That’s it! I’ve finally done it – I tore apart the kitchen.I refuse to live with ugly cabinets and carpet on the floor for any longer. I’ve been living with this kitchen for six years, hoping to save enough money to put in new cabinets and flooring. I can no longer cope, so I’m taking matters into my own hands. With my son in tow, I went off to the paint department and picked out every color that remotely looked good to me. We’ve had the new flooring sitting in our shop for about four years, so I pulled out a sample piece and evaluated my paint chips. About half of them went by the wayside immediately.After further review I picked out three colors – one for the ceiling and trim, one for the walls and cabinets, and one for an accent.
Day 1: I took before pictures. But I can’t find my camera in the disaster that is now my kitchen. I removed all the doors from the cabinets. Little Man gladly wielded a screwdriver and removed all of the handles off the doors. Together we took off the hinges. I’m undecided as to whether I’ll reuse them, so they’re in a bag in the shop (I think.) One coat of paint on the ceiling.
Day 2: Second coat of paint on the ceiling. Used Elmer’s wood glue to fill screw holes on the doors. Whoever originally installed the hinges and pulls was really inept. Every single piece of hardware has two sets of holes! Sanded the doors lightly. This is a necessary but relatively quick step with a sander. My cabinets have a varathane finish, and if this isn’t scuffed up a little, the paint won’t stick. Trust me, I’ve learned this the hard way. Take the extra time and sand the doors!!! Hubby removed baseboard heaters and disconnected wiring at the thermostat. This took some time as the fuse for the heaters wasn’t labeled. A lot of flipping breakers and testing wires until we found the right one.
Day 3: Put a coat of primer on the doors. Also sanded the exposed faces of the cabinets in the kitchen. One coat of primer on the cabinets. While I was painting, there was this loud pounding sound. I immediately accused Little Man, but found him playing quietly between the fridge and the dining room table. Peering down the hallway I see a city police officer at the front door. I crawl over the kitchen drawers and oven drawer that are stacked in the hallway and unlock the front door.
“Hello?”
“Hello, ma’am, are you missing a lamb?”
“Oh crap. Probably.”
“It’s over on First Street.”
Who was it that thought bummer lambs would be a good idea? Oh right, that was me. Little Man, Hubby and I trot three blocks and stop to listen. I hear the lamb. Sure enough, here it comes around the corner, running for all it’s worth down the street chased by a police cruiser. It sees me and briefly thinks about seeking refuge. It then thinks better of it and veers wildly through somebody’s front yard, across the street and into a driveway. The officer whips his car into the alley and cuts the lamb off. It then runs into an open shop that is filled to capacity with junk. At this point, the officer, Little Man, Hubby and I are able to corner it.
I thank the officer profusely, tuck the lamb under my arm and begin my walk of shame home. At the corner, I see two kids in a window smiling and waving.I wave back. The officer pulls up beside me and rolls down the window, he’s smiling. “Eight years, and this is a first for me.”
Sunny the Convict went in the shop until we got her some friends and did a little troubleshooting on the pen. I finished my priming.
Day 4: As yet, no escaping lambs and I’ve got two coats of actual paint on the cabinets in the kitchen. On my doors I want to try a technique where I paint a dark color underneath and a lighter color on top, and then sand through the top coat so that the darker color comes through. I got my dark color on a test door and will try the whole process before starting on the other twenty or so doors. I also think I need a third coat of paint on the ceiling. I’m still debating. Also need to find the camera. Hmmm.
To be continued…
