Kitchen Makeover...Questions Answered

First of all, I want to say "Thank You to Lindsey at Better After for featuring my kitchen on her blog. I also want to thank all of you who commented on my kitchen post and to those who contacted me via email as well. I am so happy that so many people love my space as much as I do. I have been asked many questions about my kitchen and the process of having my cabinets painted. I started out by trying to answer each inquiry individually, but I quickly realized that it might be better if I answered them in a post, so here it goes.

What color paint did you use? Pratt and Lambert's Balsa

Are the cabinets brushed or sprayed? They are sprayed. My painter set up a tent in my garage where he sanded and painted my cabinet and drawer fronts. He then tented and sealed off our kitchen where he sanded and sprayed all the boxes and island. If I remember right, there is an undercoat and then 2 or 3  coats of paint and then a lacquered top coat. That may seem like a lot, but for durability it is a must.

What should I look for in a painter? When I decided to paint my cabinets, I was extremely nervous. I was so afraid I was going to ruin my already beautiful cabinets, which were only 5 years old. I knew I wanted someone who had experience in painting kitchen cabinetry. I decided to call my local, reputable paint dealer. I figured that they know all the painters in the area and that they also probably know their reputations. I explained my situation to the store manager and then asked him, if he was having his own cabinets painted, who would he have do it? He gave me three names and said they were the only three painters he would trust to do the work in his own home. I called all three of them, had them come to my home to give me bids and talk about their process for painting cabinets. In the end, I did not choose the least expensive painter! I chose the one that I felt had a thorough knowledge of painting cabinetry and that I felt comfortable having in my home. This project took almost 10 days and my painter was in my home 8 or 9 hours a day. I needed to feel comfortable having him there while my husband was at work and around my kids...that was important to me. Let me say, I know I chose the right guy, he is an amazing painter and person!

Where are the barstools and kitchen chairs from? Pottery Barn Napoleon Barstools and Pottery Barn Isabella Chairs

I hope this information helps those of you who have thought about doing the same thing, but are hesitant. If you have any other questions, please feel free to contact me. I will do my best to answer them!