Small Changes in the Kitchen

Is any "after" truly an "after"? For me no, things are always in progress. The past couple weeks we've tackled a couple mini projects in our kitchen/dinning room in DIY preparation for our next (and final according my my husband - ha) big project - painting our cabinets.

As a test and practice for the kind of patient and perfect painting will we need to do, we decided to paint our kitchen table.

The back story on the table is that is the best kind of furniture - free. The legs and the top came from different sets but style-wise are very compatible and honestly in the 4 years we've had the table no one ever noticed the slight color difference.

 

However the top of the table was a veneer that had grown increasingly cloudy over time and at the leaf seams we were seeing some wear and damage. Since we have a prisms worth of chair and tableware colors we decided to go with a neutral for the table. The walls are 2 tones of grey, and we are anticipating white cabinets so black(ish) seemed like the natural choice.

So we prepped the table:

3 easy steps right? Wrong. Anything you see online in 3 easy steps is neglecting the 50 bajillion little in between steps that are simple but make things complicated{i.e carrying the table to the garage, researching the best products to use, going to Lowe's to buy those products, husband decides table legs need additional shim pieces to add stability due to the Frankenstein nature of your table and creates subproject "bolster the table legs,"changing in and out of paint clothes as you try to do other things while your table dries...}. 

But here are the basics: 

1) We used Klean-Strip brand deglosser to take the sheen off of the veneer top, as well as, the solid wood legs. 

2) We sanded with 220 grit sand paper. Orbital sander on top and by hand on legs. 

3) We primed with Zinsser oil based primer* **. 

4) We waited several days (since it was a bit chilly and we were working) after priming to make sure things were nice and solid and then we sanded again to smooth out the primer coat. 

* I really really really do not like oil based anything. It stinks. It is impossible to clean up. Cleaning it up stinks (literally). BUT ... for a tough and well adhered base coat on a piece of furniture it is worth it. 

** You will see in the picture that I am using a paint sprayer. We purchased a basic model paint sprayer and didn't like the results at all. We had to thin the primmer (more stinky mineral spirits) and it still didn't give a smooth or consistent coverage. We were able to return it and will not be using a sprayer in the future. After the ease of brush and roller application on the paint coats (we'll get to that soon) it became clear to us that we are much happier with the process and results of doing it by hand. But hey, that's why we did this project as a test or preview of what we would be up against for the cabinets. 

The color we chose is named "Tuxedo Tie" in a satin finish by Valspar in their Signature line. It is an almost back, with a deep charcoal undertone. It took 3 full coats for complete coverage (over white primer). 

We used synthetic bristle brushes on the legs and skirt.

A foam roller was used for a smooth
finish on the table top.

 Please don't make fun of my Sponge Bob paint pants. Ok you can make a little fun as long as you know that I did not buy them. Actually Jer and I each have 2 sets of paint clothes and a designated paint clothes place. Maybe thats a sign that we are painting too much, or that we are up for the challenge of paining our cabinets. Here are some helpful hints from lazy innovative painters:

And the much anticipated "afters":

The picture on the left is the most accurate in terms of color. And then with colorful dishes to dress it up {because lets be honest when is the table 100% empty}.

 
Whilst a Lowe's hanging out with my homies buying paint I also convinced my husband that our kitchen faucet was in need of an upgrade so we had a little concurrent project going on.

It could be the case that one of the main reasons we needed a new faucet is that someone (whom shall remain nameless, okay okay it was probably me) had deposited a substantial amount of paint oil based primer on the knobs of the old one during a project last year. Actually the main reason we needed I wanted a new faucet was the style and function, but the main way I convinced my sweet husband was the paint. I promise that I don't spend every weekend forcing my husband into home projects, but a majority of the drive does come from me. I love having his support and enthusiasm for the projects we tackle - that makes all the difference in the world and ensures we are both happy with the outcome and don't kill each other in the process. Anyway, we are quick learners and came up with the baggy on handles and knobs trick I shared with you above. I'm so blessed to have such a handy husband, although his large and lanky body had trouble squeezing in the cabinet beneath the sink it took him about 30 minutes to do this simple but impactful transformation.