In progress

We (ahem, ok DH is actually doing it while I supervise) are still working on the island. We've DH added the beadboard, new trim, primer and two coats of a Martha Stewart onyx. It is drying while I type. Next step will be adding a sealer/clear coat and then putting the doors and drawers back together. I haven't decided yet whether I should sand some of the edges and add a glaze to those areas or leave it be as is. Here she is right before she got her second coat of paint:


I know, those countertops with wood trim are ugly. Can't wait to rip them off! But can't you see the improvement already?? Goodbye oak! Amazing...the power of paint.



Of course after the island we'll tackle the other cabinets and hope to do a white with a glaze. We've budgeted for a pretty granite counter and new sink. I tried to convince dearhubby on a farmhouse sink but for whatever reason he has a 'thing' about them. (eye roll)  So we'll likely end up with a nice charcoal color sink.  My inspirations at the moment are:



But I'm also really digging these green ones.



What do you think???

Out with the oak!

We're taking the plunge and updating the kitchen after looking at ugly golden oak cabinets and dated countertops for over a year. We had originally budgeted to rip out the cabinets and put in all new beauties, but as fate would have it hubby was laid off again and we blew the budget on paying bills. Now that he's back to work we are eyeing our tax return and we realized that we had some money to play with. Along with a vacation and fixing our patio which looks like it's forming it's own set of Rockies (more about that later) we are going to spend part of it on our kitchen. Yea! When we moved into this house in 2008, we started by getting a few appliances and replacing the nasty-ass ones with stainless. The kitchen was a mess and had been "updated" by the Realtor and some fly by night outfit. The fridge that was left here had serious things growing in it, even after it had been 'professionally cleaned'. I should have taken pictures but it didn't last 24hrs after closing before I posted an ad on Freecycle and it went happily away to someone's garage.

So now while we have limited funds and I'm dreaming of granite, we've decided to go down the scary path of PAINTING. You heard it, painting the oak ourselves. Hubby and I. I know, crazy. And because I realize this could be disaster in the making, we have decided (umm, I have convinced hubby) that we should start with just the island as a starting off point. You know, test the waters, see if we are getting ourselves in way too deep. Crazy people? Yep, that's us. Did I mention that I have family coming to stay with us on Friday?

So here is a look at that ugly island.


Ignore the pizza boxes and weird angle. The Negotiator took the pic when he was playing with the camera a while back and I forgot to take 'before' pictures  - so this is as good as it gets.