My Kitchen Makeover with the BEHR® Chalk Decorative Paint

This blog post is sponsored by Behr Paint Company. The design and comments are my own.

Five years, three kids, one (always) hungry puppy, three meals a day, that makes 1095 meals, countless snacks, parties, and big family dinners. Our kitchen has seen a lot of traffic since we’ve purchased the house! It was therefore with no hesitation that I jumped on the chance to try BEHR® Chalk Decorative Paint and refresh the look of our beloved kitchen. 

Our kitchen when we purchased the house in 2013.

Our lab kitchen is efficient despite being modest in size. Some of a lab kitchen’s key features are: two parallel counters spaced no more than 4 to 5 feet, equipments and appliances easily accessible with a minimum number of steps, and an elongated floor plan. This layout is very efficient for the solo cook but can rapidly feel a little crammed when more than one person is in the space. Also, the layout of the room can appear, at first glance, to not allow for much creativity when it comes to its decor elements.

The first transformation of our kitchen, in black and white.

To the first point of challenge, I agree completely.  A lab kitchen can be tight when you are tandem-cooking, until you develop a sort of dance around each other that allows you to perform your tasks comfortably in the same space. To the second objection, I disagree. I have always been a firm believer that it is in the smallest spaces that you can make the boldest statements. It is just a question of daring to do so. 

THE PREPARATION 

Before diving headlong into a transformation such as this one, adequate preparation is key. The BEHR® Chalk Decorative Paint is easy to work with, but it is important to give the paint the perfect canvas on which to give its best performance. Begin with a light sanding of all the cabinets and doors to increase the adherence of the paint to the surface. Once the sanding is done, I clean all the surfaces with a solution of TSP to remove any residual dust and cooking grease. Finally, I tape all the junctions where the cabinets either meet the floor or walls in order to do a clean job and avoid unpleasant surprises. 

THE COLOURS 

Once the prep is completed, it is time to paint. I really enjoy working with BEHR® Chalk Decorative Paint: Its powdery and matte finish, the fact that it has a very smooth coverage, and the visible brushstrokes left by the paintbrush on the paint’s surface. All these are elements of a paint with character, ideal for creating rusticated effects. That’s the paint, but which colour to choose? Behr proposes 45 different colours which did not make for an easy choice. In the end, I opted for Green Silk (BCP21) which is saturated but not overpowering, spring-like and joyous. With a paintbrush or small roller, I applied two uniform coats on all the doors and cabinets, with a two hour pause in between to make sure it dried properly. Also, for an unexpected touch, I painted the inside of the doors in a second colour: Miniature Pink (BCP02). 

I managed to cover the 31 doors, drawers and cabinets with one quart on the first coat and another for the second coat. For the doors’ interiors, I used 3/4 of a quart to paint both coats. 

THE WAX

To finish the project and give the paint a lasting finish, it is strongly recommended to apply wax on every painted surface after the paint has had the time to dry. The purpose of the wax is to create a protection or seal and second, it provides a rich stain sheen or lustre. There are different types of waxes to create different effects, but in the case of my own kitchen I chose to go with the BEHR® Wax Decorative Finish in clear. Once the wax is applied, let it dry before buffing it to give it a subtle shine. The result is surprising how the paint goes from being ultra matte to smooth with a low shine, while conserving its rustic aspect and a handmade look which I like. 

There you go, another transformation completed and all that will have been needed to accomplish it will have been some patience and a gorgeous shade of green.