Our dwelling was inbuilt 1988 and got here geared up with a lot of dated brass fixtures and oodles of oak. Did I point out the arched raised paneled all the pieces? I knew straight away I might be portray the kitchen cupboards and I deliberate to check out chalk paint to see how simple it was to make use of and the way nicely it would maintain up in our kitchen over time.
My husband Phil and I have been in a position to flip a revenue on our final dwelling, which allowed us to repay our scholar loans (woo hoo!), have a down fee for our new home, in addition to a reserve funds for instant renovations. Since we have been working with money for this renovation, I wished to be as cautious with spending as potential. No going over funds allowed!
I might have liked to equip our kitchen with model new, custom-made cupboards to suit the brand new footprint I designed for this area, however a extra budget-conscious selection was to reuse our present oak cupboards, rearranging them to suit the footprint and utilizing spacers between cupboards the place obligatory. And, in fact, you knew I’d need to paint all of it white! We appear to be loopy for white kitchens right here at A Stunning Mess.
I’ve the distinctive perspective to have the ability to share two totally different strategies of portray kitchen cupboards, for the reason that final time I painted our kitchen cupboards, we used latex paint and a conventional technique of sanding, priming, moist sanding, priming, and portray (all utilizing a twig gun). It was A LOT of labor! However this time round I wished to check out a distinct technique, largely out of wanting much less work, but additionally out of curiosity and an obligation to the world to weblog concerning the professionals and cons of every technique.
So, I made a decision to strive Annie Sloan’s Chalk Paint on our cupboards. And I’ve lots to say about it! (You may scroll to the tip of this publish for those who simply got here right here for the professionals and cons checklist.)
That is how our range wall used to look earlier than rearranging the cupboards to maneuver the range right here, giving extra space to the eating space of the kitchen. We discarded the previous counter tops and are relocating the higher cupboards to the basement and storage. Our new counter tops are Corian Strong Floor in Arctic White, and we made the countertop of our kitchen island larger so we will eat right here, too. We outfitted it with the identical countertop we had utilized in our final kitchen renovation—a maple butcher block slab we sealed with Waterlox, like we did right here.
ABOUT CHALK PAINT
Chalk paint is totally different from chalkboard paint. Chalk paint is a specifically formulated flat paint that can keep on with virtually all surfaces with out sanding or priming. It has a matte end and must be sealed. Different manufacturers have formulated their very own variations of chalk paint, however Annie Sloan is the unique. I used their Pure White paint, and it truly is a impartial white with out heat or cool tones to it.
First, I believed I ought to present you what our kitchen appeared like after we first bought the keys to the home. We fully eliminated the entire cabinetry on the fitting wall, and I’m engaged on constructing a shallow shelving system to go of their place, with a view to make extra room for seats on the island and round the eating space. We moved the range to the far wall, to make extra room within the eat-in space of the kitchen. This required operating a brand new gasoline line to energy the range (the previous range was electrical) in addition to rerouting air flow for the hood vent.
First, we pulled all the pieces out. I had rearranged the entire cabinetry digitally on AutoCAD first to ensure I might get the footprint I wished with out bodily rearranging them in place. There was one spot we needed to glue in wooden spacers as a result of I didn’t have a cupboard large sufficient for the area and didn’t need to undergo the difficulty of fashioning a brand new (albeit helpful) slim cupboard to fill the hole.
FILLING OLD HARDWARE HOLES
Subsequent, I eliminated the {hardware} from the doorways and drawers, and stuffed the holes the place the drawer pulls and door knobs was once, since we deliberate to make use of new ones with totally different attachment factors.
To fill the holes, I used Plastic Wooden model wooden filler, which dries inside quarter-hour. So it’s a must to work shortly, however you’ll even be able to sand it clean with out ready for too lengthy.
A very powerful step of portray your cupboards is cleansing them very nicely first. Use a degreasing detergent in your water and a non-scratch, but abrasive pad (one thing you may use to wash a non-stick skillet), and actually scrub onerous! I believed I had cleaned my cupboards very nicely, however after portray, I seen a number of grease dots that have been displaying by the paint.
I needed to cowl these areas with greater than 10 coats of paint for the grease spots to cease lastly displaying by! Even primer wasn’t working to cowl up the grease. So, please take it from me—be certain that your cupboards are tremendous clear earlier than portray.
After rinsing and drying the cupboards, I started portray with the chalk paint, with out sanding or making use of a primer.
PAINTING AND SEALING
I used to be stunned at how thick the chalk paint went on, and the way shortly it dried. I used to be in a position to paint a coat, and instantly start one other. It took three coats to cowl all the pieces, and whereas it has the oak grain, there was the feel of the comb left on the floor, so I evenly dry-sanded it with 600 grit moist/dry sandpaper.
After the sunshine sanding, the paint end was so silky clean—you’d by no means know there was oak beneath! Historically, chalk paint is completed with wax, however as a result of kitchen cupboards obtain such heavy put on, I wished to make use of a end that wouldn’t want upkeep.
My go-to wooden sealer is polyurethane, nevertheless it’s a end that notoriously yellows. Not the look I need with white cupboards. So, I used a water-based Polycrylic as an alternative which doesn’t use urethane as a hardener, so it gained’t yellow over time.
