I realize I haven't blogged about my Laundry Room Makeover. To be honest, it wasn't *EXACTLY* finished BUT we moved so, ya, it is what it is ;) I still loved the results and thought they were worth sharing, so here we are! Good news is that I will have a NEW Laundry Room to makeover! I can't wait for that GLORIOUS day!
OK, So lets talk the old Laundry Room Makeover! We have a dark espresso finish on all our cabinets in our home. While I liked the contrast that the dark cabinets gave, I also love white cabinets and how they brighten up a room. Our Laundry Room was more like a laundry closet. It was dark and felt like it would swallow you up. Like I always say, "There is nothing a little paint can't fix!" So off to Home Depot for, you guessed it, PAINT!
For the walls I did a mix of Sherwin Williams "Watery" and "Tidal". I had Tidal's coloring reduced and then I mixed the 2 colors at 2 parts Tidal and 1 part Watery. Unfortunately I don't remember how much I reduced Tidal, I want to say it was about 50%. The first thing I did was paint the walls and I LOVE how the color turned out! It was the perfect shade!
I admit I was temped to leave the cabinets dark because I really liked the contrast between the calming blue on the walls and the dark espresso on the cabinets. But I wanted to paint SOME cabinets so why not continue on with the plan!
No mater what paint type or brand I am using, I always sand a little. I like to sand a little just to rough up the surface and removes some of the collected dirt and oil. My cabinets were fairly new and still had the factory finish on them which made them shiney and slippery so sanding gave me the extra tooth I needed. I sanded by hand with an 80 grit sand paper. You can see how it roughed up the surface and knocked down the sheen. Don't mind my awkward hand lol! Good thing I am NOT a hand model ;)
Once I had every thing sanded, I wiped it all down with Clorox wipes. I like to use the Clorox wipes because they really get any gunk left over after sanding and they dry FAST! Of course you can use hot soapy water, TSP, degreaser, etc. You just want to make sure all those oils and dirt are removed so that your paint will adhere and that your piece is fully dry before you start to paint.
Normally with cabinets, I would remove the doors and spray them. However with how small these cabinets were, I didn't want to worry about that so I just left the doors attached and brushed them. You want to make sure that you tape anything off that needs to be taped off before you start painting. Unless you have a super powers that allow you to brush insanely straight lines and keep the paint exactly where it is supposed to be ;) then you might be able to skip the taping part. I however, do NOT possess such super powers.
For my cabinet paint color, I chose the same color as my trim so that there wouldn't be any clashing going on. That color was Sherwin Williams "Cotton White". I used chalk paint on my cabinets because I wanted good adhesion, self leveling (I was brushing and not spraying) and butter like distressing. I chose my FAVORITE chalk paint brand, BB Frosch Chalk Paint Powder. I LOVE BB Frosch because I can use any color I want and since I was color matching my trim, it was the only way to go!
*TIP : when painting with white, I like to prime first because white has very little pigment and so you
have to do more coats then with other colors. ESP when you are starting with a dark base like my cabinets! By priming you cut out some of those extra paint coats.
This is one coat of BB Frosch chalk paint compared to the original. Not too bad!
Now I am going to admit something to you..... are you ready?........ I used cheap paint! eeeeeek! Let me tell you, when doing cabinets like this DONT USE CHEAP PAINT! I was 3 coats in and I wasn't getting the coverage I wanted and it was COMPLETELY because of the cheap paint :( I ended up going back to the store and getting a higher quality paint and primer paint, and it made a big difference! NEVER again will I use a cheaper paint when painting white! I also did a coat of primer because my cheap paint wasnt cutting it. After the primer and higher quality of paint, all it took was ONE COAT and I had amazing coverage! So learn from my sleep deprived mistake and get yo self some good paint and primer when painting white over a dark color!
Now are you ready to see the final results!!!???
Lets start with all the little details, shall we?
I LOVE the blue/green crystal knobs! They really tied it all together! I also did a little distressing on the edges of the cabinets. It made a BIG difference with very little effort. Sometimes less distressing is more.
I also made a 'Laundry" sign. I used BB Frosch on the entire sign.
I wanted something to contain the little things like laundry scents, money, and fabric softeners. My kids are working on doing their own laundry, so I needed things where they can reach but still have it look nice. I made this little box from some scrap wood, rope, and fabric. I did a faux stain on it using, you guessed it again, BB Frosch Chalk Paint Powder! Seriously, this stuff is one stop shopping when it comes to paint!
And now for the WHOLE look!
TA DAAAAA!!!!
What do you think?
Isn't it such a difference!
BEFORE AFTER
I finished off the cabinets with BB Frosch Premium Finishing Wax in clear. It is vital that when you use chalk paint, that you SEAL IT with something whether it is wax or poly or something else. I love the soft look the wax gave, it was the PERFECT finish!
The best part of this make over is that it cost me less then $60 for EVERYTHING!!!!! All the paint, knobs, decor, EVERYTHING! Not bad! It does help that I had some of the items already on hand, But if you didn't, this Laundry Room Makeover still would have come in UNDER $100!
I love how bight and open it feels now! I kinda makes me WANT to do laundry! I mean how can you not in such a happy little room!
What room are YOU going to make over?
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