Kitchen cabinets

      Re-doing the kitchen cabinets had been on my list for more than 2 years. The two or three weeks that I spent here in the summers was never enough time, while I was working. Yesterday I finished this tedious task and I learned some things along the way.



Things I learned

1) When going from varnish/stain to paint, sanding is not enough. Try a stripper.

(Sorry, I could not resist)

2) Doors that are used to hanging a certain way for more than 50 years do not like to be removed. The hinges have gotten used to being tilted just so. Doors may not fot properly after the treatment.
3) The prime lesson about painting is "primer." Be generous.
4) Be patient.

Cabinet pulls

I cleaned scraped and painted the old pulls and for now decided to have new pulls on the top and the old ones below. If I decide that I don't like the old ones, I hope to be able to find the new. I bought them on clearance.

Old                                                       New

You cannot imagine how much crud was behind each pull

What also helped the look was the de-cluttering.

 

The clock will change colors before long. The new counter top is waiting its turn in the carport. There will be a new backsplach to replace the floor vinyl tiles above the sink.

The blue cabinet became my pantry to make room for my bar glassware. One must keep focused on priorities. Its doors will be painted with the darker yellow and the sides "white." Actually the color on the cabinets is the palest yellow before you get to white.

The curtains are gone. I think I will construct some "Roman shades." Of course, the curtain-less window is also an option.

A section of the counter top is visible on the left. It is faux granite and a great find at the Habitat store in San Antonio.

The next step in the kitchen transformation is cutting through the wall to the living room. This will happen this week. I checked with a carpenter friend and he assured me that it does not matter if the wall is weight bearing or not because the size of the cut is not of significant - 68 in. (wide) x 45 in. (height). I just saw an episode of "remodeling realities" that dealt with a load-bearing wall demolition. Yikes!!

Your ideas and input are welcomed!

Joe