Kitchen and baths

Before
The Smith family is frustrated by the look of their kitchen, which clashes with the style of the rest of their home. A full kitchen remodel isn't on the horizon any time soon, so I suggested another option: Give the cabinets a facelift and add a new island that blends in with the revamped cabinets. After a quick trip to the hardware store to buy supplies, Kevin Smith and I got right to work on the project. With only a day to finish the job, we had our work cut out for us, but with Kevin's hard work we had time to spare. This slide show shows the simple steps we took, which may inspire you to tackle this project in your own kitchen.

Remove cabinet doors and drawers
Before taking down the doors and pulling out the drawers, use a numbering system to make sure the doors and drawers map to the correct cabinets when you re-install them. Stick a piece of blue tape on each door, drawer and cabinet. Write a number on the tape on the door and drawer and write that same number on the corresponding cabinet. Put screws into a screw container as you remove them. Check your recycle bin for a tin can, milk jug or jar to use as a screw container.

Remove hardware
Once all the doors are off, remove the hinges from the doors. Place all hinges into a hinge container; place screws into your screw container. Put hinge and screw containers in a safe place for easy access later.

Sand cabinet doors and drawer fronts
Go over doors and drawer fronts with an orbital sander and 150-grit sanding disks to remove most of the old finish. Use 150-grit sandpaper sheets to go over places that the orbital sander can't reach. Repeat the process with 220-grit sandpaper to ensure a smooth finish and a properly prepared surface for the crackle paint.

Apply crackle paint
Brush crackle paint onto the door and drawer fronts. Move in broad, smooth strokes, keeping the paint in front of the brush as you pull it toward you. Read instructions on the paint container for proper drying times. Let paint dry completely.

Apply high-gloss top coat
Once the crackle coat has dried completely, move on to the top coat. Use a 6-inch foam roller with a 3/8-inch nap roller cover to roll on white, high-gloss paint. Use a brush to touch up areas that the roller can't reach. Read instructions on the paint container for proper drying times. Let dry completely.

Paint cabinets
While the doors and drawers are drying, paint the kitchen cabinets. Tape off areas where the cabinets meet the wall paint. Roll on high-gloss, white paint with a 6-inch roller with 3/8-inch nap foam roller covers. Touch up areas the roller can't reach using a high-quality paintbrush. Read instructions on the paint container for proper drying times. Let dry completely.

Install new hinges and hang doors
Screw new hinges onto the doors with a drill and screwdriver bit. Then match up the doors to the cabinets, referencing the numbering system you created earlier. Screw hinges to the cabinets. Line up drawers to guide rails on the inside of cabinets and push to close.

Add knobs
Purchase alignment guides at your local hardware store; there are different versions for doors and drawers. The guides eliminate guesswork and the potential for misaligned knobs. Place an alignment guide at the corner of your door, mark the desired hole with a pencil, remove the guide and drill. Slip the screw that came with the new knob through the hole from the inside. Twist the knob onto the screw. Make sure it's tight by using a screwdriver to prevent the screw from turning while you hand tighten the knob.

After
With only a day to get everything done, we focused our energy on refreshing the cabinets to make the biggest impact. The crackle paint, high-gloss top coat and updated hardware gave the kitchen an antique look that flowed with the rest of the home's decor. The chalkboard panel to the left of the stove was a fun feature that I painted at the last minute for the Smith kids to practice writing or make school lunch requests. A new island that made better use of the kitchen space added the finishing touch. afreda

and don't forget the lighting... and outdated light fixture in the kitchen can be easily replaced with an affordable new light fixture that goes with the decor of the rest of the kitchen.