Pics below - before during & after

{{gwi:1814150}}


{{gwi:1814156}}


{{gwi:1533634}}


{{gwi:1533643}}


{{gwi:1533640}}


{{gwi:1556558}}

{{gwi:1556555}}

Wow! Fantastic job! Those cabinets look like they were done by a pro. Watch out for snowblindness!

Are the cabinets oak? Does the primer/paint even out the grain? I have golden oak cabinets and I'm sick of them but can't really afford to replace or reface. Painting is an option, but I'm not sure I want painted cabinets. The work!

Thanks for posting about your experience--and including pictures!I've been trying to gather up the courage to try this and your post is very encouraging (and realistic).

the cabinets look really great....

my DH and I would like to paint the cabinets white in our future home (well hopefully future home if all goes through!) it does seem like A LOT of work but we rather spend the money on a new countertop and DIY the cabinets. i *think* that i like the look of painted over thermofoil anyway - and if we replaced the cabinets we can only afford thermofoil (which we have now in our apartment and i like it but i think painted would look just as nice).

i've been trying to find some useful threads on DIY cabinet painting but haven't had much luck. if you have any saved could you post them? i figure the more information i can gather the better LOL....

your pool kitchen really looks great, after seeing so many great results of DIY cabinets i'd really like to try it out myself!

The cabinets I think were Cypress. I live in Louisiana & I have the remodel plans from the person that built the pool house addition & they call for cypress. That is a wood that is native to here but, the grain is much like an oak so maybe it is cypress or maybe it is oak. Anyway, there is definitely a grain to it. DH and i argued about the primer coats & how many to put. I won that won (not that it got me anything) because the ones I did don't show any graining with 2 coats of primer. The ones he did do. So if you have thick coat of stain and/or any top coat on oak, you have to sand really well first. Then 2 coats of primer are a must - IMHO. I can see the grain in the ones that DH did and it drives me nutso. Like the underneath of the upper cabs for example. If he had sanded better & done 2 coats of primer, I don't think you would see it since I don't see the grain on the other surfaces. Who knows though because they were custom cabs, the cabinet guy could have used other woods too. They are 8 years old. Don't be afraid though. It is a lot of work but, if you follow the advice on this forum, the result is worth it. The cabs are not that shiny, it's just the lighting in the pool house is not great. They are very pretty.

To the poster that asked about DIY cabs, there are some, mostly though people rip out old and put in new. I think that totally depends on the age of the cabs and the condition. If you can save what you have you are technically "going green". How in vogue is that? If they are nasty and have no character to them, then you have to start over. I have seen several posts for people that re-did therofoil or whatever it is called. It is more detailed what needs to be done but, nonetheless, less than new cabs are.

I have friends and have seen many posters whose cabinets were $75k. Wow, that's a ton of money. So if you can figure it out, use what you have!

Go for it. A little at a time is fine too. If you hate your cabinets, paint them. There are many posters here that have black, blue, brown or white cabinets. All look good. If you can use what you have then a little paint is so cheap compared to new.

To be honest, I have the same types of cabinets in my kitchen, laundry, DD bath in my 1950s/remodeled in 2000 house that are 8 years old. All of those cabinets, I will either paint or have painted professionally, the wood is not really nice enough to restain. The ones in my Master bath & guest bath that are original to the house and then painted from 1950, they are out. They are just flat front wood nothing cabinets. There is no saving those. Anything in the last 20 years thougth might be savagable.

There are so many options for colors. I can post some colored cabinets from my inspiration file if you would like to see them. that will show you paint grade cabs that are just beautiful.

kimmieb, I will agree that cabs are probably the toughest paint job one can tackle (I love to paint but grew to hate that job. Mine took 12 days working days only by myself and it's a small kitchen).

Pat yourself on the back kiddo, you did an outstanding job! That room is stunning!! Love the Fieldstone! I'm going to encourage you to post your pics of it over in Home Dec's Gallery, under the "greys" thread. (If you're unfamiliar, we have 'colors' threads over there and posters put their pics of wall colors in appropriate colors threads as inspiration for others.) I'm sure it would be appreciated, gray is becoming a color of interest for a lot of us. ;-)

Very impressive!

Thank you Moonshadow for the compliments. I did what you suggested and posted under the gray color in that link. Gray is so hard to nail down.

Those updates look amazing! Really, it looks like a brand new space. Truly inspiring.

All the trim and doors in my house are in the process of going White Dove. I am also planning on repainting my cabs, but not sure about W Dove for them. It is a pretty bright white, and my appliances are all already white. I was worried about white overload. I am also probably too scared to paint my cabs any color other than white for fear I'll get tired of it.

Can I ask where you got that rug? Is it Jute? How much was it? I have found one called "Jewel" or "Fantasy" or some name like on the net that that looked similar to that rug and love the little pattern on it. Does it feel rough to the feet?

BTW--great job! I am in Slidell-whereabouts in LA are you?

There doesn't seem to be such a thing as BM Aura ceiling paint. All the retailers I have talked to do not recommend using Aura in any sheen on a ceiling.

Jockewing - I'm in Baton Rouge, right near LSU. The White Dove is a really bright, clean white. I got the color idea from the Willow Decor blog, she did her kitchen cabinets white dove in her kitchen and they were beautiful. Her walls were another color on that same color card as the Fieldstone on my walls. Her butler's pantry is to die for too also shown on the blog. Her cabinets are Fieldstone in the butler's pantry.
http://willowdecor.blogspot.com/

The rug is an indoor/outdoor rug from Pottery Barn. I'm not sure its big enough but, it was really inexpensive and is soft under foot unlike a real jute rug. I couldn't decide so I got it since it was like $299 for an 8X10. Figured I could put it outside if i didn't end up liking it. I do like the lighter color of it.

Paintguy - I had no idea that you weren't supposed to use Aura on the ceiling. It's eggshell on the walls and matte on the ceiling. Why wouldn't you use it on the ceiling? Just curious. Now that it's done, can't undo but, asking so others would know not to do it.

It's because of flashing really. It would be the same reason that you would not want to use a semi-gloss or some other sheen paint on a ceiling. I consider Aura to be a sheen paint. Matte and flat are not the same. Matte is still a shiny paint, even though the sheen may be very low. Roller marks show, lap marks, etc. The way that light hits a ceiling is different than the way light hits walls....everything shows more. I'm not saying that you can't use Aura on ceilings...you can really do whatever you like and I would certainly think it would be great in rooms with little or no natural light coming in.