Today it is the real deal. No sun-drenched room makeovers, no recipe from scratch, and no deep spiritual insights.
I've been painting the inside of our kitchen cabinets.
Some of you know that our kitchen makeover, in two parts, was fourteen months ago. We painted the really dark wood cabinets a soft cream, and ripped out mud-brown carpet. My sweetie put down a charcoal and cream checkerboard ceramic tile floor, and we painted the walls a soft, barely there pale green. Barn red accessories, red floral window treatments my precious sister made for our last house, and a breakfast room light fixture purchased 90% off at Lowe's. Other lighting changes, a new countertop and a new stovetop are years down the road budget-wise, so we called our frugal, DIY kitchen makeover finished.
And I closed the cabinet doors on their dark and sad interiors.
Until lately. When it started to nag at me. I mean, I cleaned them well when we moved in, and I clean them now, but there is a level of UGH in old wood cabinets in an old house that even Mrs. Meyers cannot banish. And the paint is here-- we had lots left of the custom mixed paint from the outside of the cabinets. So, a free project, without the usual money guilt. No reason to not dive in.
Except for the Total Kitchen Upheaval emptying the cabinets means. Except for the ancient Contac paper clinging to some of the shelves. (A pox on Contac paper, except of course for the very handy for kids' crafts clear Contac paper.) Except that this is a most unglamorous project, not decorative in the least and utilitarian to the extreme.
But I am going ahead with it. I suspect in my housewifely soul that once it is done, once it is a memory and all the Contac goo is gone from beneath my fingernails, I will enjoy those clean, bright, smooth cabinet insides nearly as much as I love my newly redone living room.
And such a mindless project gives me lots of time to listen to music and talk to Sam, or if he is otherwise occupied, think. So perhaps the next post WILL be more philosophical, as in how sin is like old Contac paper, coming away in maddeningly small shreds, or decorative, like artfully arranged boxes of mac and cheese. . . on the laundry room floor. . .
5 comments:
Well, now you've done gone and convicted me into getting mine done. I've been lamenting about it for years. We've got the paint. Someone just needs to do it.
I kept hoping hubby would get the hint. Isn't happening. *sigh* Guess I'll have to go find a paint brush.
or how it's so much healthier to open the "cabinet doors" to our hearts... better to expose and be vulnerable then to hide our uglys... which only makes them grow more annoying! sounds like a gruling project. i look forward to hearing about it from afar! maybe all that thinking will lead to your writing that perfect book for my nathan's bday!
Everything you write has insight. :) I think you will very much appreciate this project when complete. I cleaned our garage yesterday even though most people think we have the cleanest garage on the block. Everytime I went into the garage today I felt a sense of peace knowing that I made it a little better. Garages are most certainly not glamourous.
I would love to see photos of your kitchen.
drawer pulls... are like the pupils in our eyes- small but very functional.
Hey Missy,
Do use Goo Gone on your yucky contact paper goo. It takes the last traces of the sticky goo off so well. I know you'll enjoy your clean insides!
Post a Comment