Cabinets Painted in Mindful Gray Sherwin Williams
Hi guys! Jenny from Evolution of Style here back again on the Creativity Exchange talking about the power of paint!
I know it’s easy to get caught up in all of the beauty of a brand new kitchen renovation or a gorgeous bathroom remodel. However, that brand new look isn’t always in the budget, and sometimes you just need to “love the one you’re with.” But that doesn’t have to mean living with ugly and outdated. Many times, you can give your space a whole new look, while keeping some of the original (and even undesirable) elements intact – all without breaking the bank, thanks to the power of paint!
Since pictures can articulate this phenomenon better than words, allow me to illustrate. Take this bathroom vanity that I did for a client, for example. The painted appliques were screaming for an update, and at first glance, one could be tempted to rip it all out and start from scratch.
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However, by simply removing the appliques, giving the vanity and walls a fresh coat of paint (Gray, by Benjamin Moore), and adding updated cabinet hardware and accessories, this bathroom takes on a whole new look. Total cost of the update: less than $70.
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But with shell appliques this time.
Suppose your bathroom has vintage green tile, but it’s not in your budget to do a rehab?
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Why not take cues from this beautiful vintage looking bathroom, and work with the tile rather than fight against it? A fresh coat of crisp white paint would lighten and brighten the space immediately, and adding some black and white accessories could turn this bathroom from drab to fab. Picture a white throw rug with a black border, a white towel with black trim, and even a cute black and white window treatment to tide you over until a more complete overhaul is in the budget.
Picture a white throw rug with a black border, a white towel with black trim, and even a cute black and white window treatment to tide you over until a more complete overhaul is in the budget. I’m assuming there is a bathtub in this vintage bathroom as well, so why not add a black and white shower curtain too?
Or, you could go one step further and reglaze the tiles that offend you, like my friend Andrea did in her beautiful home and shared on her blog, Oak Ridge Revival.
Take a look at the before in just one of the bathrooms they had to work with:
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And the beautiful after. Notice the floor tile is the same, and the wall tile was glazed to a fresh white. New vanity and mirror, but they were able to work with much of what was there already.
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The same holds true in her daughter’s bathroom. A not-so-lovely before:
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And the adorable pink and green after. Don’t you love it? The power of paint I tell you!
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Reglazing can give your bathroom a whole new lease on life – I love how the black vintage tiles were kept in this bathroom. So many options with a black and white blank slate to work with – the options are endless!
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Have you given your bathroom a new look with the power of paint?
By the way, Cyndy created a color palette a few months ago of beautiful (warm gray) colors for cabinets and vanities, if you’re looking for that perfect color to transform and update a kitchen or a bathroom on a budget:
Thanks for having me, Cyndy. Come on over and pay me a visit at Evolution of Style – I am a big fan of transforming spaces with paint!
Megan @ Our Pinteresting Family says
Beautiful! I really like how you transformed the existing vanity rather than ripping it out completely.
Cyndy says
Jenny really did a great job on that piece! Thanks for stopping by Megan!
Mikki says
Beautiful changes. How do you prepare the old cabinets before you paint them? How durable is the finish after painting?
Cyndy says
You can prepare old cabinets by priming with a really great stain blocking primer like Kilz and then lightly sand after the primer has dried. If you want a water-based paint, you can mix it with an extender/hardener like Floetrol to make the finish extra durable. If you want to do enamel or oil base, you can Penetrol, which does the same thing. Both Floetrol and Penetrol eliminates brush marks plus it has that extra hardener in it.
Hope that helps Mikki! Thanks so much!
VickiGene says
Battleship grey will always be battleship grey. The cabinets in the dark grey remind me of the color of old steel file cabinets or the side of a battleship. It’s hard to get that image out of my mind. However, the other greys worked nicely with color accents.
The shell applique does nothing for the cabinets because the scale is off. If you must use appliques, paint them the same color as the cabinets so it doesn’t look like a sore thumb.
Abena says
hello, great job! wanted to know what Brand and kind of paint could be used on bathroom wall and floor tiles and the tub. Thanks
Michele Soland says
I tried Epoxy paint on shower tiles before and it didn’t last? Is there something better?