I brushed three coats of Polycrylic onto the cupboard bases, and sprayed three coats onto the doorways and drawers. It took two 1/2 pints to cowl the cupboard base and island, and three bottles to spray the doorways and drawers.
FINISHING TOUCHES
I used the unique hinges on the entire doorways, however changed the {hardware} with these little wood knobs that had a contemporary silhouette. They got here unfinished, so I used Minwax Pure Stain and sealed with a number of coats of polyurethane. I used polyurethane slightly than Polycrylic, as a result of it isn’t water-based and can stand as much as being wiped and dealt with continually, whereas I’m a bit involved about how Polycrylic could presumably turn into cheesy after years of wiping and dealing with.
PROS AND CONS
Now that I’ve completed the entire portray, and since I’ve finished it earlier than a distinct manner, I believed it will be actually precious to share a professionals and cons checklist for every course of—latex paint versus chalk paint.
CHALK PAINT PROS:
- Chalk paint dries shortly.
- Chalk paint is thick and requires much less coats of paint.
- There’s no must prime.
- If painted over already sealed wooden, tannins of the wooden won’t seep into the white paint, inflicting brownish stains.
- Chalk paint will disguise closely grained wooden like oak.
CHALK PAINT CONS:
- Chalk paint is thick and leaves brush marks. (Latex paint may also go away brush marks, however final time I used a twig gun for the latex paint.)
- You may’t have {custom} colours combined with Annie Sloan paint, although you might be inspired to combine them your self. However this requires you to have further available for touch-ups.
- It’s onerous to cover the tannins when portray over areas which were freshly sanded and never sealed, just like the areas across the {hardware} holes I stuffed. These areas required a number of further coats of paint, although primer could also be extra environment friendly at doing this.
- Due to the thickness of chalk paint, it could construct up shortly and diminish the dimensionality of ornamental routered edges.
- Chalk paint can’t be brushed on as evenly as latex paint will be sprayed on. Some edges of my doorways and drawers have thicker coats of paint and virtually globby areas, although I used to be cautious to not put it on too thick.
LATEX PAINT PROS:
- The paint end shall be very clean and even, if finished the correct manner. (Try the entire steps I did to attain the proper end for our final kitchen renovation.)
- Latex paint is comparatively cheap, and somewhat goes a great distance when spraying.
- You may have your paint coloration {custom} combined and for those who want extra paint combined for touch-ups, you should buy the precise coloration of paint once more at a later time.
- You do not want to seal latex paint, and a satin or semi-gloss end is straightforward to wash.
LATEX PAINT CONS:
- Spray portray requires loads of further instruments. Renting or shopping for them is dear, and even for those who personal them, it’s tedious to arrange and clear up.
- Latex paint requires all cupboards to be sanding and primed. If finished proper, you’ll prime, moist sand, then prime once more, which may be very labor intensive. Sanding additionally requires extra supplies, subsequently extra bills.
- If spray portray, you have to a big space to put out your whole cupboards and cabinets, and must shield a big space round your workspace due to overspray.
- If you’re portray over uncooked wooden (particularly oak), you’ll have some bother protecting the tannins which trigger brown staining in your end paint. Chalk paint will be finished over already sealed wooden, which takes care of this drawback.
- Latex paint isn’t nice at hiding wooden grain. You will have to do intensive priming and moist sanding first to perform this.
CONS FOR BOTH LATEX AND CHALK PAINTS:
Time: Each portray strategies are time intensive. I had thought chalk paint could be quicker, as a result of it had much less steps. No moist sanding after priming after which priming once more to robust up after moist sanding. However brushing on chalk paint was time intensive, and I might by no means get it fairly even, like you’ll be able to with spraying.
Spray portray latex paint was a lot quicker, although it requires extra coats, because you skinny the paint earlier than spraying, and spray it on evenly. Additionally, I believe all of the sanding I did for our final kitchen was a lot simpler then it will’ve been this time, as a result of these cupboard doorways have been flat, whereas these ones have routered raised panels that might have been tedious to sand.
Paint chipping: I’ve had experiences thus far with each kinds of paint chipping off in case you are tough with it, resembling knicking it with a pointy steel object. I don’t assume the shortage of primer contributes to this occurring, as a result of I’ve skilled this with the latex painted cupboards as nicely.
Observe: This publish was up to date in 2021— click on right here to see Mandi’s full kitchen reveal!
We’ve finished loads of kitchen cupboard initiatives on the weblog, so you should definitely take a look at how Laura refreshed her cupboards in a single afternoon and Elsie’s suggestions for portray cupboards. Elsie swears by this technique! xo, Mandi
P.S. Try extra cute dwelling decor and kitchen gadgets on our wishlist and buying pages!
Materials Sources:
Wall paint: Benjamin Moore’s Tremendous White
Cupboard paint: Annie Sloan’s Pure White
Wall tile:The House Depot
Tile grout: TEC Silverado
Pink sink: Thermocast
Faucet: Kraus from Overstock
Island butcher block: The House Depot sealed with Waterlox
Flooring: Lumber Liquidators maple engineered wooden
Knobs: wood knobs
Range: KitchenAid from The House Depot
Dishwasher: KitchenAid from House Depot
Espresso maker: KitchenAid (comparable right here)