Hey, hey, hey!! Friends, I’ve had a slow start to the new year, I can’t even lie—and I’m learning to give myself grace. In writing my last blog post I came to the realization that I am still very much in mourning over my dad, and the grief has definitely hit me over the holidays. I realized that since his passing, I’ve been keeping myself busy and distracted as a way to cope with that grief. And the minute I find myself with just a tiny bit of downtime, where I’m allowed to just sit with my thoughts and feelings, the grief creeps back in and takes over. I don’t know if trying to keep myself busy is a healthy way to cope, but I guess if it helps to not feel completely gutted, I’m just going to continue doing it.
After some time of reflection, over the holidays I finally decided to jump on a nagging project: to finally paint the unfinished island I added to the kitchen almost 2 years ago.
When I first got the stand-alone island, I decided I wanted to keep it natural for a while (not having a clue whether I wanted to stain it or paint it). Then one day I finally got the nerve to paint it and tried out not 1 or 2, but 4 different colors on it and polled my friends on IG for some help.
Well, guess what? It sat like that for a whole nother year! Gah! You have no idea the lengths I’ve had to go to disguise it on IG photos, reels, etc—It has been driving me crazy! Why is it that we do that? We just put off something so simple, that can easily be done in a day or two?
Gahhhhh, the satisfaction I got once I finally decided to just paint it!
I brush-painted it with my favorite black paint color: Onyx Black in Satin by Colorplace at Walmart. It’s a great basic black paint at a much more affordable price than the big brands. And I used my favorite paint brush, Wooster Short Cut, it provides amazing coverage and is perfect for cutting into the corners-no tape needed (after some practice of course).
Because the island was unfinished, I didn’t have to do a whole lot of prep work, just some light cleaning, since it’s been in use for almost two years. But once it was painted and dry, I did give it a coat of Minwax water-based Polycrylic to protect the finish.
I love the results so much! I even went ahead and added new hardware to the drawers. My friends at Signature Hardware gifted me some new Antique Brass hardware to update the kitchen, and I’m so happy with this updated look.
3 Takeaways after Updating My Cabinet Hardware
1. Mixing and matching knobs and pulls or even latches can be a great way to update the look of your cabinets and help you create an updated and custom look.
2. Antique brass hardware is the perfect compromise if you’re torn between black or brass. It gives just enough contrast to add interest, but not too much contrast that it feels stark.
3. If you’re updating older cabinets, or just replacing knobs for a quick change, use hardware with a backplate to hide old drill holes, while also adding a level of sophistication to your cabinets
I’m so very sorry for your loss. Do what you have to do to get through it. Sounds like you were blessed with a good one!
I’m so with you on the why didn’t I take care of this sooner if it wasn’t even hard train! The things I can put off can be ridiculous. Love how the dark color grounds the space.
Hugs from here ; I lost my mother in 2022 after an 8 month battle against leukemia. Leukemia won & truly, I felt like I had PTSD after her passing. It wasn’t just THAT she died, but how she died….I’m still mourning, even though I was never really a mama’s girl. Like you, I stay super busy but some things – I feel paralyzed. All to say: I UNDERSTAND. HANG IN THERE, surround yourself with good gal pals. Eat cake! DO WHATEVER IT TAKES! Mostly a, go easy on yourself. We don’t have to be amazing all the time.
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Awww Linda, thank you for your kind words. I’m so very sorry to hear about your loss. Staying busy has sefinitley helped me, but it’s in the quiet times that it gets harder. I think we just have to let ourselves go through the motions when that feeling creeps up. I hope you’re doing okay xoxo