House Post: Kitchen Painting

So, previously I shared the project that was re-plastering the walls of the kitchen to cover holes large and small.

Once that was complete, it was time to paint!

Most of the reason for repainting the kitchen was to freshen it up. First, the wallpaper removal had left a sort of ugly bit around the top edges of the walls - either the scrapes from the removal or the tacky discoloration left over after the glue. Second: it's a kitchen! The walls were spattered and stained after 30 years of use, even with regular washing.

Color #1, a very pale creamy yellow, was not a success. It was a lovely color but did not work next to the cabinets or next to the almond formica. The formica will not live forever, but it was bad enough that I didn't want to be pushed into replacing it out of sheer desperation.

Color #2 was much better, if much more bland! A very pale cream that mostly left the walls feeling fresh and, bonus, made me realize how dated the previous wall color was - it, too, was a variation on almond.

After repainting, I also updated all of the switchplates, and put in foam insulating things behind them to cut down on drafts.

I could not be more pleased with the upgrade. It was a relatively quick and easy project, despite how long I dragged my feet in between stages, and the difference in the feel of the kitchen is huge.

Next up for the kitchen: new curtains and new under counter lighting. Longer term, a new exhaust hood for over the stove.

POM POMS YEAH.

Let us not discuss how ugly and disgusting those lights are.