Hey everyone! Over the last couple of weeks I’ve received a ton of questions regarding my mini kitchen transformation – with lots of paint everything is starting to really come together beautifully. Let me take it back to the beginning! *Painting My New Kitchen Cabinets & Tile*
Before… & Our Plans
When we first purchased our Santa Barbara home & I shared the images on Instagram.. so many of you loved it. It has great bones… beautiful character, wonderful deck with views of the ocean and so much more. However, a lot of you saw the original kitchen with it’s maple wood cabinets, black granite countertops, colorful backsplash and did not see the vision for us. The early 2000’s style was shocking compared to my last kitchen with it’s all-white cabinetry, marble countertops and subway tile backsplash!
I knew that eventually I wanted to renovate our new kitchen and open it up.. make it larger, add a wall of windows, build my dream cabinetry and decorate with all the gorgeous backsplash, lighting, and more. We will definitely fully renovate and demo this space one day (probably next year) but until then, I wanted to do something that made us really love and enjoy our kitchen right now… especially because our current window is quite small and this new kitchen can get dark. I knew brightening it up would be the perfect temporary solution. We spend so much time in here and Jeff is always cooking, so this was #1 on our priority list!
After considering a few options we decided that a few coats of paint on both the cabinets & the backsplash would be the perfect transition for our kitchen! It wasn’t overly difficult to do (thankfully we’ve had the best painting team ever helping with paint as well as a few cosmetic changes) and it was more budget friendly for the temporary kitchen fix.
Luckily we found an amazing team to paint both the exterior and interior of our home before we moved in.. There is nothing these guys can’t paint. When I asked them to paint the cabinets and backsplash they didn’t think twice and said they’ve done it numerous times. Painting tile is a popular budget friendly renovation trick that I’ve seen many of you do on Instragram so I was excited to see how it worked with this house. Luckily for us the guys are SO fabulous and did everything quickly and professionally. Beyond grateful for their hard work! I’m sure many of you have met them through my Instagram stories – (thanks Abraham, Charlie, Carlos and others) in my stories I shared just how great they are.
Paint & More Info
As to the cabinets they removed everything, sanded them down then filled all cabinet hardware holes (knowing I would be adding new hardware). They then applied a coat of primer and 2-3 coats of Benjamin Moore’s Advance (sanding in between) in the color Chantilly Lace using a Satin finish.
When it came to the glass tile they had a different approach. The tile was treated with an etching cream for 10 minutes to remove the smooth finish then it was wiped off. After that they sanded then painted the tile with XIM Primer, Sealer, Bonder. This is an oil base product so make sure to be careful as it does have strong fumes. After that they painted the tiles 2-3 coats (lightly finely sanding in between) using Benjamin Moore’s SCUFF-X paint which is very hard and durable. We are shocked at how beautiful the tile looks and if I didn’t know better I would think it’s a real white stone.
The Finished Product
Overall, Jeff and I are so happy with the paint color that we chose and the way the cabinetry and the backsplash look now. It’s absolutely PERFECT for the time being & who knew that by just adding a few coats of paint the kitchen could look so good?! I will never underestimate the power of paint!
Obviously our kitchen isn’t completely finished.. we are still planning on adding the hardware this week & will eventually place pendant lighting over the island (I’m still searching for the right pieces). One other thing we’ve done is we ordered a new fridge that’s flush with the cabinets.. the fridge that came with the house stuck out beyond the cabinets about a foot or so which took space away from the kitchen. So frustrating but now no longer a problem.
One thing Jeff and I have learned is that renovating an older home is a continual project but one that we live for. All changes, both big and small make a huge difference and paint is the most powerful tool!!
Hopefully you love our cabinet transformation as much we do.. let me know your thoughts/tips for others in the comments below.
xo,
Kristy
Click here to see more of our Santa Barbara home & renovations!
Do you think this would work on Formica cabinets?
The new SB is looking MARVELOUS ❣️❣️
I absolutely love what you and Jeff have done. What a huge difference. Clean white lines and it just makes this look so much larger and classy and elegant.
Looks great Kristy! I can’t wait to see all the thinks you and Jeff do to this home. But it’s not it funny when people don’t realize counter depth fridges are a thing?
What an improvement! And knowing what the right products are to use makes all the difference, especially with paint.
When you do your big renovation will you enlarge that kitchen sink window so you’ll be able to see more of the view? I hope so!!
Kristy, it looks beyond amazing! I can’t wait to see all your beautiful transformations! 💕
Hi Kristy!
