Little Time for Crochet When Updating a Kitchen

I’ve been super busy lately working on my house. So busy that I’ve had very little time for crocheting. I started painting in May, 2018 and have been working on a number of rooms since. Last November my dishwasher completely fell out of the cabinet when I opened it. The plywood under the laminate had disintegrated where it was attached to the countertop. It was then that we decided it was time to update our 1999 kitchen. I gave myself a tight budget and began planning. I knew I needed new counter tops but wasn’t sure what to do about the cabinets. They were structurally in great shape but the finish had begun to wear out. I didn’t want to paint them and not crazy about sanding and staining. After much interwebs searching, I learned about using Briwax to darken oak cabinets. This was the answer I was looking for. (Check out this post for more info.) Briwax is AMAZING stuff. It stinks horribly but the smells goes away quickly. I LOVE the satin like finish. And the slight darkening from the Tudor color is exactly the look I wanted.

using Briwax to darken and refinish oak cabinets

Door on right after treated with Briwax in Tudor, door on left before.

My new counter tops arrive January 10 and that weekend I began working on the transformation. I worked almost every Saturday since and FINALLY finished Sunday, April 14. FOUR MONTHS! Over that time we installed new counter tops, new sink, new faucet, new kitchen light, new cabinet hardware, new counter chairs and new curtain panels. I refinished all the cabinets, painted the walls, trim, windows and doors in my kitchen, dining room and great room (they are all open together), stained five curtain rods/hardware and painted two ceiling fans. Phew! It was a lot of work but I am so pleased with the results. As soon as we finished rehanging the ceiling fans, I sat down and began crocheting some dish cloths for my pretty kitchen. 🙂

I’ve posted before and after photos below. I hope you like the transformation. I wish I could say I was done with the painting, but I’m not. I’m more than half way done with the “to-do” list but a lot more to go. When we replaced the kitchen counter tops, we also replaced the vanity tops in two of the bathrooms. So…my next project will be the hall bath.