cabs are here!

I am not sure what makes me feel worse – the fact that I know a Pauly D reference {and used it} or that someone my age would use a Pauly D reference.  Either way, it was a glorious day when our cabs {ie, cabinets} arrived and I could get started priming and painting them.

We had to store our cabs down in the basement while I worked on the priming and painting {there was simply no room left in the entire house and do not even get me started with the amount of “free” space we have in the garage}.

To combat some of the cement floor against the cabinets, I used the boxes from our floor tiles to set the bases on.

I then proceeded to remove all of the doors, carefully putting all of the hardware in ziploc bags.

There was also an AMAZING labeling system implemented once we realized we weren’t sure where each base was actually meant to go while they all sat in a clump in the basement.

After a good sanding {and a couple rounds at that, as you can see the unfinished option came pretty rough}, I wiped the cabinets down with a tack cloth, and was then able to tape the inside edges of the bases so I could get to priming.

We used Zinsser’s Cover Stain oil based primer.  Although we were priming unfinished cabinets {this primer is supposed to be able to prime ANY surface, even already finished cabinets}, after doing a bit of research we really did feel this particular option would give us the most durable base to paint on.  It was also supposed to be the best to help prevent the wood grain from showing through – although we do still have a bit of the grain {we were originally hoping that by using this primer and a thick enamel paint we would end up with an extremely smooth look}, it actually works in the space and I am actually happy with how the cabinets turned out!

Also, do not fret, this particular brand of oil based primer can be topped with ANY type of paint {including the water based enamel paint we painted the cabinets with}.

After a couple rounds of paint on the bases {sanding with 400 grit sandpaper in-between each coat}, we hauled those upstairs.  We used a high-gloss enamel paint for the cabinets….it is the most durable {scrub-able} option and was what was recommended to us for use on the cabinets. 

After the cabinets were all upstairs, I laid the cabinet doors out on soup cans strewn about the basement floor.  After a round of primer, I told Graham I didn’t want to paint them because it killed my back {I tried to persuade him into thinking that the “primed only” doors gave the kitchen a shabby-chic look…it didn’t work}.

He gave me a look as if to say “Well, why did you put yourself through that anyways”…..he suggested I utilize the many tables we had set up downstairs as a work station.

So I did {and thought “duh, Jen” even though I wouldn’t admit this to Graham out loud}!  I would paint a round on a side of a few cabinet doors and then go back to a different project I was working on in the kitchen.

However, as most of you know, although we had July-like weather in March here in Wisconsin, it got cold again {and fast}.  We realized quickly that it was getting too cold in the basement to be painting {all paints are different, but in general, you should only paint when temperatures are consistently above 50 degrees}.

Even our “livable” {if our house should have been considered “livable” during this remodel is still up for debate} space was getting too cold to paint in – we had to enlist the help of my little heater from the studio and rely on the fireplace in the dining room to push enough heat into the kitchen to keep the temperature high enough so that we could finish painting the walls.

As of today, I am still working on the cabinet doors.  I have moved the painting process upstairs, into our dining room.  This means there is even LESS room to paint.  Given the fact that you have to paint multiple coats on BOTH sides, allowing for sufficient time in between each coat before flipping the door over, it has proven to be a lengthy process.

But, I also decided my focus should be on getting things back into the kitchen {instead of our dining room} since the items do not need doors to actually be IN the cabinets.  So, the doors and backsplash are still BIG to-dos that have yet to be checked off, but they are things that we can put off and still consider our space “livable”.

{Livable?  I am just happy to be able to walk through my house in bare feet again}