The Latest Kitchen Transformation

The day I got off the airplane from Phoenix I jumped right in and did a great kitchen makeover. My friend and local Granicrete distributor, Chris, started the project for me the day before I got home so when I got there I was ready to start adding some color. He did all the crete work for me ~ What a lifesaver otherwise I would have been a day behind from the start of the project.

Once the countertops were done, I came back in about a week and painted the cabinets.

Here is what I learned from the previous cabinet makeover that I talked about in previous posts.......clean, sand and prime! These cabinets were an oak veneer with some water damage and raised grain. I wanted to make sure that the paint stuck good this time! I went to the local Benjamin Moore paint store and asked for their best bonding primer - which turned out the be the oil based Fresh Start primer. I cleaned, deglossed and sanded the crap out of the doors before I put on the primer. I then painted with Ben Moore paint (color: Mink) and did a clear protective topcoat. The turned out great and bonded well. I am going to go back in a few days and do some touch ups. They had to do a few modifications when they put the new stove in.

I normally don't use oil based products but I made an exception this time because it creates a much better bond and it doesn't raise the grain of the wood like water based products do. Since the wood already had water damage and raised grain, I didn't want to add fuel to the fire.

I have another appointment on Saturday with a new client that wants their countertops done in Aurastone. I have to remember that I still have a part-time job and have to find a good balance between work, fun, and family. It's so hard cause I get so excited....but I pay for it in the end if I try to do too much. Word of the day: BALANCE!