Re-Staining Cabinets

I had no idea what kind of project I was undertaking when I began this. I worked at nighttime and during nap times. It took a LONG time, but I'm so, so glad I did it.

I found this post by Monica and I knew I had to try it! I didn't have much to lose. If they didn't turn out, I was just going to paint them. Mr. Un-Handy wasn't to keen on painting them. He really likes wood cabinets, plus I read that latex paint doesn't cover oak well because of the grain pattern. That made me think twice.

Here is what we were dealing with: (this is from the day of inspection with the contractors things)

The day we closed, I started scrubbing the layers and layers of gunk off of them. It was pretty gross. Previous residents never cleaned them, apparently. Or just had dirty, dirty hands? I'm not really sure. I scrubbed them for two days. First with soap and water, then Simple Green, and I finally went to a commercial grease cutter. Finally that did the trick. I ended up with clean cabinets that still had some gunk in the grain of the wood.

This was after two days of scrubbing in 100 degree heat with no air conditioning yet. It was awful!

This is the supplies you'll need:

General Finishes gel stain (it MUST be GF). I used the color Brown Mahogany, but Monica states it has to be Java. I think Java probably requires less coats, but any dark color should work. It's been my experience that the gold/red tones of the golden oak come through, so I would stay away from anything red.

Fine grit sand paper (optional)

Gloves

Bag of rags- I used the cotton t-shirt rags from Lowes

Chip brushes

Drop cloth

Screw driver

Tape

Wax, Polyurethane, or other sealer

My first step was prep work. I taped off anywhere that I didn't want stain. I taped where the cabinets met the walls, where they met the counter top, where they met the stove hood, and wherever I felt like tape should be. I took off all of the dirty, old hardware.

After that was done, I sanded very, very lightly. I realized that the cabinets that I sanded more looked more streaky. The stain on the sanded areas is lighter than in non-sanded areas. It's only semi-noticeable in pictures, and not at all to the eye. If I did it all over again, I wouldn't sand them. That's why I say it's optional.

I did not remove my cabinet doors (I know, I know bad!) because I didn't have anywhere to put them. If I had a garage to lay them in, I would have. I could have gotten them all done in one shot.

Monica says to use a sock, but I used a chip brush to apply the stain instead. It was just easier for me. I worked on a few techniques first. I tried rubbing it on with the rag, I tried a foam brush, and finally settled on the chip brush. Try a few different approaches. A stain pad would work well too.

I applied very thin coats. I had almost a dry brush. I found that I could control the color much easier that way, and after I perfected my technique, I put it on a bit thicker. After applying my thin coat, I used the rag to move the stain around a bit. Since it sits on top of the wood instead of soaking in, you just lightly move the stain with the rag in the direction of the grain.

Start with the back of the doors first. Learn from my mistakes. See below.

This was about the time I started to panic. It looked terrible! I got scared. Very, very scared. Mr. Un-Handy said it had a 'rustic, farmhouse look.' I think that was a nice way of him saying 'What did you do?!'

I couldn't tell him I was panicked, so I pushed through. I also tried to sand it some to make it more even. I think that made it worse.

Here I put some more thin coats on. Thankfully it was starting to look better.

I put several coats on. I let them dry a few hours in between, some overnight, and I tackled it again the next day, and the day after that. It took three weeks of work, but the payoff was amazing. 

I finished them with two coats of SC Johnson wax that I had. They look and feel lovely!

As you can see, they're dressed in fancy new hardware and there is a new laminate floor that the seller put in for us. I didn't take to much care to cover my counter tops because they're getting replaced in the spring. They have some tiny splatters on them. If you are keeping them, cover them well. It was not  a mess-free project.

It looks like an entirely new kitchen, though. Sometimes I forget that it's my new kitchen! The walls are painted a light green. We have to figure out a back-splash, but we can't do that until we get the counter tops. We're also going to add more cabinets and a pantry. Eventually I'd love stainless appliances, but it's really not a necessity right now. We're going to change out the sink for a granite composite, and get a new faucet.

Total cost of supplies: $52.19 + tax

Stain: $19.99 for qt (I used 2/3 of the qt)

Brushes: $1.09 each x 10 (I like to be prepared)

Hardware: $.99 each at surplus store x 16

Sanding block: $3.48

Rags: $1.98

My New (old) Table

I scoured Craigslist for weeks looking for the right table and chairs for the look I was going for. I had envisioned it in my head for a while, and I couldn't find anything new that was my style.

Then I found this beaut. I couldn't decide if it was just old and ugly or if it could be vintage and cool.

I took a chance. For $75 I figured I didn't have much to loose if it turned out awful. I got the table, 4 chairs, a leaf, and the pad.

For two weeks or so I went back and forth between milk paint and chalk paint. I read blog after blog, and found some beautiful examples of both. I was inspired by Miss Mustard Seed. Could my weird, old table look good?!

I happened upon some milk paint when I went to our local Woodcraft store to get some stain for my kitchen cabinets. I couldn't walk away from it. It was made by Old Fashioned Milk Paint. I chose buttermilk.

 

I had NO IDEA what to expect. I had watched tutorials online, but until I opened that package, I didn't know a thing about milk paint! It comes in powder form that you mix equal parts with warm water. It's strange. It's different. But the finish it produces is ah-mazing! It was EXACTLY what I was going for.

