Let me preface this by saying that while I’d rank this about a 4 on a scale of 1-10 for difficulty, this project is not for the faint of heart. What it requires is a time investment (think 1 week, minimum) as well as a great deal of patience and attention to detail.

However, if you are tired of your ho-hum builder-grade cabinets…this is the perfect way to customize them for an upscale look. You may remember that I had already repainted and tiled the backsplash, so this was the final step in the transformation!

Here’s what you’ll need:

• Paint and primer (more on this to come)
• Nice brushes
• Sandpaper (both fine and medium grit)
• Degreaser or TSP
• Painter’s Tape

Like any good home improvement project, it starts with agonizing over choices. In our case, I knew I wanted to paint the cabinets white, but who knew there were about 100 million shades of white? After taking a few samples home, I decided on Benjamin Moore’s White Dove (not to be confused with Dove White).

Now normally I’d take my swatch down to Home Depot or Lowes and get a color match, but this is not a job for ordinary paint. Think about the banging, food slinging, moisture, and heat that your cabinets are subjected to. As a highly visible and frequently abused kitchen element, you definitely want these babies to come out smooth and durable. After much research and speaking with several paint experts, I decided to go with a new product by Benjamin Moore, “Advance” in a satin finish.

I did come across stories of good results with BM’s Satin Impervo (both oil and waterborne) as well as Aura. There are also several specialty paints made for cabinets, but they are not always easy to find. After a recommendation from their staff, I decided to give this oil/water hybrid product from BM a shot. I purchased some nice brushes, a gallon of their Fresh Start All Purpose Primer and was on my way.

Once you gather all your supplies, the next step is to take down all your cabinet doors and drawer fronts and remove all hardware/hinges. If your kitchen has a complicated layout, you may want to label what came from where to make the re-install less of a headache. Otherwise, get out your cleaning and sanding supplies.

You might be tempted to rush into painting, but let me warn you that your finished product depends entirely on this prep work. Clean your cabinet boxes and doors thoroughly and give them a good roughing up with some medium grit sandpaper/block. My cabinets had a glossy veneer which I didn’t sand completely through- I just sanded enough to take the sheen off and give the surface some grip. Be sure to wipe away the dust with a tack cloth or damp lint-free cloth.

Once your cabs are clean and stripped (hehe), give them a coat of primer. For the best adhesion, let the primer cure for a full 24 hours. Patience is a virtue, my friends. The following day prime the back side of the cabinets. To save some time, I actually painted a first finish coat on my boxes the same day. Are you starting to see the pattern here? It’s a whole lot of painting and a whole lot of waiting. Once the back side primer is dry, turn the doors over and give them a light sand with some fine grit sandpaper.

If this is all getting a bit confusing, let me lay out the order like this.

Day 1- Clean, sand, prime boxes and front of doors

Day 2- Lightly sand boxes and put on a first finish coat, prime back of doors

Day 3- Lightly sand front of doors and put on a first finish coat. Lightly sand first coat on boxes and paint a second (and final) finish coat.

Day 4- Lightly sand back of doors and put on a first finish coat.

Day 5- Lightly sand first coat on front of doors and put on a second coat.

Day 8 or 9 or if you have a ton of time Day 10- Reattach hardware and re-hang doors!

Before you get started, let me detail the painting technique I was shown at Benjamin Moore specifically for the Advance paint. It’s designed to flow like oil, so you don’t want to overwork it. Put a good amount on your brush and use long strokes to spread it as evenly as possible. Let it settle itself, try not to go back and brush it too much because it will start to set up in a few minutes. The good news is that you effectively have one practice coat to see how the paint feels and flows. By the second coat, you should be a pro!

Despite all the work, the result is totally worth it. First, let’s look at those boring they-fell-off-the-contractor’s-truck boxes.

After a brief stint as a disaster area…

The kitchen came together beautifully (if I do say so myself).

I also added some beadboard paneling in certain areas, which I’ll show you how to do in another post this week. So, what’s the verdict? You likey? Is anyone else thinking about attempting this?

The post {Tutorial} Painting Laminate Cabinets appeared first on Real Life With Rachael.

Fortunately, a friend of mine pointed me to “the way back machine,” which crawls the internet taking snapshots of content. Through that, I may be able to revive some of my favorite projects. I’ll be slowly adding them to this site or rebuilding LCH as an archive of sorts. I’m not quite sure yet. After a thorough cry, I have come to realize that it’s okay to start fresh.

I’m hoping this new blog project will be more lifestyle-driven, incorporating motherhood and other home-centered tasks, tips, and tricks. There will be plenty of DIY too. It’s all the things you loved about LCH with a more uh….mature lens. The one of a 40-something mom just doing her best to balance everything. More gray hair. Less patience. Above all, you’ll find honesty – the good, the bad, and the ugly.

The post What Happened To LCH? appeared first on Real Life With Rachael.

We decided to pack up our home of 12 years (and inspiration for Lovely Crafty Home) and move an hour down the road to Greenville, SC!

With the addition of a tiny human who loves to make messes and be outside, we just needed a bit more space and a yard for him to play in. Moving to Greenville got us more bang for our buck, and fortunately, our Lovely Crafty Asheville home sold super fast!

With this move comes a complete change in style – and a new design challenge for me because we bought a 1970s BRICK RANCH YA’LL.

Thank goodness the previous owner already took care of the exterior paint job! She also put up the ornamental fence and did a great job on the landscaping. The interior, however, was another story…

The number of projects is endless, as is the potential!

Pretty much everything needs at least a paint brush, but there will definitely be some demo in our future. I’m ready for a new adventure!

Stay tuned for my plans for each room and planned projects!

The post We’re Moving! appeared first on Real Life With Rachael.