Painting Tips and Kitchen Progress

I have been elbow deep in paint, and I have spent lots of time crawling around on my kitchen floor this week working on the lower section of the kitchen cabinets. Sooo ready to be off the floor!!  

All the frames and insides are done on the bottom, I just have a million drawers to paint, and a bazillion doors.  (I kid.  It’s really only 9 drawers and 15 doors.)  I am hoping it will be a little warmer the next few days so I can spread the doors out in the garage.  

My family has been just precious through this whole thing so far.  

Stuff is everywhere.  Nothing is where it is supposed to be.  There is always wet paint to watch out for, and other things in your way.  Yet they have not complained once, and they have been sweetly encouraging me.  🙂  My middle boy even made a sign for me!!

I am taking a break today from the painting to run some much needed errands (groceries), so I thought I would check in.  I also wanted to share a couple of my painting tips.  I try to do all DIYs on the cheap.  I don’t like spending a lot of money on paint because I change my mind a lot.  I will spend a little more on the paint I use on the woodwork and cabinetry, because The Lord knows I am not doing this again for a looonnnggg time!!  But, still I don’t like to spend a fortune.  Enters my new best friend when it comes to woodwork – tinted primer folks.  I know, I know, this is not a new concept, but I never gave it a thought because I thought it would be more expensive (and I always find the cheapest primer), and I didn’t think it would be a big deal with light colors.  Boy, was I wrong.  While I was waiting for them to mix my paint at Lowe’s I went searching for the cheapest primer on the shelf, and to my surprise this was it.  $10 a gallon folks!!

And then, I noticed it said it was tintable, and I thought why not?  The coverage is awesome and it has saved me a ton of the expensive paint.  I have used two coats of primer and one coat of paint on everything and I have gotten excellent coverage!!  Typically I have had to use two coats of primer and two coats of paint – a waste of money and effort.  So, tint or not I would highly recommend this as far as cheap primers go 🙂

Not a sponsored post – just really impressed with the product.  

Also, call me a rebel, but I don’t use expensive paint brushes…at all.  I have a couple, and honestly, I don’t like them.  I buy these very inexpensive brushes that I think are about a buck a piece.  I use them until they get yuck, and I throw them away.  

I don’t notice that they leave more brush marks, and I feel like I have more control with the thinner brush, as opposed to the thick fancy ones.  Maybe it’s because I used these for years when I could absolutely not afford the better ones, but they are my go-to brushes.

I’m so hopeful that I can get the uppers painted next week and have my kitchen back for the most part!!  Oh, by the way….loving the result!!  Couldn’t be happier!! Wishing I had done it sooner, but my sore shoulders and back remind every morning why I didn’t  :).

Thanks for checking in with me!!