Monday, January 16, 2012
Cozy Kitchen
I no longer live in this house - we sorta move a lot - but I always loved this kitchen. Mostly because of the window seat I had built for a total of $40 in materials and I bartered the labor. I am a firm believer that anywhere there is a window in a nook, there can and should be a window seat.
What is more wonderful than having all the comforts of being inside (like AC in August and heating in January), but feeling like you're outside? This was my favorite place to read, check email, do puzzles, you name it. The cornflower blue table with turned legs gives it a cottage-y feel, as do the plates on the inner walls and the bubble curtain - Target's Simply Shabby Chic line for $16. I bought the foam and fabric for the cushions and pillows at Joann's when it was on sale and/or I had a coupon. The foam was the most expensive part, but altogether it cost about $75. Totally worth it for my favorite place EVER!
Cheap Fix
Hate your kitchen? Wish you had a new kitchen? One that has personality and flair and is just more you? New cabinets are very expensive, and new cabinet doors are also pricey. New knobs are a good option, but do not always make a big enough impact and depending on the style, can cost a pretty penny. Time to look at other options - like a paint treatment on your cabinets. Check these out.
Now, if pink's not your thing, envision this in classic black on natural wood, or blue or even Kelly green. If you like funky, think purple or lime or turquoise on wood or white or even another painted color backdrop.
Once you've picked your poison, you'll need a pencil and a ruler, some tape, a brush and paint and you're set. Here's how to make diamonds (or harlequin for you fancy pants out there) without swanky geometric implements: Measure the width of the cabinet and put a pencil mark halfway. Example: the cabinet is 12 inches wide, mark at 6 inches. Measure the height and put another mark halfway. Example: 22 inches high, mark at 11 inches. Do this for all 4 sides of the cabinet. Place the ruler between the mark in the center of the top and one of the side-center marks and draw a line. Repeat this with all four points going around the edge, like connect-the-dots and the end picture should be a diamond. Go inside the box if your cabinets are not flat faced, all the way to the edge if they are.
For the stripes, the easiest way is to use painters tape in the desired stripe width. Start on the end with a taped space, no tape, tape, no tape... you get the idea.
Once you're all marked, tape your lines and paint inside them. Once the darker/fun color has dried, paint a layer of base coat over top - in this case white - and use another dry brush to go over it and remove roughly 40% of the paint. This will give it a streaked, white-washed look. Let it dry, take off the tape, and voila!
This project took me 2 afternoons and cost $8 for a quart of hot pink paint. That's a seriously cheap, high-impact change. And the best part? If you get tired of it, it's super easy to paint back over it with white. (Which I did when I sold the house - only took an hour.)
Now, if pink's not your thing, envision this in classic black on natural wood, or blue or even Kelly green. If you like funky, think purple or lime or turquoise on wood or white or even another painted color backdrop.
Once you've picked your poison, you'll need a pencil and a ruler, some tape, a brush and paint and you're set. Here's how to make diamonds (or harlequin for you fancy pants out there) without swanky geometric implements: Measure the width of the cabinet and put a pencil mark halfway. Example: the cabinet is 12 inches wide, mark at 6 inches. Measure the height and put another mark halfway. Example: 22 inches high, mark at 11 inches. Do this for all 4 sides of the cabinet. Place the ruler between the mark in the center of the top and one of the side-center marks and draw a line. Repeat this with all four points going around the edge, like connect-the-dots and the end picture should be a diamond. Go inside the box if your cabinets are not flat faced, all the way to the edge if they are.
For the stripes, the easiest way is to use painters tape in the desired stripe width. Start on the end with a taped space, no tape, tape, no tape... you get the idea.
Once you're all marked, tape your lines and paint inside them. Once the darker/fun color has dried, paint a layer of base coat over top - in this case white - and use another dry brush to go over it and remove roughly 40% of the paint. This will give it a streaked, white-washed look. Let it dry, take off the tape, and voila!
This project took me 2 afternoons and cost $8 for a quart of hot pink paint. That's a seriously cheap, high-impact change. And the best part? If you get tired of it, it's super easy to paint back over it with white. (Which I did when I sold the house - only took an hour.)
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