My Mod Podge

In honor of the Mod Podge Mayhem linky party I'm helping to host this week, I thought I'd post one of my own mod-podge projects!
I use Mod Podge all the time, actually, it's just rarely to make anything that's cool enough to post about. I, for instance, have never covered a pair of SHOES with modge podge.  How freakin' cool is that???

Anyway - this is supposed to be about my project.
Which happens to be part of my kitchen redecorating project...which I've totally slacked off on posting about. I'm going to finish that up next week, I promise. So stay tuned for that.

Anyway - (again) - as part of my kitchen redecorating project I went on a beautifying rampage. My mantra was "everything must be pretty!"
And we all know...can openers (though necessary) are not pretty.

Rather than screw around with (and take the chance of destroying) a perfectly good can opener, I decided to disguise it.
I started by building a backless, bottomless box out of the cabinet centers that I had removed for my custom cabinet project.

I gave it a quick coat of cream paint so that the paper I chose would have a light background

Then I cut the paper and applied it with Mod Podge. A coat underneath to adhere the paper, and two thin coats on top to give it a somewhat waterproof finish.

I love the way it looks. It's so cute!

And it's super easy to slide to the side so I can use the can opener.

It's been sitting on my counter, right next to my sink, for 7 months and it's help up beautifully! I was a bit worried about steam or spray from the sink ruining the paper, but it's stayed perfect.

Custom Cabinets, part deux!

Glass cabinet fronts!
Everyone loves them, right? I know I always swoon when I see them. Those kitchen full of of gleaming, open looking cabinetry with artfully arranged dishes and decor...
Love them.

No way was I going to be able to convert every cab in my kitchen to glass fronts - too much junk to hide! But all those Kitchen Design magazines that I keep mentioning showed me that it's okay to have just a couple glass fronts - it adds to that "custom cabinet" look.

So I converted just two of my cabs.
First was this stand-alone double door unit.

(Don't worry - I'm getting rid of those vinegar bottles, too. They are SO dated!)

I started by removing the doors, and taking all the dishes out.

Then I cut beadboard to fit (two pieces because I didn't have one that was large enough) and painted it green.

Once the beadboard was dry and installed, I began work on the doors themselves.

My sweet hubby helped with this part. I did the first one all alone - then handed the jigsaw off to him and let him do the rest. It's heavy!  He routered out a channel for the glass to sit in, too.
While he cut out the center panel I artfully arranged the dishes :)

Eventually (it took more than a week!) I got the glass cut to size and installed. I used a clear liquid nails product that promised to hold glass.  This is how it turned out.

Beautiful, right?
I was nervous about the glass at first, but they've been in for about 2 months, now, and it's been problem-free :) We are much more careful about how we close the cabinet doors now, though - no flinging them shut as we walk across the kitchen!

Love them <3

I also installed glass in the corner cabinet.

(before)

I have a bit of an obsession with tea pots.  So I decided to display them.

First I had to make sure everything was neat and tidy. I found a hemp basket in my craft supplies, holding fat quarters, and appropriated it for teas.

It wasn't big enough to hold all of them, so I used a brown paper bag, too. Stamped it with fleur de li's and replaced the handle with a gold ribbon - pretty :)

That took care of 2 tea-pot-back-drops.
For the 3rd I just a bunch of non-display-worthy tea pots in neutral colors.

For the 4th, I cut a piece of beadboard. I left it white because I wanted it to be non-obtrusive. It slips in easily and it's impossible to see from almost any angle. Behind it hides hot chocolate mix, protein shake powder, plastic straws...

Here are the afters of the corner cabinet.

I love the way these turned out. Doing just two cabinets let me arrange things so they look pretty, without giving up the storage space that hidden cabinets provide - because, let's face it - it you can fit a lot more in when you have no regard to appearance! :)

Linking up again this week!

@ ASPTL for DIY Day :)
@ The Shabby Chic Cottage for Transformation Thursday

Custom Cabinets, part one!

Did you think I'd abandoned my kitchen project?
Or my blog?
I haven't. I've just been busy with real life stuff - Girl Scouts and the PTA, namely!

Back to the kitchen!
One of the most important elements in any kitchen is the cabinets, right?
All of the high-end kitchens have custom ones.
So I examined several Kitchen Design Magazines to try to determine what, exactly, makes cabinets look custom.
I decide it was finish (usually more than one), varying heights, hardware and niches.
To start, I gave my island a 2-step finish and tricked out the underside with a copper colored magnet board.
Next up, I tackled the "niche" idea.

Most of the ones I saw in magazines were above the refrigerator or the microwave. I chose to do mine above the micro, because it was a nice, central spot.

Here it is, before:

(taken last "FALL", obviously!)

First, I took the cabinet doors off and filled in the gigantic screw heads that holding the cabinet to the wall.  This ended up being a useless step - but I thought I should explain the white patches ;)

 

Next, I used a jig saw to cut the crown molding off the top.
I practiced a little first, but this was still only the 3rd or 4th thing I ever cut with a jigsaw. I didn't exactly get the angle exact on the right side...but I fixed it later!

Then I painted out the inside with the same paint I'd used on the island.

