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My Freshly Painted Teal Kitchen Cabinets

I worked all yesterday afternoon and into the evening trying to get my kitchen put back together after five days of taping, draping, and spraying my cabinets. I was so hoping to get it all finished before I called it quits last night, but when 11:00pm rolled around and I still wasn’t finished, I gave up and decided I just wouldn’t post this morning.

Then this morning, I realized how silly that is. No, my kitchen isn’t all put back together. Yes, I have the contents of my kitchen cabinets piled on the breakfast room table and floor. Yes, I have dirty dishes in my kitchen sink. Yes, I still have painters tape I need to take off of the walls in places. No, I didn’t get the sconces reinstalled. And on, and on.

But even if I had gotten all of that stuff done, my kitchen still wouldn’t be finished finished seeing that I still have trim to repair and paint, a ceiling to paint, and the most obvious…I’m missing five cabinet doors. (Sadly, as of this morning, my order is still “pending,” meaning that they haven’t even started on my doors yet.)

And I think we’ve long since moved past the point where y’all expect magazine-quality beauty shots from me, right? 😀 I live in the real world here, and this is real life remodeling. And y’all just want to see my teal cabinets, right? So here’s how they look as of this morning, messy kitchen and all.

On the range/refrigerator wall, I’m still missing the door that will cover the opening on the range hood cover.

teal kitchen cabinets - range and refrigerator wall

On the wall of cabinets, I’m still waiting for the four middle cabinet doors. I decided to go with four smaller doors rather than the two original large size doors that I had before.

teal kitchen cabinets - wall of cabinets

The kitchen side of the peninsula is pretty much finished. I do have a toekick strip to go underneath the dishwasher, painted to match the cabinets, but it seems to have gotten lost in the mess. I’m sure it’ll turn up eventually as I get things put away and cleaned up.

teal kitchen cabinets - peninsula

And finally, the back side of the peninsula just needs cabinet pulls.

teal kitchen cabinets - breakfast room side of peninsula

That breakfast room side of the peninsula is probably the most exciting part for me. It’s so awesome seeing it finished after living with it completely unfinished for over two years.

This project was such a huge headache, but I’m so glad I took the time to do it. The fact is that this color is so much more me than the green cabinets ever were. I loved the green, but it felt like I was trying to be someone else, or trying to decorate for someone else. Now when I walk into my kitchen, it feels like my home. And because this color speaks to me, I find it so much easier to decorate around. Now I just hope I’ll get my other five doors this month, because really want to get this finished!

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117 Comments

  1. Holy crap Batman if it looks already this good with missing doors and dishes in the sink 😉 I can’t wait to see the completed project. Keep up the awesome work!

  2. I agree with you about the dining room peninsula!! This is the first time I have felt like the kitchen/dining room is all one space!!!!! It made a huge difference putting the doors on…..so pretty Kristi:)

  3. I feel like all the elements go together now much better than they did when the cabinets were green and gold. I think it looks fantastic.

  4. Stunning! I’m so glad you shared today and you’re right, we live in the real world too so I would rather see the post now rather than wait for you to worry about a few things laying around the counters. The anticipation has been worth the wait. These are simply beautiful. I also love the hardware with this color too. I’m in awe of your talent and perseverance to have the patience to change the course and make it what you want. Bravo!

    1. I totally agree with Theresa M 🙂 I LOVE the new color and I could certainly live with it. My husband walked by as I was reading your post and took a look (I tell him what you are doing all the time, I call you “my lady in Waco”). He commented how much he like the color your cabinets are now 🙂 :).
      Can hardly wait for the next post t!!!

  5. I love your cabinetry. I have been looking for the right shade of blue to show my husband for our laundry room and this is it!

    Thanks for the inspiration!

  6. It’s so important for you to keep it real so that we too might have a hope to make big changes in our own homes. When we get to see the changes in transition, we can be more patient with ourselves and the ensuing upsets to daily living. It’s looking great!

  7. I LOVE IT! LOL The green did not speak to me at all and I like green, but the teal (which I love) just makes it so much better. The white counters look great now.

  8. I agree with others…it’s beautiful and you have done a wonderful job. I love that you’re keeping it real. Right now our house is torn apart because we’re painting. That’s just the way it is!

  9. I don’t know what I’m going to do with myself when you finish the house. I had spoken to my son about your work. This morning I sent him some befores and afters. He was speechless. The only thing he could write was: WOW!

    The kitchen looks too gorgeous for words. The color is perfect and it looks even better with the brass.

  10. Good Job Kristi! The colour is beaut. I cannot wait to see it finished – however, I will be patient, after all, we have watched and waited this long…. it will be worth it!
    One question, have you painted over the plug socket on the peninsular – how will that hold up to plugs being pushed in and pulled out – will the paint on the socket plate get scuffed and scratched?

    Aside from that – you go girl! Love your blog, wait for posts eagerly each day!

    1. It’ll hold up just fine. I purchased the kind of outlet cover that covers the entire thing except for the holes, and is primed and intended for painting. I think it’s made of metal. These cost a bit more than the regular shiny white ones, but I just couldn’t bring myself to put a standard white outlet cover on the end of my peninsula. You do have to exercise just a slight bit of care when plugging things in so that you pay attention where the prongs are going and don’t gouge the into the painted surface of the cover, but since it comes primed and ready for paint, it’s really quite durable.

  11. You did a fantastic job painting all of those cabinets! The color is absolutely gorgeous! I am in love with your kitchen and breakfast room!! Congratulations on your huge accomplishments and on a job very well done! Thank you for taking the time to share the journey with us and for being a source of inspiration of a beautiful home and for your can do anything spirit!

