Unconventional Approach at Making Over Cabinetry Is A Success!

Many of you know that I have been working on my master bath since Spring.  I was unhappy with the overall contemporary style of the room and wanted it to flow with my master bedroom.  I revealed my master bedroom makeover a few months back.  This is what it looks like.

You can see, the bedroom is light, bright and airy.  We installed the bead board to the chair rail to finish off the room with a traditional, country flair.  I wanted this for the bathroom as well.  I have run into snag after snag, mainly due to my inability to make a decision.  Bathrooms are expensive to makeover and once you make a decision, you are pretty much financially stuck with it.  So I hired a designer because I was feeling like a needed an outside source for assistance. 

She came up with very beautiful drawings, but just the cabinetry bid came in close to $10,000!  Talk about shock.  Understand something....there is nothing wrong with the present cabinetry.  All they really needed was a re-style, but you are hard pressed to find anyone who is willing to just switch out the cabinet doors and such.  I figured that I was back out on my own.  I spent a month beating myself up for having spent the money and searching for ideas that were more affordable.

I considered buying special order, unfinished raised panel doors at a cost of 50 dollars a door.  After all, I could refinish them myself.  Then, I came up with a crazy plan and put it into action.  You know what?  It worked!  It worked so well, I wish I could post this everywhere so that all DIYers out there can see this. 

First, I had my helper Ed decoratively router out the center of the melamine doors.  He then routed the inside of the door in order to lay in bead board.  We weren't sure if it was going to work with this material. The surface of these doors are engineered...kinda like a mica product.  We thought that they might chip or lift.  But guess what? Nothing chipped, spilt or anything!  It worked!

Here is what it looked like sitting getting ready for refinishing.

Ready for refinishing

Backside of cabinet with bead board set in.

I was so excited at this point because the melamine had completely held up to the routing.  Now I had to see what was going to happen to the freshly cut open materials when paint came into play.  I was wondering if the exposed material would warp or flake.  I wondered if the engineered surface would take the paint.  Guess what?  It didn't warp or flake. I sanded the engineered door surface to prepare it to take the primer.   Then came two sprayed on coats of  Zinsser 123 Bulls Eye Primer.  The doors took the primer like white on rice! I then finished it off with several coats of Sherwin Williams Duration Paint in a Satin Alabaster White making sure to gently sanding between coats.  Take a look at this!

Look at the routed decorative edge! The white paint just brought it right out!

Oh....how I love that fresh white surface...and that bead board! To die for I tell ya!  I hand painted the other areas of the cabinetry in the bath by hand alternating brushing on layers of paint with rolling on layers with a small foam high density roller.  I like the surface I get interchanging the two techniques.  Smooth, but not too slick and contemporary. 

We installed the doors this past week and here is what they look like now.

I am so excited about the results of this project.  Instead of $10,000, the project came in at about $250. (I paid Ed to do the router and bead board work, plus materials)  Not bad, I'd say.  If you notice, I changed out the knobs too.  I will talk about the knob project sometime in the next few days and show you how I made them. 

For those of you who haven't seen the before images, I put together these two collages. 

I hope this project inspires you.  Do you have cabinetry somewhere in your house that you just don't love the appearance, but feel like it isn't up to the rigors of a re-surface?  Well, I am here to tell you that you just may be able to pull something off for very few dollars!  I'm am not going to sit here and tell you that this was the easiest project ever.  It took a lot of diligence and patience.  In the end, it paid off.

*****UPDATED TO THIS POST!  If you want to hop over and see the cabinet knob tutorial post  Cabinet Knobs Using Stones and Jute there will be a back link to this post.*******

-The End-

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The Homeless Finch Joins in With Habitat Heros. You Can Too!

Have you heard of Habitat Heros?  No? Yes?  Well...I am just now waking up to this event that has been going on since October 20th.  I'm late to the party, but it's not too late! AND it's not to late for YOU to join in too!  So here is the idea.  Julia of 551 East Furniture Design came up with this totally cool concept for those of us who restore furniture to give back to our communities.  I found out about the event from Cassie of Primitive and Proper who is also one of the organizers along with Jacqueline from Simple Home Life, and Katie from Wildwood Creek.

Pick out a piece of furniture that you have restored, rescued, whatever....you gave it awesomeness.  Then you donate it to your favorite hometown charity.  Blog about it. Post it to the Habitat Heros Party.  Done. Easy. Simple.  A great thing to do especially during the giving season. 

So I am donating my Nightstand that I rescued and restored a few weeks back.  I almost sold this little princess, but I am glad that I didn't.  It became kinda a celebrity when it was featured on several blogs, including Beyond the Picket Fence, the website RoadKill Rescue and was even picked up by Apartment Therapy.  I have chosen my local Goodwill to donate my nightstand to and I am headed over there today to do it! 

Do you have a piece of furniture that you have restored that you are willing to donate?!  If so, do it and then come back over to the Habitat Heros Party and link up. You got until November 20th to join in.  Hey, I understand that they are offering some sort of bonus too.  Giveaways or something. Check it out!

Now I gotta get going.... I want enough time to drop off the nightstand and maybe even take a peek inside to see if they have any treasures today for me.  Get donating people!

-The End-

A Special Visitor to The Homeless Finch Studio Has Me Pondering

Popping in today to share an amazing little something that happened this weekend in my studio.  I was in my usual mode of checking emails, surfing Paint Party Friday and pretending to be a great weekend family member.  You know what I'm talking about...  You really want to work on your projects, but the family is home underfoot and you try to pretend you are 'all in' for them and their needs?!   I gotta balance it ya know!!

Well, so I had walked out of my studio in an attempt to appear engaged with the activities that they were wanting to focus on.  At some point, I decided to check back in the studio.  Walking in I realized that there was a finch flying freely around the room outside the aviary.  Immediately worried that my finch would fly free, I ran to the door that was open to the outside and closed it.  I grabbed the fitted sheet I use this to catch them when they get out.  As I turned and really looked, I realized that the finch was not mine.  Nope.  It's was a wild finch that had flown into my studio through the open door.   

I called to my family and they ran into the room as I said, "I can't believe it. An actual Homeless Finch is in my studio!"  Of course, I had to snap an image of the poor little guy before catching and releasing him. 

He looks so afraid in this image below. Don't you think? 

A Homeless Finch in My Studio

The rest of the day, I thought about that little chance happening and told a few of my friends about it.  Everyone wondered if it was some sort of sign. My sister had the dreamy thought that it was my mother coming by for a visit.  I have one male finch in the aviary without a mate.  He sings very loudly every morning trying to attract a would be suitor, not realizing in his little bird brain that no potential mates can hear him.  I think perhaps this wild finch heard him and wanted to find out what all the commotion was about.   It was fascinating to talk about and ponder.  What do you think it was?  A fluke? A sign?  

Flame
The finch who calls for a mate.



I am hoping to bring you a few reveals this week.  I have a few projects coming into the final stages. Stay tuned...OH! and watch out for the Homeless Finch.  If you leave your door open....he might just fly in for a visit.

-The End-