It really is amazing what our readers can do with a can of chalk paint and lot of creativity and inspiration!

This week’s guest submission is from Elizabeth Moncher, a Stylish Patina reader and fan from Alexandria, VA. She is currently in the middle of renovating her kitchen, but wanted to share her kitchen cabinet refresh with us.

Elizabeth had older maple cabinets that she wanted to freshen up, she also wanted them to look brighter to give her kitchen an open and airy feel.

“I sent my husband in to your shop for the paint and the salesperson told him what to buy for two coats. He did just that and she was exactly right about how much I would need,” said Elizabeth.

Here is the before picture of her kitchen cabinets:

“They were good cabinets so I could not see replacing them when all they needed was to be a lightly distressed white.  I love the Old White paint. With new counters and backsplash the kitchen will be great but the Old White Annie Sloan paint really transforms the kitchen into my dream kitchen,” said Elizabeth.

“It has taken a few weeks for me to get it all painted only because I have three little kids and I do it at night. It was my first big chalk paint project. So, I made a few mistakes like putting on the wax too soon, because it was dark at night and could not always tell how many coats I had done. The great thing is that I could just sand it off and start it over! I love this paint,” said Elizabeth.

Elizabeth drew inspiration for her kitchen cabinet refresh from an antique secretary that she saw while on a trip to New Orleans. The antique secretary was distressed white with a Duck Egg Blue inside – which gave her the idea for her cabinets.

“I had so much fun working with this paint I actually painted another piece in an hour the other night because I had duck egg blue so why not,” said Elizabeth

Here is a photo of the cabinets after Elizabeth finished the project:

We just love the look her cabinets have now! Especially with a little distressing at the edges of the cabinets, allowing that beautiful wood to show through.

Elizabeth is still in the middle of her kitchen renovation – we wish her good luck in the final stages of her project and can’t wait for an update picture!

Here are the lower cabinets with her new granite countertops.

Thank you so much for sharing with us Elizabeth! Do you have a project you’d like to share with us? Send it to press@stylishpatina.com.

The Skinny:
– Buy Annie Sloan chalk paint, General Finishes paints and supplies online and in our store.
– Register for March’s basics paint class and learn more about how to tackle those DIY projects in your own home!