To start, you'll need:

1 package of milk paint in your color of choice

A cup to mix it in (I started with a red solo cup and eventually upgraded to something from Lowe's)

Stick to stir it with

Chip brush or other brush with natural bristles

Warm water

Sanding block

Degreaser

Putty knife *optional

1. The first step is to make sure your wood is clean and free of any oils and dirt. At the very least you should clean it with soap and water. At the most, a good degreaser.

2. Sand lightly. My pieces had the finish worn almost completely off. I had very little sanding to do. If you are intending to get a more even look, you should use a bonding agent and add it to your paint. That was not the look I was going for. I wanted the crackly, chippy finish. I didn't use a bonding agent, just simply painted it on over my old finish.

3. Do a light wash over your wood with water on your brush. It will help the paint adhere a little easier and it will raise the grain of the wood.

4. Start your first coat. It will look awful. Don't be scared. It's supposed to look this way. The first coat soaks into the wood. That's part of the beauty of milk paint. It soaks in almost like a stain would, but as a result it looks blotchy. Don't overwork the paint. Brush it on, and let it go. It's almost better to use a dryer brush than to much paint. Your brush should not be saturated. If there are lumps after mixing, don't fret. As you brush on the milk paint, they work themselves out too.

                                    

At this point, if you haven't used a bonding agent, you'll notice that your paint will start to crackle as it dries. If you want it more chippy, feel free to use a putty knife to chip away some of those cracks. I didn't want mine to be overly chippy, so I sanded it lightly in between coats.

5. Let that dry for an hour or so.

6. Now you're ready for your second coat. This is the coat that will start to cover. I was still going for the blotchy, streaky look, so I only put two coats on. It gave my pieces a very authentic aged look. If you want it to be more opaque, go ahead and put on a third coat. As the second oat dried, my finish became crackled and started o chip further. As it dried longer, it crackled more. I, apparently, have a strange fascination with watching my paint crackle.

7. When you're all finished with your paint, sand lightly. For my chairs, I finished them with three coats of spray Polycrylic. It's water based and less likely to yellow over my light paint. You can also use Polyurethane if you'd like, but that will yellow over time. Some people like the rub on stuff or the brush on stuff, but for me, a busy mom with two kids that is refinishing her furniture during nap time, the spray stuff was it! The table base was finished with SC Johnson Paste Wax. I looked around and around and finally settled on this because it was easily available and cheap. If you use wax, rub on in a circular motion and then buff off. You can put a few coats on, but it takes a few weeks to cure fully. It dries to the touch in a few hours. The water should bead up on it. Caution: this smells strong, so be sure to use in a well ventilated area.

                                   

                                   

                                   

                                   

                                   

The SC Johnsons's Paste Wax really gives it an amazing finishing touch. The key is definitely to put it on in very thin coats. Less is more. If the coat is on to thick, it will streak, and you'll have a really hard time getting them out. If you're new to furniture refinishing, I can't rave about paste wax enough. There are several types on the market, but this was my first try so I chose this brand. The way it changes the look and feel of the furniture is amazing. I'm not sure I'll ever use anything else again!

So there you go. Milk paint. Don't be afraid to try it. I'm so glad I did! 

We're Home!

We did it. Finally.

We've been in our new house just a week today, and it still feels pretty surreal. Like we're on vacation. Except we've got more than just clothes to unpack! And I still have to cook. And clean. And change diapers. Why haven't I hired someone to do any of that yet? That's a good question.  
 Note to self: start taking applications.

 It's been pretty hectic, to say the least.

We heard horror stories. HORROR. Financing falling through, houses not appraising, something crazy showing up in the inspection. People, PLEASE don't do what we did and wait until the last minute to pack because you're afraid the rug is going to be pulled out from under you. If you have already made it through the pre-approval process (pre-approval, NOT pre-qualification) then you're in good shape. Things are going the right way. Just be sure that you have all of your ducks in a row before you begin, and it will be smooth. We waited with baited breath for our conditional approval, and the conditions were easy peasy. Believe that it is happening, because it will.

Anyway, closing went smoothly. It didn't take very long, and then all of a sudden....IT'S OURS! I'm pretty sure that I'm the ONLY person on Earth that is excited about her first mortgage payment. That's right baby, MY OWN MORTGAGE! See? The hubby thinks I'm nuts. He says it doesn't matter who's mortgage it is, it's still a payment. Meh. He also says that instead of seeing paint colors he only see's dollar signs anymore. That's partially my fault. I have a strange obsession with paint chips.

Here are some before pictures of the downstairs. Sorry for the confusion, I should have taken them before anything was moved in.

This is the dining room. AKA the 'Nowhere to put it? We'll put it HERE.' room

Kitchen, before I scrubbed the hell out of the cabinets.

Looking out into the back yard.

End of the cabinets. The previous owner left all of his junk there for us :\

Miss Little practicing going up and down the stairs. From the living room into the dining room.

So, that's it. Well the downstairs anyway. The upstairs is a whole other day. Suffice to say that if we don't get blinds up soon our neighbors are going to start complaining.

*Knock on wood*

Everything is going smoothly for now. No major hiccups. At Lowe's today I learned how to caulk the roof line and install flashing. I'll be posting some tutorials soon as we get a little further in. I've got cabinets to stain, walls and trim to paint, furniture to refinish, a bathroom remodel, and cabinets to hang. Stay tuned!