It has been 6 months since I originally revealed my "80's to Awesome" kitchen makeover and have been fielding dozens of questions about my "new" kitchen, which is by far the most popular post on this blog. I thought I would take this chance to let you know how everything is holding up, and answers the questions I seem to get over and over.
So, many people want to know how the paint looks, if it is suffering wear and tear or anything like that. The answer is: FANTASTIC. Honestly, I don't have a single chip or scratch on any of the painted cabinets. The finish wipes down beautifully and the only signs of wear and tear have been on the hinges. I actually tried to shoot images of the cabinets today, but they look exactly the same as the "after" photos the day I finished the remodel.
I would do it again in a heartbeat. I have ZERO complaints about the long term wear and tear or the look of any part of the remodel.
Other FAQ's:
How did you actually PAINT the cabinets? What technique did you use?
My complete step-by-step cabinet painting tutorial is here.
What wall color is that?
It is Laura Ashley Gold 3 (by Veldspar: LA709) I actually didn't paint the walls.. it is the color the original owners used. It is a little gold for me, but with my new kitchen I don't mind it. It looks better now that the cabinets aren't oak.
What cabinet color is that?
Manchester Tan by Benjamin Moore. It is NOT white, but in fact, cream. The finish is "Pearl" (a specialty Ben Moore Finish only available in their high end paint lines) and it is NOT sealed with any polyurethane. It has held up and cleans up beautifully.
How did you keep this entire remodel under $5000 including appliances, fixtures, backsplash, lighting, countertops etc?
Unfortunately, I am a little busy with a soon-to-be newborn on my hands, BUT never fear! If you would love the look of new kitchen cabinets, but don't want to paint them or even do-it-yourself, Home Depot does offer 3 great options. I personally LOVE Home Depot, they are my go-to home improvement big-box store and a lot of the supplies I used for my kitchen transformation came from them. Definitely check them out.