My new kitchen: The Plan

Call me crazy but contact paper is really not a viable wall covering!  When my Mom saw the kitchen for the first time she said, "I had that same cook top...in 1979."  She probably had the macramé plant holder as well.

There are some pluses to our "new" kitchen.  It is inside. 

OK...there are more things. It is a good size and very sunny.  It has a nice eat-in area. Storage space is good.  The Corian is new. It's not granite but I'm good with it. The color is nice and the stuff cleans/wears really well.

The tile is not subway but it's white and very clean.  I can work with it.

What doesn't work:

The wallpaper....Walmart special

Popcorn ceilings...of course

Heavy ugly ceiling fan

No task lighting

Poorly designed pantry

Old oak cabinets

Sheet linoleum floor in green squares

Now why is this list always longer then the things that work list?

Our friend Bailey came over to go over the lighting.  How do you cook when you have no lights? I believe people stayed married longer in the past because they really couldn't see each other.

Typical of my collaborations with Bailey.  We started with light bulbs....

and tore out a row of cabinets...

which caused the drywall to split and the ceiling to collapse releasing 4 bags of ceiling insulation. "I don't know why she swallowed a fly, I guess she'll die."  The chain reaction of home improvement.

As I noted in the previous post, Bruce is the only sane one is this relationship. He worked with Jon to get the wallpaper and popcorn removed. Everything is skimmed, primed, and ready to go. Like I said in my post about cabinets....hire a pro when you want it done right. This would have taken me at least 4-6 weeks on my own.

Bailey then installed my cook top lights. These are from IKEA in a charcoal metal. I love mixing IKEA pieces with unique finds...such as the light fixture replacing the brass ceiling fan. Bruce and I removed the old fan and installed this ourselves.

This wood and wire fixture is from Rensenhouse of Lights.  January is always their Bright Sale and I got this one At Cost.  It works well with my theme "Bohemian Chic" for the home. Bailey put in some pot lights and now I'm ready to work my magic.

I know painted plain walls are in-style but to me, an all white kitchen doesn't make me happy. It seems a little institutional. And hard to keep clean. I need texture and color.  Something with a little age that wears well.

When I walk in my kitchen I want to say "Wow, I love this" and not "Do you get Tater-tots with the meatloaf?"

The walls will be Aquawax mixed with Designer Metallic Setcoat. This is a very popular sample from our One Day Wax Class. It is a subtle palette with a bit of sheen that is amazingly durable.  I love pattern and have none on the walls so I want one in the kitchen. The above pattern is a favorite from Royal Design Studio rendered in Super Hide Metallic Silver and Rich Gold.  But I'm thinking of using this pattern from Melanie for the walls:

I love this delicate scroll work! These pictures are from the Royal Design Website.  Then I think I will add this pattern, also from Royal, on the soffit:

I want to finish the sunbursts in rusted etched foil! Wow...I'm already happy just thinking about it.

For my cabinets....let's face it, I've got some performance anxiety.  Is there a pill for that?

My pantry finish:

It's hard to retro-fit doors to an old opening and a barn door won't work in this space. I plan on adding Bomar or molding and some cool chunky handles. Then my finish will be our Indian Ivory which is a pale warm silver/gold with a slight grey texture and glazed cream.

Say goodbye to the blue table.

I need to use a beautiful round rug from our previous home and this color won't work. Oh well. Good thing I like to change things.  The new finish is a metallic olive bronze with a lightly cracked grey over the top. Then it's glazed and antiqued.

Where we removed the upper cabinets, I'm putting in chunky wood shelves. This will be a baking station with easy access to mixer, bowls, spices and such. Plus I have my grandmother's collection of milk glass. Guess I will have to cook....and clean more in the future. These cabinets will be a re-stain. I'm adapting the Setcoat I make to match Kendall Charcoal paint color into a re-stain formula. This way you will see the wood grain. I don't want all the wood to look painted.

The bulk of the cabinets will be in my Setcoat matched to Ben Moore Raccoon Hollow, which I will glaze lightly.

All I have left to do is select the floor and decide if I want to tackle it myself. Or hire out. The kitchen is the most important room of the kitchen so you want to pay for the best work possible. Even if it means walking on primed plywood for a while.

What do you think? 

Easy Barnwood

This old chippy wood has enjoyed a real comeback. Why is it that a natural aged patina is considered beautiful in decor but not on our face? Just a thought.

Anyway....

