9/11/13

Our kitchen cupboards transformed.

This is not a fancy kitchen re-do with all the bells and whistles.
But it is a pretty neat transformation of our kitchen cupboards.
And it's about the time and care that my talented husband put into making them into just exactly what I wanted.



Looking back.
A long before shot of our kitchen.
We moved into our cottage 6 years ago.
The previous owners had replaced the flooring, counter-tops and appliances the previous year.
We had added new knobs and pulls to the doors.  We replaced light fixtures, added a new back splash, kitchen faucet and painted. 
However the cathedral style doors didn't really fit with our cottage style kitchen.
And in spite of all the windows,it could still be dark in here.

A view of our kitchen today.
I still smile when I go in there because it's so bright and cheery now.  

Another before.
My husband Dan removed every cupboard door and drawer this summer.
He used his planer to smooth out the cupboard door raised cathedral design.
For some of the larger doors he used his sander.
Then he built a new frame around each cupboard door and then he added the wainscoting.
We purchased two sheets of the wainscoting for a total of about $48.00.
He was able to precisely cut out a piece and then attach it inside the new door frame he had built.  Right over the old cupboard doors, same cupboard doors, brand new look.



Then he primed, painted and added several coats of polyurethane to each door and drawer.
He spray painted the existing hinges black and we added new hardware that we purchased online at a much better deal than we could find elsewhere.

I made a new curtain for above the sink.
I wanted white ball and fringe curtains like those sold at Country Curtains.
However, I could make it for a lot less and it was very simple.
I found the ball and fringe on sale and the material is extra wide cotton curtain material.
Cost at Country Curtains: about $60 .
My cost about $12 and a half hour or so of my time.
  Another close-up view.
The color of the paint is vanilla custard and is from Sherman Williams.
We bought the best quality they had.  Skimping on paint is just not worth it.

 A different angle.  
It's not the easiest kitchen to take pictures in.

He also painted the paneling in here.  



Another before view.

And after.

Dan worked endless hours on these cupboards, they truly are a labor of love.
And for the total cost:
For the paint, wainscoting, new hardware etc. only about $150.
The biggest savings was to search hard for a deal on the hardware.
In the store our drawer pulls alone were about $7 each.
We found them online for $2.75 each.
It really does pay to shop around.




Thanks for coming by and letting me share my kitchen cupboard transformation with you.
Cindy

Joining:

Tips and Tutorials @ Stone Gable
Be Inspired Friday @ Common Ground
Furniture Feature Friday @ Miss Mustard Seed
Inspire Me Tuesday @ A Stroll Thru Life
Tweak it Tuesday @ Cozy Little House

60 comments:

  1. Just Beautiful! & so much better...
    & the cost of your labor is priceless...
    nicely, nicely done.

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  2. Gorgeous!!! Your kitchen looks just so bright and happy now!!
    Love it!
    Suzy

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  3. Beautiful! So bright and cheerful! Your hubby did an amazing job. Isn't it nice to have your own handy man?!

    Blessings,
    Deb

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  4. Oh my goodness, this looks amazing. What a huge transformation. Dan did a fabulous job and your kitchen is so pretty. I really does make a big difference. Gorgeous. Hugs, Marty

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  5. Amazing!! So bright and beautiful.

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  6. Beautiful. I really like the style of the 'new' doors, and the colour makes a huge difference to the space. What a transformation.

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  7. Your husband did a amazing job! It is so cheery and bright now. My husband just painted all our cabinets at our family weekend home.

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  8. Oh Cindy, it turned out beautiful....so fresh and bright...love the red touches!

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  9. Wow! Love the change. It is a whole new kitchen.

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  10. well done Dan.......... I love your new kitchen, it looks a different and happy place to be now that it's so light
    Tilly

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  11. Cindy I love the look of your kitchen. We are going to do ours next year and I want to save as much money as I can and you have given me some ideas to do that. Thanks so much for sharing.

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  12. Hi Cindy! I just love your kitchen and the transformations make it look like another room. Love what your hubby did to your cabinet doors. Everything is beautiful!
    Be a sweetie,
    Shelia ;)

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  13. I love it all! The cabinets are wonderful. We do all of our labor around here too. It's so nice to be able to save and see the love that goes into it, every day. I loooove your curtains. The ball fringe is soooo cute!

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  14. I love it all Cindy...such an improvement!!! Love the back splash too and that big kitchen window....have fun in it! :)

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  15. I can't believe he totally reshaped those doors. What a craftsman! How wonderful and truly shocking that they could be the same doors. Give him a huge hug from all the jealous ladies in blogland!

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    Replies
    1. Thanks Jacqueline,
      He will appreciate your comment so very much.

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  16. Very very very pretty! I love your kitchen and how bright and cheery the white cabinets look! The black splash is gorgeous. Love it all.

