the instructions. I try to think outside the box or you could say I don’t go by the rules. I took a rag and wiped a small amount of stain on the edges, in the same places I sanded. This did leave a stain line that wasn’t all that desirable. What worked for me is the special dark wax I brushed on blended that stain edge. The wax gave the look I was going for. It was a flat linen color before adding the dark wax. To top it off I applied the clear wax and buffed it.
My son was home from college and he was excited for this transformation. He helped by taking the doors and handles on and off for me. I also got him to rub hard with the cotton cloth. The shine comes out with a good buffing. If I had an electric buffer that would have been made it shine even more.
Between the dresser, I talked about earlier, and this cabinet project I have $100 in materials. I didn’t have to pay for labor so it became a cheap project. Spending time with my son… priceless.
Jill R Holland Designs 