It’s like straight up out of an episode of While You Were Out…
My parents went to Florida for a week and I stayed back to give a little makeover to my mom’s kitchen cabinets… with her approval of course.
About 10 years ago my mom painted her kitchen cabinets a light, buttery yellow. It looked great at the time, especially since her house is very colorful (remember her living room tour?). But with her new granite countertops and tile flooring, everything just started to look too tan/yellow.
Since I had so much success with my own white kitchen cabinet makeover, I decided to use the exact same paint… Pure White in ProClassic semi gloss from Sherwin Williams.
At first I didn’t think going from a buttery yellow to a crisp white would actually make a huge difference, but it really changed the tone of the entire room! Come take a look…
{get ready for an overload of after shots}
We decided to keep the original cabinet hardware to save some money. Plus I think the goldish tones in the hardware look great with the new granite countertops.
We also decided to keep some of the wood trim for now. There’s a lot of wood in throughout the home where it can still tie in, especially since the kitchen leads into a small family room/den with wood French doors and floor-to-ceiling bookcases (which I’m dying to paint to lighten up that space!).
{oh, I love their sign above the back porch door}
The thing I love most about my childhood kitchen is the peninsula. We never had the conventional breakfast room table and I still love that everyone gathers around the kitchen for holidays and Sunday dinners (yep, my siblings and our kiddos gather almost every Sunday at my mom’s house. LOVE!).
Well we will have some updates to make to her newly updated kitchen including adding a nice hood over the oven, but I have to say that I’m extremely happy with the transformation thus far (and so were my parents when they returned from Florida on Saturday night).
Also make sure you check out some of my favorite tips and tricks for painting kitchen cabinets. Since I’ve done my own and my mothers, I kinda feel like an old pro now.
Anne Molloy says
It made a huge difference. Thinking maybe our cabinets could go from blonde wood to white!!! Maybe readers could send you pics, and you could offer opinions!!! You can come stay with me anytime. Moved into a 16 year old farmhouse built and decorated by elderly folks. Everything needs repair and updating. I am overwhelmed!!!!!
howtonestforless says
Haha, love your ideas! And don’t be overwhelmed… a coat of paint can fix anything! Good luck to you and your farmhouse. You can do it!!
Becky Bixler says
This looks spectacular! I do believe you have inspired me to do the same since I was wavering between white and off white. I love the hardware!
howtonestforless says
Thanks so much Becky! And good luck to your transformation!!
Andrea Schuneman says
What a difference the white makes in her kitchen. Great job! Now I need to do my moms kitchen.
howtonestforless says
Thanks Andrea. It’s amazing what a clean coat of paint can do!
Ceci Bean says
Having just painted my own tiny kitchen’s cabinets, I know what an undertaking this must have been! What a thoughtful daughter!
Kinda funny though– it almost looks like you painted nothing and just fixed the white balance on your camera!
howtonestforless says
Haha, I noticed the same thing about the white balance. Sure would’ve saved a bunch of time and paint! 😉
[email protected] Sweet Tea N' Salty Air says
All I can say is dazzeling! love the brightness, your mom is lucky to have such a nice daughter. You did such a splendid job your mom is going to be taking more vacations……
howtonestforless says
Haha! I think so Lisa. I also redid her bathroom. That’s coming up next week 😉
Kathy T says
What a perfect kitchen and so beautiful I would love to have seen your mother and dad’s wxpresssion when they walked in the door 🙂 So nice you all still meet on Sunday for dinner – Sadly I bet that happens rarely .
howtonestforless says
Thanks so much Kathy! Yes, their expression was priceless!! And yes, it’s a shame more families don’t gather for Sunday dinners. Luckily it’s a tradition my family loves!
Crystal says
Fantastic job!! It really lightened and brightened her kitchen!! So sweet of you to do this for your mom!! Love it!!
howtonestforless says
Thanks so much Crystal! They took my kiddo on vacation with them so I felt it was a fair “thank you!”.
Nancy C. says
So pretty, crisp and clean you really freshened the room! I love it.
howtonestforless says
Thanks so much Nancy!
gayle b says
Wow, such a huge difference, makes it look so much fresher. I must say I absolutely love their kitchen, all the storage space is just amazing
howtonestforless says
Thanks Gayle! Yes, the amount of cabinets is simply amazing! Definitely on my dream kitchen list.
Annie says
Erin, love the white cabinets! So clean and fresh looking!
howtonestforless says
Thanks so much Annie!
Katie says
What a beautiful makeover! What a difference just a coat of paint can do to cabinets!!!
Sue says
Wow, it is like the kitchen was a little tired and now it is wide-awake! I am a fan of yellow but the white looks fabulous. Um, if you run out of projects, I have a whole house that has great makeover potential – LOL!
I just love that you have dinner at your folks’ every Sunday. That is a wonderful tradition.
Sue
Rhonda says
What a difference! My own kitchen cabinets have yellowed due to a poor decision of our painter to apply poly to them… :(. I’m ready to paint my cabinets white too – did you really do this yourself? I am so intimidated!
CINDY says
Wow, so sweet of you! Truly a beautiful kitchen, so bright and cheerful! Hope you’ll hop over and share at Amaze Me Monday!
Blessings,
Cindy
Angela Says says
Looks awesome! I love how the white makes the kitchen look crisper and cleaner. I love the detail on the old hardware; they just don’t make stuff like they used to.
howtonestforless says
Thanks Angela!
binhtheredonethat says
wow love it Erin, such a big impact!
howtonestforless says
Thank you!
Cheryl says
What a transformation! Of course they were pleased!
(I love that you all gather at your parents’ house for Sunday dinner. We have family dinners every Sunday too.)
howtonestforless says
Thanks Cheryl! Yes, LOVE Sunday dinners at my parents house. Glad to hear you do it too!!
dentaldiva says
Do you have any idea where your Mom got the cute sign with Mimi and Poppa on it? My sister would LOVE that.
Sandy says
Inspiring! Our home is a 100+ yr old Victorian 18 room farm house. We were fortunate enough to meet the woman whose parents built the house. WONDERFUL history! When we purchased it 40+ years ago, it was all original. Each plaster room required attention. While it seemed endless, we were young and finished it. As you can imagine, it rather killed our improvement side!!
howtonestforless says
Wow, that is an amazing story!! So glad to got to meet the original owner’s family though. Very cool!
Sandy says
Apparently exceeded my letter allotment ~
There are 6 large wooden doorways in our kitchen, we would not want to change their original finish. Builder grade cabinets we installed 40 yrs ago could use an upgrade, would the lighter cabinet meld well with the original woodwork? Opinion please. Love your rooms!
howtonestforless says
Ok, I’m SO HAPPY you want to keep the doors as is! Are the doors light or dark? I would maybe consider using a can of Java to change the cabinets dark. Painting them white is always a great option too… or a subtle color like gray or a very muted green. Send me a pic, I’d love to see the layout and color combinations!