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  17. You KNOW I am just crazy about your cabinets. I also love those darling pom pom trimmed curtains!

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  18. Cindy, it came out great! Dan did a wonderful job, and yes, and labor of love for sure! My cabs are only 11 yrs old, and I already updated the counters to granite. I think dh will flip if I tell him I want new cabinets.
    He would never let me paint them, he is one of those anti paint wood guys! He built me a beautiful oak double mantel. When I said I think I would like it white he went nuts. Told me he would have used cheap wood if I wanted to do that. Oh well, you win some, and lose some!
    Enjoy your new look, so bright and cheerful!

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  19. Cindy- That is a phenomenal job! What a difference it makes- It looks so much brighter AND I think it looks bigger. I love it, Cindy. Dan really did a great job- xo Diana

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  20. this is an amazing transformation. Truly a beautiful and cheerful new look! I love it!!

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  21. It is just gorgeous! You must be so thrilled and the fact that your husband did it all makes it even more special. It really completely changes the look of your room...perfect!

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  22. Your kitchen looks beautiful, Cindy! Dan did a great job on the cabinets, and your curtains look really nice too. I love your kitchen, Cindy.

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  23. Your kitchen looks great! You had the right idea with your cabinet doors and I love the white paint. I've been staring at those curtains in Country Curtains too. Wish I had the skills to do what you did! Your kitchen looks like a perfect place for hot chocolate. :)

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  24. It is absolutely beautiful Cindy. Really brightened your kitchen too.

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  25. It looks very nice Cindy! The addition of white cabinets really does brighten your kitchen up! That will be nice on those dark winter days! I remember those type of curtains too! I always liked them. You did a perfect job making them.

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  26. Great transformation, Cindy. I love how bright it is now. .....Christine

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  27. Love everything about your "new" kitchen!!! Your cabinets are simply stunning! Such a cozy cottage feel to your lovely cottage home.
    Dan is amazing. You two are blessed to have found each other.

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  28. WOW! That's exactly what I would like to do here!!!!!! Send your husband on over here to Colorado if he ever gets bored!!! LOL!

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  29. What a monumental difference! Your kitchen looks so much brighter and cozier than before. Both of you are so talented. Cindy, those looks just like the curtains in the Country Curtains catalog. I love those drawer pulls, and I can't believe what a great price you got on them. I can see why you smile every time you walk in the kitchen. It's perfection! laurie

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  30. Cindy, Your kitchen is gorgeous. I have the exact same cabinets as your before, and the same counter top! What a great price for such a beautiful change. Gives me hope! :)

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  31. I just love how your kitchen turned out and those are my colors!! I would love to redo my cupboards too - this is inspiration. Thanks so much for sharing your beautiful kitchen and I also like how you painted the kitchen table and chairs to match. Love it all!!!

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  32. Wow, Cindy! Don't you just love the light, bright look! Your hubby did a wonderful job - so professional! Great makeover! Linda

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  33. Hi Cindy,

    So nice to meet you! As your banner had downloaded only about a quarter of the way, I knew I was in for a treat! We love the same colours, with red and white taking centre stage! What a gorgeous transformation! The wainscoting, black pulls and knobs, and your very cozy nook by the window are such charming touches! Enjoy!

    Thanks for stopping by Poppy View, and hope to see you again soon!

    Poppy

    PS: What a fabulous name for your cottage!:)

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  34. Cindy...I just love Dan! He can come work here anytime! Better yet, spend some time at the lake next and finish up what Handy Randy left us with!!lol!

    This is just amazing. The cabinets are beautiful and your kitchen looks ginormous! I love the handles and pulls, in fact, the wainscoting pattern is just like what we have at the lake on the lower cabinets...uppers were taken down and are in the garage. I love that style. And your curtains are gorgeous. Yes, CC is definitely expensive but I love all their stuff.

    Well, hurray for you, this is the kitchen of my dreams!

    XO,
    Jane

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  35. It looks beautiful and really spacious I love everything about it, well done hubby you've done an amazing job. We changed last year from an oak kitchen to white, we had to buy new carcasses though. I'm so pleased with the white we had a perma gloss wipe down doors, a lot easier wiping those down having dogs than having to get all the different treatments to keep the oak with a nice polished finish.

    The table looks great too.

    Peg xx

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  36. Love your new kitchen look! It's amazing what can be done with know how, tools, labor and such a small amount of money! I'm curious about how the cabinet boxes were preped for the paint. Were they completely sanded then primed? Would you share your source for the handles? I love them and see a kitchen redo in my not so distant future!