This is when I started the top piece - the part I was REALLY excited about.
I used my jigsaw to cut out two side pieces, free handed from a picture I'd seen in a magazine.
Then I built the rest of the box - the back and a thin strip for the top. The whole thing was made out of 1/2" MDF.  I attached the crown molding to the top and painted the whole thing.

When I slapped it on top of the cabinet, though, it looked...unfinished.
Obviously the angle on the crown molding (right side) was off. I took that down and adjusted it, but still wasn't satisfied.

I stared at it for a couple of days, feeling like it was wrong somehow. My husband kept telling me how great it was...hoping I'd just FINISH the damn thing, I'm sure!
Then I decided to try putting beadboard in the back. I painted it the green that I had considered for the island and slapped it in and LOVED the result.

(not shown - my superhero of a husband shortened the cord from the microwave, removed the plug piece from the wall and wired it directly into the power source, so instead of hiding a 2 foot coil of thick grey cord I only had to hide a 3 inch piece! LOVE him.)

Here it is, all accessorized.

Accessories: the white jar/bottles are from the thrift store - all were clear until I spray painted them white! I paid $1 or less for each of them. The basket and artificial artichokes are also from the thrift store - the 'chokes were still in plastic (never opened!) when I bought them for .75 each! and the basket was $2. The little black architectural thing was from the thrift store and cost .75.  The fluer-de-lis plaque was from Hobby Lobby and was my big purchase - $6. The silver thing is an antique vegetable chopper that was my great grandmothers. It's still super sharp - my husband cut himself on one of it's blades while washing it!

I really think it adds to the "custom" look of the kitchen - it gives a nice, staggered height to the cabinets and another finish, plus it's a great decorative space :)

Stay tuned for Custom Cabinets, part two!
(coming soon - I promise!)

Kitchen Accessories

A part of my current project - the kitchen extravaganza - I'm attacking everything.
Even the dish soap dispenser.

Everything must be pretty!
Practicality and beauty are fighting a war, and beauty is winning on every front.
I don't know how logical it is, or how long it will last, but for now, everything must be pretty.
Especially the more mundane kitchen items.  It's time they got some love!

Spray paint is such a powerful weapon...

I started with my knife block.

So boring! Wood with a big, black recessed WP right in the center.
Sorry, Wolfgang Puck, but your knife block design doesn't really "go".

I filled the carving with putty, sanded it flat and spray painted the whole thing (I alternated spays of white and heirloom white - didn't want white, but I didn't want it cream, either)
Then I selectively distressed.

In case you're wondering about the paint getting inside where the knives slide in, I sprayed across that part.  I probably got a bit in, but I think it's fine.

and my very most favorite 10 minute transformation thus far...
My soap dispenser.
This is the dish soap I use.

I buy the refill, so I always use the same dispenser.
I love the soap, but not the look - remember, everything must be pretty.
So I removed the labels (had to resort to some chemicals for that part!
And gave the base a light sanding.

Then I spray painted the bottom part copper, and the top part oil rubbed bronze.

Totally better, right?!

Kitchen Island Part 2: Making her Pretty

If you haven't seen Part 1, take a look! It's all about moving the island :)

When I started my kitchen redecorating project I bought a BHG Kitchen and Bath Special Issue.
Right away I noticed that custom, mismatched cabinets are all the rage.  Painted finishes are also super popular right now.

I love painted cabinets.

From afar.

Painting my own is incredibly daunting. The cabinets I have are quite nice, and I actually really like wood tones, so I'm terrified to screw them up.

Wood cabinets with a painted island, however, seemed do-able.

So I planned to do that.

I also decided to replace the granite counter top on the island with butcher block.

I considered cream paint, but the idea of green got me really excited.

I tested paints and researched butcher block...

and then I started to worry about losing the functionality of my granite.

See...

I put hot pans on my granite.

I cut (with sharp knives) directly on my granite.

I paint and stain my projects on my granite.

In short, I abuse my granite, and it always forgives me and looks lovely after (even if I do have to take a razor blade to it to remove paint.)

What kind of person would I be if I were to repay that type of loyalty by replacing it?  And with something sub-par?

I agonized for days.  In the end I decided to keep the granite.

I also went back to cream paint. Against the granite, it was much better than green.

So disregard all that about green painted wood and butcher block.

This is how my projects go. This is how my brain works. It's all about aesthetics...then reality creeps in.

Anyway, here's what I did...

beadboard on the ends

painted the whole thing cream.

A custom color mixed by the Home Depot to match (I know this is ridiculous...) my purse.  Do you blame me? Look at this girl! Isn't she beautiful?

I bought a sheet of metal and spray painted it copper. Then I mounted it to the wall under the island for the kids to use as a magnet board (alphabet magnets are in the works!)

Glazed the paint to give it a "custom cabinet" feel.

Framed the metal out with molding, painted dark brown.

Added these darling fleur-style wood medallions.

And new hardware...

And here's the end result.  Gorgeous, eh?

I really love how it turned out.  It's gorgeous from the other side, too. The copper really makes it look special! I can't share that view with you right now, though - it keeps showing too many other projects in the background! Soon :)