Kitchen Re-Do

Our house was built in 1968.  One of the things that sold us on this house was that the previous owners had already updated the "big" things, like granite and tile.  They had chosen colors that were doable, and for the most part it was move-in ready.  Now that we've lived here 2 years, we've taken on little projects here and there to update it to our liking. 

The one thing that has bothered me for a while is the kitchen.  At first look, the black was fun and funky...but lately it has been wearing on me.  After some research (and a lot of spontaneity) I decided to paint the kitchen cabinets.  There are a lot of great blogs that I gained inspiration from, and thanks to the competent workers at Home Depot I had a plan.  Liquid sand the cabinets (they were oil) and then paint in latex.  Less smelly, less toxic and a LOT easier.  Once they were painted, I simply sanded the black back out to add an unfinished look.  They need it, since they are original and quirky.

I loved the finished product...but I wasn't finished.  Something wasn't right.  So...I painted the kitchen walls.  We decided on a gray color to tie in the blues from the living room and the black/cream/stainless color scheme in the kitchen.  Now I REALLY loved the finished product.  But there was still one things amiss...the built-in china cabinet.  My mom and I antiqued them when we first moved in...but the brown just wasn't working.  Martha Stewart just came out with a metallic glaze, so I thought I'd give it a whirl.  You really can't tell in these pictures how different it looks, but trust me.  Much better.  I might even do one more coat. 

Now...it's finished.  And we're in love!

Well, maybe I told a little white lie.  We're not completely finished.  I really don't like the floor tiles, so those are next!