There are several ways to fake the look of barnwood. Here are two ways that use the same products. One is for a wall that has no wood. The second is for flat wood that has no character.  As you can see in the above picture, one thing that makes barnwood interesting is the heavy grain. Part of our goal is to create that same rough hewn appearance.

I am using Faux Effects Setcoat Clear, Cracklemate, and Sandstone.  The Setcoat Clear is our prep base.  You want your Sandstone to bond to the sub-surface. Be careful about using latex paint especially paint & primer in one or scrubbable paint.  These are good paint and can even be high dollar. But many are loaded with vinyl which allows for coverage and cleaning. Have you ever tried to get stuff to stick to vinyl? The point is you're not. Many faux finishing products will not cure well to these paints. If you are going to use latex paint as any base for  faux finish do sample. Then take sticky tape and burnish it over the finish.  PULL! It shouldn't come off if it's bonded.

Roll 1-2 coats of Setcoat Clear on your surface and let it dry over night. Next we are making our wood texture.  I mixed 1 quart of Cracklemate with 1 gallon of Sandstone.  Cracklemate is an additive that allows products to crackle over crackle size.  In this case, I'm using it as a conditioner that will allow my Sandstone to thicken and pull in areas.

Add 1-2 cups of water and mix. The Sandstone will form a nice fluffy paste. For a cabinet/wood finish you will brush the mixture over the surface following the grain. An old chip brush will work.

For smaller pieces I like to use a cut-up wallpaper brush to create my grain. A stiff bristle one works best. Just pull it through-again following the grain.

If you would like to create more depth, use your chip brush to blot in heavier areas of the Sandstone.

If your surface is a flat wall, first you will need to mark off your planks using a ruler and a level. Tape off alternating planks.  Decide if your planks run vertically or horizontally. Butter your trowel with the Sandstone mix.

Hold the trowel at a slight angle to the surface and apply the Sandstone in a medium thick layer.

I like to use several tools to create grain. 

You may use the wallpaper brush again.  Another tool is our Bark Specialty Roller.  Attach the roller to a 4" roller cage-it won't fill the entire roller which is fine because it makes it lighter and easier to roll. Just follow your plank and roll using medium pressure.  The Cracklemate will help your pattern roll more cleanly.

For some planks I want to create a heart grain. This is done using a rocker grainer.

You can see the small semi-circle facing my hand.  I set the grainer on the edge with the small semi-circle touching the surface. As you pull the rocker toward you gently "rock" the tool back and forth.

You will need to clean your rocker as you go.  Use a stiff chip brush (we all have those!) and knock the product back into your bucket.

Let the Sandstone set for 20min and then gently compress with a trowel held flatly. Don't over flatten

Pull the tape and repeat on the alternate planks. 





I am using Pre-Tinted Old World Finishing Paint for my color layer.  The colors I've selected are Earth (a warm green based neutral brown), Dove (a stone light grey) and Coconut (a clean white).

These colors may be used straight from the can. You may mix them together or add colorants to get custom shades.  I started with the darkest color which is the Earth. Roll it on for the wall finish.

I brush it on the wood. This shade is made from mixing 3 parts Dove with 1 part Earth.

The Old World Paint will dry about 25% lighter then the wet batch. It will darken after you sand and seal.  Each color layer needs to dry at least 2 hours. Then you may start stacking colors.

I re-taped some of my planks to apply my other colors. This is Coconut over the Earth color.

 This is Dove over the Earth on the wood.

Once you have your colors stacked, use a rough sanding block to reveal underneath colors. OWFP is dusty so wear a dust mask. Wipe off the surface with a damp cloth-this will show you the true color variations and how much you've sanded off.

After sanding you need to seal the surface. Mineral based paints are absorbent and will soak up tinted glaze colors. I used Aquaguard Satin. I mixed 3 parts Aquacreme and 1 part American Walnut Stain & Seal. I also mixed 3 parts Aquacreme and 1 part Van Dyke Stain and Seal.  You may use Faux Crème Colors and Faux Crème Clear if you prefer.

Use a damp cloth to move the colorant and to soften the finish. You may spritz with water to remove more glaze and lighten the finish.  You want to avoid too much variation to keep the finish from looking like stripes.

For cabinet finishes I roll another coat of Aquaguard Satin so the surface may be cleaned. You may do the same to the walls.

This is a great finish to add character to boring pieces and to cover damaged wood or walls. Perfect for the popular reclaimed wood look!