My first DIY Project
DIY | Feb 2020
Kitchen Cabinet Paint
Hello, I’m Gianna.
I want to share my first home project with you. Our kitchen used to have dark espresso cabinets as shown in the pictures below. The floor was also dark-colored tiles, and because of that, the kitchen felt even darker, making our home seem smaller. With a two-year-old to take care of, limited time, and my husband’s opposition, I decided to take on this project after much consideration.
I began the project using the time between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays when my child is at daycare. Honestly, painting is quite challenging when you have a child around, so I worked diligently before my child’s school hours. I visited Home Depot to choose the paint color for the cabinets and purchased all the necessary painting tools. Among the numerous paint colors available, it wasn’t easy to pick the one I wanted, so I collected many reference photos. Nonetheless, it’s one of my favorite parts of the process because I can envision how it will look when the color is applied, filling me with excitement and anticipation.
(Here are the kitchen photos that inspired me and the paint colors: behr, vanila paste, eggshell)
Happiness is often fleeting, and as a beginner in self-interior decorating and self-painting, this project demanded time and effort from me. Before applying paint, I had to meticulously cover the areas where paint shouldn’t touch with vinyl and painstakingly apply tape. This was the most tiresome and time-consuming part. Additionally, applying primer and tackling unexpected challenges were a constant learning experience for me.
Finally! After investing two weeks of time, I could truly appreciate how worthwhile the effort was when I saw the completed result.
I painted the cabinet with a soft, elegant beige tone, which significantly brightened up the atmosphere in the living room and kitchen. Additionally, I added champagne gold handles to the cabinets that originally had none. It was a task of achieving both convenience and design. For the long cabinets, I attached long handles, adding a unique and sophisticated touch.
This transformation process was filled with challenges, but it was truly a rewarding journey. Utilizing my child’s daycare hours to work on it was demanding but fulfilling. Parenting brought constant self-reflection and occasional bouts of sadness, and this experience turned those emotions into a sense of accomplishment. As the days went by and the kitchen transformed, I felt immense satisfaction in seeing the end result that I had created with my own hands.
The completed project, after about two weeks of effort, brought a great sense of achievement. Looking back, it was a valuable experience that proved my own abilities and instilled confidence for future DIY projects.
So far, I’ve shared the story of my very first home project. I’ll be sharing more updates and DIY interior tips in the future. Until next time!