THAT PainterLady.com » Kitchen Ideas

Creating a Distressed Look on Kitchen Island

THAT Painter Lady — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 11:31:44 +0000

This great question from Dave & Donna – newsletter subscribers – I am happy to share the limelight with Tawn – THAT Painter Lady part 2!

I am wanting to get a distressed look on the center isle in my kitchen. It is real wood and was stained in a medium to dark finish when we built the home.

I want it to be a different color from my cabinets and thought of a distressed or old world look in a lighter color on top of the already stained wood. Can this be accomplished?

This is my first time doing this particular faux process. I assume there will be sanding involved. I just did not know if this is something I should try myself or if I should hire it out. ~Dave & Donna

Hi Donna & Dave-

What a great idea and fun, too! Easy to do as well.

If you want your center isle in your kitchen to look like it is a different piece of furniture, older, well loved, with many transformations, then here are a few steps for you to follow:

1. Sand – lightly sand the isle (this scuffs the surface so that the paint will have something to adhere to without chipping off later on).

2. Add Dabs of Color – paint a dab of turquoise here and some hot pink/red there and some bright sunny yellow over there. You don’t have to use different colors you can paint it all with just one color. I used different colors to give my piece a deeper faux “history”. When it used to be painted turquoise and once was painted red or when it was yellow. Like it has a longer history. I’ve also painted it just one solid color as the base and that works, too.

3. Candle Wax Rub – go back over the dabs of color with a rub of wax. Take a candle (a taper or emergency candle works well – white – no color) and rub it on a portion of the color you painted and some on the edge of the dark stain.

4. Paint – you can paint over the entire thing with a creamy ivory color (2 coats).

5. Distress – when the paint dries take your sand paper and lightly run it over the areas you know you rubbed on the candle wax. It will take off the paint exposing the color(s) underneath (your dab of turquoise here and pink there and avocado green there and yellow here). Rub the sandpaper along some of the edges exposing the darker stain underneath and even go deeper here and there exposing just the wood.

6. Antique – to age the piece I would take a light stain or brown paint watered down and rub it all over the piece following the grain of the wood. Then seal it with Polycrylic Satin.

Hope this helps!

THAT Painter Lady (well…the other one!)

Here are a few great resources on (do it yourself) distressed finishes. Click on the pictures to read about each resource.

Period Finishes & Effects

50 Ways to Paint Furniture: The Easy, Step-by-Step Way to Decorator Looks

The Art of the Painted Finish for Furniture & Decoration: Antiquing, Lacquering, Gilding & The Great Impersonators

One stroke furniture accents: 9 painted furniture pieces coordinated with wallpaper

Tips to Liven Up Your Kitchen on a Budget

THAT Painter Lady — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 18:00:00 +0000

When churning through all your home upgrades possibilities, you need to narrow them down to what you can afford with your finances and time.

So are you thinking of renovating your kitchen but don’t have the budget? If you’re not ready for a full remodel, you can still give your kitchen a fresh, new feel without breaking the bank.

With a bit of creativity and some serious elbow grease, you can add a splash of new into your older, established kitchen today.

Keep reading for 10 great ideas on how you can redecorate your kitchen without spending a fortune.

1. Clear the clutter. Get rid of your old, worn-out tea towels and out-of-date cookware. A good rule is if you haven’t used that fondue pot since 1986, you can probably toss it out.

2. Pick a theme for the kitchen. Choose a theme like Mexican, Country style, 1950s or Italian and run with it. Pick up a few choice accessories, such as new oven mitts or pot lids and build from there.

Kitchen and Bath Theme Design: An Architectural Styling Guide

3. Paint with a bright, new color. Paint is a wonderfully inexpensive way to make a grand impact on the look of a room. Or even consider some jazzy wallpaper.

4. Update your backsplash. A backsplash is small enough that the cost of tiles won’t set you back too far, but positioned well enough that the change can have a major visual impact.

5. Use food to add some style. For example, if you’ve chosen an Italian theme, try building on it by using decorative bottles of olive oil or interesting pasta canisters to reinforce your theme.

