Seizing an Opportunity

Our house is pretty old, I think about 80 years. Eleven years ago we bought it from a fixer-up kind of guy who had purchased it in a foreclosure sale to flip. He did the minimum so it would look good enough to sell; cheap paint, cheap cabinet doors, etc. Fortunately he did install good double-pane windows downstairs. It is a very sturdy double brick house in a great neighborhood and we love it. Over the years it has been our canvas as we have added a bath, a garage, a carport, a screened porch, a garden and a studio. We have painted the entire downstairs and replaced the windows upstairs. I so want Handy Randy to make new farmhouse style cabinet doors, but first we must finish the upstairs and rebuild a fence that was damaged in an ice storm a few years ago.

All of this to say, the paint on the doors beneath the kitchen sink was peeling and looked pretty tacky. I saw an opportunity to be creative! Off the doors came and down to the studio where I copied Alisa Burke’s style.

After painting the doors with chalk paint, I used a Sharpie to draw on the panels. I sealed them with two coats of wax. The knobs were painted with enamel paint (because I had some in my stash) and multi-purpose paint.

Using the Silhouette Portrait, I cut the words from Oracal 651 Matte Black Vinyl. I learned that all vinyl is not the same. My first attempt I tried an inexpensive vinyl; it tore easily and did not adhere to the wood (So frustrating!) Then I did some research (I know, I would have saved time if I did this first) and learned Oralcal 651 is highly recommended. I can understand why! It cut smoothly, didn't tear and adhered beautifully.

I like it even if it doesn’t look as polished as Alisa’s work. If you are not familiar with her, you should hop on over to her blog and see what I am talking about!