Cookin' Up Something Nice

House hunting this time around meant that we had a few more items on our "must have" list. A larger, more open kitchen was high on the list, as we tried (most times) unsuccessfully to fit our family into our tiny kitchen before. Our hope was to find a home with a kitchen that could fit a large table filled with our family and friends--one that we could make many memories of fellowship in together. The bonus was that we found one that needed some love. :) 

The Northpoint house is full of cabinet space, but one look at those rose colored 1990's beauties and Tyler and I both saw a fresh, clean white in our future. While we love the looks of the modern dark cabinetry we see in many newer homes, we are both drawn to the light and bright that a couple coats of paint can bring. 

This brings us to one of our first projects: operation "paint the cabinets" was soon underway as our summer vacation began. 

 

Since we would be replacing hardware, step one was removing the doors so that we could lay them flat in the garage and get nice even coats, no drips, and plenty of dry time. You may notice the sweet little gal playing in the noodles and muffin tins on the floor. She was quite a helper during the door removal process. :) (Of course, it was much easier to paint a kitchen WITHOUT the help of a toddler haha). 

There are many helpful tips out there on the best ways to repaint cabinets, but we chose what made sense to us. Therefore, we laid the doors out (front side down to avoid any smudging when flipping them over), did a light sanding to scuff the surface, primed, and painted two coats. The process was long, but well worth the work. One key here is to allow plenty of dry time between coats and when complete. 

I don't have a picture of just the cabinet boxes, but we did the same process. Sand, gentle wipe down to remove dust and grease, prime, then paint 2 coats. To avoid brush strokes, I like to use a small foam roller. :)

The cabinets turned out better than expected--a better finished product than our last house, for sure. 

Add some hardware (no knobs before) and we have a brand new look!

Problem #2: Red, Red waaaalllls. 

I'm sure many of you love a good red wall, but the red just wasn't going to go with my grey, yellow, and white color scheme. So...out with the old and in with the new! 

The high ceilings sure didn't lend to any easy paint job, but we were blessed to already have the paint color of choice on hand and plenty to go around. Gotta love free paint! The color is a greige color--a blend of grey and beige--but I couldn't tell you the exact name since the original owners of this paint had it color-matched. 

We still don't have a tall enough ladder to cut in around the top, but we have one coming soon to finish. In the meantime, however, we have a lovely border to go with our fabulous paint color. Either way...much better than the red. :) So clean! 

 The painted cabinets and walls, as well as some fresh decor have already completely changed the look of our new home. While we still have plans of removing the glass block railings, updating the stove and microwave, finishing the cutting in, and adding a handmade farmhouse table made from barnwood at my grandparent's farm, this beauty is already becoming "ours" and many friends and family have blessed it with their presence. 

 

Lord, we pray that you use this space to be honored in our family and fellowship. May ministry happen here and our family grow closer to one another and closer to you. 

Next up: Family room updates