Wild Things 1683 Chili Vinegar Big Wave

6. Display your ceramics. Open your cupboards and get out that beautiful glassware and all those lovely dishes – it’s time to put them on display. You can create an interesting wall design with antique plates or beloved serving platters, or you can hang your glassware as way of both displaying and storing it.

7. Go green. Add fresh plants to your window sills and ledges to warm up the space and bring life into your kitchen. A window sill herb garden is both decorative and functional.

8. Update your cabinetry hardware. If you can’t afford new cabinetry, try updating yours with new pulls and knobs. You can instantly update an entire kitchen simply by replacing those dated, glass pulls with something a little more contemporary.

Amerock 172G10 3″ Satin Chrome Basic Pull

9. Repaper the shelves and drawers in a fun, new color.

10. Update your faucets. A new faucet typically costs less than a hundred dollars and is a great way to not only bring a new style to your kitchen, but also some added functionality. Opt for faucet models with removable water filters or a dish washing attachment.

Simple Kitchen Makeover Ideas

THAT Painter Lady — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 05:43:26 +0000

photo credit: aaron brenneman

The kitchen is probably one of the most used places in our home where we not only prepare and cook family meals but also functions as a great gathering place for both friends and family. That is why as important as it is to take care of yourself to maintain good health taking care of your home, especially the kitchen, is probably one of the best things that you can do for your financial health. A kitchen makeover not only improves the beauty and function but also increases the value of your home. If you would like to do a kitchen makeover in your house here are some of the best ideas that you can use to show your own style and ensure that you will have the dream kitchen that you want and deserve.

Start With A New Coat Of Paint

If you are thinking of doing a kitchen plan makeover to upgrade the look and function of your kitchen to ensure that your kitchen will last for a long time it does not necessarily means that you have to spend an enormous amount of money.

One of the first things that you might consider when thinking of doing a kitchen makeover is to start out with the walls. You can instantly create a new look and atmosphere if you update with a new coat of paint. You can either go for one color or make a combination that will give a new ambiance to your home. Paint is one of the most inexpensive and easy projects that you can do yourself.

If you have a favorite color that you want to use choose all the other kitchen and basement upgrades such as flooring, lighting and appliances to fit in that color scheme. Otherwise select the flooring, lighting, countertops and appliances first and the wall color can then be based on these choices.

Use A Theme

Having an overall theme for your kitchen makeover using construction tools can be very helpful in the selection process. For instance, if you have a Tuscan or French cafe theme in mind, makes choosing the lighting, flooring, countertops and appliances and also the paint colors much easier. Also finding accessories and pieces of art that you can put in your new kitchen should follow the same theme. Cookie jars, small paintings, kitchen towels, aprons, and other little things that complement your theme can instantly give a new look to your kitchen without breaking the bank.

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Kitchen and Bath Theme Design: An Architectural Styling Guide

photo credit: NancyHugoCKD.com

photo credit: Bree Bailey

Painting Kitchen Cabinets Black

THAT Painter Lady — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 07:06:37 +0000

Question about Painting Kitchen Cabinets Black.
I recently installed beautiful granite countetops is tan with black and a little bit of red vaining.

My backsplash is tumbled marble (tan)with black diamond shaped inserts(from the granite).

My cabinets are white washed.

Would painting them black be to much and make the kitchen dark?

I like the black distressed look. It is a large kitchen with plenty of light. ~Rhea McGregor

photo credit: NancyHugoCKD.com

Hi Rhea,

Your kitchen sounds gorgeous!

To answer your question, no, painting your cabinets black will not make your kitchen look too dark.

Having plenty of light will brighten up the room, in spite of the cabinets.

Also, if you have some wall space in your kitchen you can paint them a lighter color to contrast the dark cabinets.

A suggestion about painting kitchen cabinets it to paint with a gloss finish paint. This will allow for a more reflective surface. You can then scuff the edges with sandpaper to give them a distressed finish.

Good luck on your project, That Painter Lady – DAWN

Check out these great books on painting kitchens:

Can’t Fail Color Schemes for Kitchens & Baths: How to Choose Color for Stone and Tile Surfaces, Cabinets, & Walls

Design Ideas for Kitchens (Design Ideas)