Kitchen and Vanity Details!

Kitchen and Vanity Details!

Ok, so the vanity and kitchen start out basically the same but the vanity has a few more steps because it's distressed. But basically here are the steps:
 

Kitchen:
1. I wiped the wood down so it was clean, then primed it with 2-3 coats. I used Zinsser 1-2-3 bonding primer. It bonds to slick surfaces so you don't have to sand the wood. Let it dry.
2. Then I painted it the color I wanted (which was Swiss Coffee and Broadway by Behr). Another 2-3 coats. Let it dry.
3. Then I used Minwax polycrylic in the clear satin finish as a top coat. I used 1-2 coats. I used more for places that will get used more. Let it dry.
For the center of the cabinet doors the hubby and I cut out bead board on the table saw and glued it in place with liquid nails. We caulked around the edges to make it look more finished, like they were made that way. We also put the bead board around the peninsula and I LOVE it. It's probably my favorite part. (see previous post for pictures)

Vanity:
1. Same as kitchen.

2. I painted a darker color all over, it was the darkest brown I could find by Behr. 1-2 coats. Let it dry.

3. Then I rubbed candle wax on all the corners and places I wanted to look old or have the dark color show through.
4. Then I painted the lighter color, Antique White by Behr. 2-3 coats. Let it dry.

5. Then I used a spoon (you can use any dull edge, I'd imagine) to scrape off the places where I had put the candle wax and wanted it to look distressed. The corners worked really well but some places I did have to use sand paper to help scrape away the paint. Make sure you wipe away all dust and paint particles before you do anything else.
6. Then I made a glaze out of the paint. It's what makes it look kind of dirty/old. All you do is water the paint down a lot, like 1 part paint to 3-4 parts water. Then I used a brush to put it on (it's really runny so work fast) then I wiped it off with a lint free cloth. It dries quickly so work in small portions.
7. Then I used the minwax polycrylic as a top coat. Let it dry.

I used Behr paint in satin finish and Minwax polycrylic in a satin finish too. For the bathroom it took less than a quart of paint for every color. I was also able to use less than one gallon of primer for both the vanity and the kitchen. I used normal paint brushes and foam brushes. It doesn't matter what kind you use. I preferred the normal brushes because it seemed like the foam brushes left tiny little air bubbles in the paint and I wanted it very smooth. So there it is! I didn't take step-by-step photos of the kitchen because I was too impatient. But the end result is fun! If you have any questions on products or procedures let me know!

Our Fixer-Upper

This winter/early spring we purchased our second home. We got a slamming good deal on it, but let's just say we got what we paid for... It was a wreck! The previous owners unfortunately had to foreclose on the property and it sat for a long time smouldering in its own filth. We had to yank out ALL of the flooring (I mean all of it) upstairs, seal the floors from odors, paint every wall (oh, did I mention remove the plaid wall paper that came off in 1 inch chuncks?) and every inch of the ceiling. Phew! And that's just the upstairs!

At first I HATED this house. I had serious buyer's remorse! It was stinky, gross, and straight up nasty to be in. We now have new flooring upstairs and with all the cleaning and new paint it's starting to become ours. Since we'll be making this home beautiful and wonderful and full of goodness I'm going to document our progress. Hopefully someone can learn from our mistakes and successes as we venture forward in saving this home. And hopefully if someone has already experienced some of the things we plan to tackle they will pass on their tips and tricks of the trade.

So. To begin... Even though we're kinda in the middle of everything:

This weekend my wonderful hubby and father started framing in the second bedroom in the basement, (which will give the house a total of four bedrooms) while my mom, my sister, and I got a head start on painting down there. I decided to do everything white for now just so we can see what it looks like to have clean walls (we cleaned them before painting but they were still yucky). Maybe later I'll add color to the walls but for now everything is going to be very white.
Today I went out on a limb and I'm trying a new product I found off someone's Pinterest post. It's a primer/sealer that I'm using on the oak vanity in the main bathroom upstairs. This vanity was/is in pretty bad shape and hopefully this little bit of effort will bring it back to life. What I plan to do is prime and paint it and maybe distress it so it looks a little antiqued. If this works I'll do the same to the vanity in the master bathroom as well. It's in better condition but I think it would be nice if they were the same/similar in style.
 Here's a picture of the before and finished product. We still plan to put new tile and a new counter top in this bathroom. I think overall this worked out really well.

 This was so much fun! Doing this gave me the confidence to do my whole kitchen. Here are some before/after pictures of that:

I was so excited to get started that I almost forgot to get before pictures (that's why it's a mess and some of the doors are already down).

So, things aren't 100% finished. We're still going to put in new flooring and lights and stuff. Decorating and everything will come later too. It was so fun to do this! I started on a Monday and finished the following Tuesday. Being about 5 months pregnant and having a two year old, I didn't have the time or patience to have my house messy for any longer than that. I'll eventually get around to the big grand reveal with details on all the products and procedures I used to get this amazing look but for now here is a brief update! I got this amazing idea from a blog I found on a Sunday evening right before bed and I started the very next day. Let me know what you think!

P.S. We get new carpet in our basement the Friday after the 4th of July! So a grand reveal of our cool new basement will be coming shortly!!