After seeing the amazing transformation of your kitchen, my daughter decided to paint her tile backsplash. However, just as she was ready to begin, we discovered that the XIM Primer, Bonder, Sealer that your painters used is NO WHERE to be found! YIKES! Wonder if your painter’s have an inside tip on where to find it? (No longer available on Amazon or anywhere that I can find.)
Thank you!
Hi Jeannie!
I’ll ask but I think they found it at Home Depot. I have a feeling with shortages everywhere it’s hard to find stock. :/
They have it in stock at Ace Hardware, if you have one near you.
Did they spray or brush paint your cabinets. The Advanced line comes out so silky smooth. Just beautiful. 😊
Looks amazing!!!
Looks wonderful!
It turned out beautifully! I had no idea you could paint tile! Thanks for sharing all the steps and materials used. Looking forward to other of your transformations!
I love it. I looked for instructions on the tile a d missed it. If you could email I would appreciate it. I just had my cabinets painted white and was going to have my tile changed out. I want to try your paint before I invest in a tear out and new tile. Thanks. I love your style.
Hi kristy, your kitchen looks amazing! Looking forward to your renovations.
Absolutely beautiful!!!
Did they use paint rollers or paint brushes (foam/normal)? Curious what tools they used, thanks!
Wow, what a transformation! Beautiful! What color ScuffX did you use on the tile?
Love it! We just went under contract for a home in Arizona. Seeing what you’ve done with just paint to your Santa Barbara house kept me thinking of the transformation when we were looking. We went with location we loved most even though this home interior will need all new paint. And I was going to change the cabinets but now I might just paint them. Love seeing the transformation and you & Jeff so happy.🤍
Love it … can’t wait to see hardware..
Will you be putting anything above the cabinets ?
Kristi, Thank you for sharing the paint tips for your kitchen! I cannot believe how natural the tile looks! I renovated my condo 2.5 years ago and re-placed everything in kitchen except the Hickory cabinets. They were newer and I gave a lot of light, however, after seeing your transformation I now am thinking about painting my cabinets. It’s been great following your SB journey and everything looks amazing!
Looks like you two are enjoying every minute of it. Looking beautiful!
The house needed you!!! Beautiful
Kristy
You and Jeff have done an amazing job! I look forward to your stories everyday and I look forward to seeing what you do in the future. You have great taste and thank you for keeping us posted. ♥️
It’s amazing what a difference paint can make. Looks beautiful 😍
Hello Kristy, I can’t get over how well the kitchen has turned out! Such a transformation just by painting! It looks light a much brighter too. I’m looking forward to following along as you transform the rest of the house🙂
Hi Kristy,
Let me begin by saying thank you for sharing your beautiful home, Projects and you everyday Life we not just me but we all of your great followers. I love your new home but I will be real at the beginning i though that house didn’t represent who you are but OH BOY let me tell you that now that is all coming together, seen all the little changes i will say you guys made the best decision ever 🙏
I love the kitchen I also did the same a few months ago and painted my dark red Mahogany to white and is beautiful. Lots of hugs and kisses from Miramar, Florida. Yokasta
Hi Kristi! I love what you have done with the kitchen. I know you will be doing a major remodel at some point however I’m loving the way it looks. My kitchen is about 7 yrs old and I love my cabinets(maple painted with a coconut glaze) over time they are starting to yellow. I’m looking for a white that’s not super white but clean looking and traditional/ transitional. Do you like Chantilly lace now that it is on or would you change when you get your new kitchen? I would love to know. All the trim in my home is Extra White by Sherwin Williams. Thank you and I love following you and seeing all your amazing transformations:)
Hi Kristy , found this blog .. love the white.. brightens up the whole space . U used BM Chantilly White on cabinets , what color did u use on tile . U mentioned other products used but not color? Or did I miss it??? Thx
LOVE! Where did you get your salt and pepper shakers, and the tray they are in from?
XO
Love this Kristy! Such a smart idea. Wondering if I can do this to my bathroom vanity?! If your crew is in town mind asking them limitations? (I.e. not suitable for high moisture areas).
Your painted cabinets look great! I opted not to replace my larger in depth frig due to storage constraints, Sine there are only two of you in the home it should be fine. Will your new frig be taller too? Our cabinets did not accommodate a taller frig. I wanted to comment that your new chandelier is a beauty, very glam!
The transformation is amazing. So you stayed with the black granite counters? They look fantastic.
Hello BEAUTIFUL HOME
Did you use the same color and finish for walls?
Chantilly Lace Satin?
Hi Kristy
I’m following your new home renovations especially the kitchen.. I adore everything you’ve done in the past and present.
I do have a question regarding the kitchen cabinets.. what exact color you will be using ?
I’m getting new kitchen cabinets and also going with Chantilly Lace for the kitchen and whole house as well.
Thank you darling 🥰