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  37. Love your new kitchen look! It's amazing what can be done with know how, tools, labor and such a small amount of money! I'm curious about how the cabinet boxes were preped for the paint. Were they completely sanded then primed? Would you share your source for the handles?I love them and they would blend right in at our cabin in the mountains. It has ugly old knotty pine cabinets that are worn and dated. That green on your walls reminds me of Fiestaware medium green or sage green which is what I'm thinking of putting on those cabinets at some point. After seeing how nice these turned out, I see a kitchen redo in my near future!

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    1. A lot of folks have asked so here are some of the details.
      1. Washed cabinetry well with Dawn detergent and H20.
      2. Sanded lightly with 120 GRIT SAND PAPER
      3. Primed with Zinzer Bullseye 123 primer
      4. Two coats of paint
      5. Cabot waterbourne polyurethane for finish- 2coats.
      6. My knobs.com for the hardware.
      Hope that helps!

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  38. WOWZA what an amazing job you did. Your kitchen looks so pretty, open bright, cheery! Made a world of difference. High five!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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  39. Your kitchen is beautiful!! I have cabinet doors exactly like yours, they are about 18yrs old and I want to paint them white. What should I clean them with to remove all the old kitchen grime that you can't get with everyday cleaning? Also where online did you get the hardware? You can pm me if you wish, I live alone and on ss so I really need to save where I can. I promise I won't skimp on the paint though. :)
    I think you should also do the pom pom curtains in your eating nook too. The checkereds look too dark now.

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  40. Oh Cindy - your kitchen is beyond beautiful!!! Such a transformation, and I am madly in love with your ball fringe curtains. I have long admired those from Country Curtains too. Lovely!!! Jane

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  41. Tutorial of planing and replacement??

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  42. I did the same makeover that You did! Looks so good! I would paint Your windows white to match!

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  43. Cindy, what a beautiful job your hubby did ! Love your colors and style; thanks for posting!!!
    Love, Sandy in NC

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  44. Cindy what a wonderful and beautiful make-over.... I love bead-board. Your colors and style are fab.
    Love, Sandy in NC

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  45. Cindy...your husband is a fabulous woodworker....You could rent him out to women all over the country and make a mint...the kitchen re-do came wonderful and I hope you enjoy it for a very long time....Now go bake that man a pie for all his efforts :)

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  46. What a terrific job! Loved all the photos! Thanks for sharing...it's DIY projects like this that inspire others to try their hand also.

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  47. Such a wonderful change and (bless your dear husband) so much work. Great project, great look. Great inspiration.
    Joy

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  48. Wow, you kitchen looks wonderful, Cindy! Your hubby did an awesome job!

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  49. Amazing difference. Your cabinets are gorgeous now. Great color choice, and very wise to get the best quality of paint you can for kitchen cabinets. You sure don't want to have to paint again any time soon. My builders grade cabinets (oak) need a makeover. This is the best idea I have seen yet. (at least in my price range. I think I see some wainscoting in my future (all I will need is some energy to with these great ideas).

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  50. Cindy dear..it looks just gorgeous. I have always been torn between the dark, warm, cozy look and clean white light and bright look that is so charming. My cabinets are very dark oak and just beautiful but the kitchen has NO windows..just a counter that faces windows across the family room...so white cabinets would be so nice..but..PH does not see it my way..and since I like both looks, I will leave them as is. What a beautiful face lift. I did, however, find my dream kitchen in a magazine lately. I will have to post it and I am anxious to see what you think! :)
    big hugs,
    Mona

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  51. Looks really good. I love the white bead board cabinet doors, and the backsplash is amazing!

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  52. Dan..you did a fantastic job on those cabinets and I am writing again because I didn't compliment you as I should have. I only said how gorgeous they are, so I am back to add praise where praise is due! You have done so much to your home that makes it so special! What a joy it must be for Cindy to have someone like you who cares as much as she does. That isn't always the case..as you probably know. You are both very fortunate people to have one another.
    Mona

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  53. Hi Cindy, I LOVE white kitchens and yours is beautiful! What a sweet guy to do all that work for you!! I like the backsplash and counters better with the white and I'm sure it is much brighter in the room now. This is what I need! All your red and white adds to the happy feeling, I'm sure. Your home always looks like it is filled with love. Linda

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  54. Cindy, I love this and had seen it earlier but couldn't find it again. I have those cabinets and I hate the cathedral doors. Could you possibly share the site you found your hardware on?

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  55. Cindy I love the bright new look! I'm amazed that your husband recreated those existing cabinets! I never would have thought that could be done! Kim

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  56. Just over from Laura's! Hi Cindy! Your cabinet's look fantastic! I have been contemplating placement of bead board over ours. We are fortunate, because they are flat! Bless your husband for his talent and elbow grease! He saved you both a bundle! You have a lovely home!
    w/L

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Welcome,
I would love to hear from you. Come back and visit anytime. Warmest Wishes, Cindy