FROM TUSCANY KITCHEN TO OFF WHITE GLAZED & DISTRESSED KITCHEN CABINETS

FROM TUSCANY KITCHEN TO OFF WHITE GLAZED & DISTRESSED KITCHEN CABINETS

Several years ago my client asked me to paint this tuscany finish on her kitchen cabinets in her new home.  The cabinets had a pickled/white washed finish on them and that just didn't work with her furniture and kitchen decor.

Now, it is a beautiful cozy kitchen with the new warmer cabinet color.

Recently, after about ten years, she called and said she was ready for a change.  She wanted me to paint her cabinets again and this time she wanted them to be very, very light.

Such a contrast!

This is her new chandelier that I shared with you in the two posts before this one.

And, this is the smaller chandelier that I shared with you in the earlier post.

She had painted this one a dark green to go with her tuscany kitchen.  This time she asked me to repaint it in similar colors and finish to match her beautiful new chandelier.

This is her kitchen after I finished painting the lighter colors.  

Finally, she can start redecorating her new kitchen.

I know it will be beautiful!

Look at this bowl.  Isn't it fabulous!!!

My client told me the artist is in her 90's.  I don't remember her name.  Can you imagine the time that went into this delicate work! 

 Those are the colors that I LOVE.

This is a close-up of the new finish on her cabinets that wrap around the large room.

I painted a lighter off white and then glazed with a little bit darker off white and wiped off with a rag.

As I usually do, I made several samples before I started the work and this is the one that she approved.  I had to make sure the colors I chose would go and blend well with her new backsplash and her new granite.  Choosing the right shades of color is really important for the best look in a room.

This is a picture of the finish that I painted on the kitchen island.  I painted the same technique that I painted on the other cabinets.  But, I used a darker off white as the base coat and distressed the finish So, when I distressed and opened the top coat the darker off white base coat showed through. 

Not sure if you can see that I painted the inside of the open shelves of the upper cabinets that same darker off white.  The darker off white is the color I used for the undercoat of the distressing on the island.

Years ago, when I painted the tuscany finish on the cabinets, I also textured the walls in several of her rooms.  I used sheetrock mud and a 5" or 6" broad knife.  I love the textured look and I love doing it, too.  It's a lot of work and the mud is heavy.  It really changes the look of a room.

I loved working in this beautiful home, again. 

TUSCAN KITCHEN CABINETS HAND PAINTED SPECIAL FINISH

TUSCAN KITCHEN CABINETS 

HAND PAINTED SPECIAL FINISH

The two white distressed chandeliers in the post before this one are in this kitchen with the new off white colors that I will show you in the next post.
But, I wanted to show you the "before" pictures.
This is the tuscan special finish I painted for my client several years ago.
The cabinets were pickled/white washed oak.  She showed me the look she wanted, I made samples and she approved.
I loved the finish on these cabinets!

I used a gel stain and lightly distressed the finish.

My camera flash made them look kind of orangey.  In real life, they were a little more brown.

SEPTEMBER 20, 2014

THIS IS THE DAY AFTER I POSTED THIS KITCHEN.

I just found a picture that is closer to the actual color of the cabinets back then.  Not sure what happened with my camera, but this is better.  I do love the technique that I used, just not those orangey overexposed shots.

Also, I found this picture of her wine rack that I painted.  In her new kitchen, she had a cabinet door and drawer removed and had the carpenter build this custom sized wine rack. 

 I brought it home with me and painted it here.  Thank goodness, I was able to do that.  I've painted a lot of wine and plate racks and had to paint them in place and that is NOT easy!!

NOW, back to the original post:

This is such a beautiful, very large kitchen!  It wraps around in three sections.  I'm showing you the middle section.

I don't usually get to see and take pictures when everything is neat and back to normal.

Glad I got to take these pictures, though.

Because a few months ago, she called and said she was ready for a change.  She said she still loved this tuscan finish, but she was ready to have EVERYTHING painted in very light colors.

Before, she had me paint, texture and faux most of the walls in her new home in dark colors.  

Because of my schedule, I could only do the kitchen cabinets, this time.  She wanted the lighter colors and a little bit of distressing, again.  It took me about two weeks to do all of those layers.

Most of the finishes I paint take from 4 to 7 different layers.  That means I have to hand touch and paint every inch of those cabinets 4 to 7 times.  

It is a chore, but I do love what I do.

Especially when I'm finished and the client is happy.

IT'S ALMOST SEPTEMBER 11. ARE YOU PREPARED, JUST IN CASE?

Not to be paranoid, but I'm going to be prepared.

It's almost September 11, and I remember how scared and confused I was back then on 

September 11, 2001.

I eat mostly fresh and frozen vegetables, fruits, nuts, etc.  Rarely do I eat anything out of a can, except tuna.

But starting in 2001, I began storing a good supply of canned goods and non perishable food in the back of my pantry, just in case.

As I'm putting the cans in the pantry, I always use a marker to write the date on them.  After a few months, I give all the food to someone before the expiration dates and start buying and stocking my pantry, again.

Oh, and a good supply of water and bathroom tissue are very important items on that list of supplies. 

If something were to happen (ever) I think we would only be isolated for a very few days and I feel that I am prepared.

Are you?

Do you even think about it?