Around this time of the year we start getting itchy feet for a new home project. Summer holidays are a distant memory and Chrismas is around the corner. September is the perfect time to get the house in shape in time for Santa coming.
As our budget was tight a plan was made to paint the walls of kitchen to freshen the room up, but as we looked at the horrible orangey pine laminate cabinets, Alan had an idea. Let’s paint them! Buoyed by the success of my Annie Sloan chalk paint job on the coffee table we decided to head back to our nearest stockist 163 Interiors in Whitley Bay to buy more Annie Sloan chalk paint! How hard could it be?
Annie Sloan Chalk Paint
I would say that Annie Sloan paint doesn’t have the biggest range of colours. She knows what is popular and sells, and at the moment the Paris Grey (which the coffee table was painted in) is the best seller. Paris Grey is on the light end of the grey spectrum and as we wanted a contrasting darker colour for the bottom cabinets we bought Graphite (a charcoal dark grey) to mix in to create our own colour. With Annie Sloan chalk paint there is no need to undercoat the cabinets. However, you do need to wax them to protect them when finished. We already had some clear wax but bought some dark wax for my chairs, which I also decided to upcycle. The little weekend project had suddenly taken a life of it’s own.
Preparing the cabinets
Before we could even start slapping the paint on, there was lots of graft just to get the cabinets clean. I like to think i’m not too bad at housekeeping but the grime on the cabinets may tell you otherwise. Who even looks at the inside of the drawers? Using a sugar soap, the cabinets were scrubbed till they were gleaming. Alan then took them off the hinges and took off the handles and hardware so I could paint them flat on the table. Finding space to let the cabinets dry was the tricky part and meant we had to stop the work due to lack of space!
Annie Sloan Paint Time
As the cabinets were getting the Annie Sloan treatment. Alan set about cleaning and sanding down the kitchen walls. We chose Farrow & Ball Blackened for the walls. The colour is described as a cool white with a hint of grey. Being the bloggers that we are, Alan wanted a bright colour that would look good in future foodie photos.
We were soon learning there really were 50 shades of grey! It’s the first time we have used Farrow & Ball paint and decided to go for it on the recommendation of my Mam who has used it in her home renovations. Though pricey at £45 a tin, we were impressed by both the colour and texture. The walls needed two coats but there is still paint in the tin for any touchups.
More Painting
Painting each cabinet with two coats each side was a time consuming job, and with Friday night and a weekend of decorating looming, I was beginning to think we would never finish. My Mam came up to help us, and I was distracted by some retail therapy to find some new bits for the finished room, including a new bin and a toaster and kettle from Next. Spending money is always the most fun part!
End is in Sight
The rest of weekend consisted of Alan finishing up the gloss painting of the wood work and hanging back the cabinets for waxing. Some drips of paint needed to be lightly sanded but as the cabinets were plastic and smooth the paint had pretty much gone on streak free. Hurray! Waxing is a full body workout but essential to create a seal on the units and to give them a lovely glossy look.
After a massive sort out of the kitchen cupboards and drawers, and a scrub of the paint splattered floor we were finally ready to dress the room with my new bits. Our cream kitchen clock got the Annie Sloan treatment too. I’m still looking for a new piece of artwork where my chalkboard was above the sink, so if anyone has any ideas let me know!
Cost of the Project
I’ve estimated the cost of the project. We did have some DIY bits at home like satinwood, gloss paint, rollers, brushes and trays so didn’t have to purchase these.
Annie Sloan chalk paint 3 tins (1 litre) £56.85
Annie Sloan wax brush £23.00
Annie Sloan dark wax £8.95
Farrow & Ball Blackened (2.5 litre) £45.00
Next Copper Kettle £35.00
Next Copper Toaster £40.00
Next Hammered Copper Fruit bowl £12.00
Matalan Orange Blossom Scented Candle £10.00
Matalan Smoked Cedarwood Diffuser £6.00
Matalan Sand Timer £10.00
Oak chopping board Tesco £20.00
White gloss blind with tape (Wooden Blinds direct) £68.17
Simple Human 45l bin from the Range £65.00
Total : £399.97
Finished Result
Overall I was really pleased at our little uner £400 makeover. Ideally, I’d love a new kitchen extended into what is now the study but hopefully our makeover will see us through a couple of years. Now what can I Annie Sloan next?
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