  12. Wow! I get exhausted just thinking about all you get done in a day! I am so glad you’re happy with the results! I’m glad you’re not afraid of color! Now, get some sleep! : )

  13. Awesome job on the kitchen and breakfast area. I love the teal color with the brass hardware. I also like to see that other people are real like me and sometimes dishes are in the sink.

  14. The cabinet color is beautiful! I also like how the floor flows so nicely from the kitchen into the breakfast room. It looks great.

  15. I could eat that up! So pretty! Your brief sojourn in Cameron Diaz green was interesting. That was a cave-like city apartment where it is common to have no windows on one side of your dwelling (unless you have a penthouse.) We are out here in the sun where her green is a bit dominant in the daylight. I like to visit places like CD’s but would live no where else but out here in the light of the Southeast.

    1. Oh yes, and you were right about the gold, I was wrong. Thanks for letting us learn along with you. I like to analyze why some things are “right” and some things are “wrong” it is not immediately apparent that they are either. Does that make sense?

  16. Such loveliness!

    Thanks for keeping it real. For most of us I daresay the process is as important as the finished product.

    1. I used Benjamin Moore Advance paint. But once again, I had issues with the satin finish being too shiny for my taste, so I topcoated it with General Finishes High Performance To Coat (i.e., water-based polyurethane) in a matte finish. The color is a custom color I mixed myself, but it’s almost identical to Behr’s Hallowed Hush, which is one of their old colors (they don’t have it on a paint chip anymore), but they do have the formula in their system.

  17. I looks fantastic. And I love that fact that you are so real. I don’t like reading the blogs that make it seem like their house is 100% put together all the time. That isn’t real life, this is and it make me happy to see the progress.

  18. This color is sooooo much better than the green ever was. SO. MUCH. BETTER. 😀 It now works with your vintage style appliances, whereas the green just made them look out of place. Same for the brass hardware and your wood floors. It’s a much more cohesive look. Love it!

  19. So happy you decided to post today, as I needed a Kristi’s House fix. I care nothing about your messes; I see right past ’em. The brass hardware really does look so nice on the teal cabinets, and how great to see that peninsula fully enclosed and painted!

  20. Wow. and the hardware is perfect. Glad you didn’t go with the black. I agree. The green was pretty. For someone else. Not for teal people.

  21. Even unfinished, the overall effect is spectacular! I loved the dark blue gray, but the teal is just wonderful next to the white tiles and redone countertops. And those pulls! Wow! The light coming across the peninsula is wonderful too. I love love love this.

  22. It looks awesome! And once again, I marvel at your patience for painting…and repainting things (and sometimes repainting again) until you’re not only happy with the color but the finish meets your approval. It took a lot of extra work to add and sand all the extra filler to combat the heavy grain of oak on those doors. I certainly don’t have the patience you have and I kind of envy it.

    One observation (and this is really an observation, not a criticism) is the plug in the side of the cabinet. In my mind…I always get frustrated when I see a painted-over plug. For some reason, I’ve always viewed it as lazy (like someone couldn’t be bothered to take the plate off or go around the outlet with a brush instead of a roller) and I go out of my way to replace painted-over plugs with fresh ones. It never occurred to me that you may want to do it intentionally to hide the plug (as it appears you’ve done). Weird how our preconceived notions often drive our design decisions, huh? It’s like those people who insist a window must be in front of a kitchen sink or living rooms shouldn’t have overhead lights. There’s no real logic behind it…just some back-of-the-brain nagging rule.

    1. It’s funny that a few people have commented on that outlet. 😀 I’m usually fine with white outlets and outlet plates, but I knew a white one would stick out like a sore thumb on the end of that teal island. I didn’t actually paint the outlet. I hate it when people do that. I just used one of those outlet covers that covers the entire outlet except for the holes where the prongs go. Those covers have a dull, slightly textured finish and are made to be painted. I buy them at Home Depot, but I can’t seem to find the on the HD website. I did find it on Amazon, but there’s no way they cost that much at Home Depot.

      https://www.amazon.com/Taymac-2000W-Paintable-Outlet-Cover/dp/B000SL2C9I

  23. So Beautiful!!! Now that is a kitchen I would like to cook in!!! I like how the kitchen hardware coordinates with the light fixture over your table. Beautiful beyond words! Great artist, great work Kristi!

  24. Love it! I hated to see the beautiful green cabinets go, but (as you already know!) you m add he right decision. Awesome!
    BTW, I am digging the ventahood cover, too…

  25. This is a beautiful color. I was not a fan of the original green because it was too bold for my eye. I’ve struggled with the color green, having painted my living room and dining room 4 different green paint colors in a row until settling on one. It’s just hard to know how something will feel until you’ve after you’ve been living with it and seen it continually for awhile at all times of the day. I think this softer color is relaxing and soothing to the eye. For me, the kitchen is the busiest place of the house, so I like the colors to be soothing and calm and this color is a winner.

  26. You (and your cabinets) found the perfect color!! Congratulations!!! Absolutely BEAUTIFUL, just PERFECT!!! Enjoy, and don’t change your mind. 😉

  27. Absolutely amazing! Yup, this color is much nicer. How your counters pop right up now!! And I agree – your appliances looks so much better with this color now too. It must be the countertops. Your patience has really paid off. Taking your time and “doing it right” is the way to go.

  28. Your kitchen is absolutely beautiful. I bought an older home and need to paint the kitchen. What paint and color did you use? Sorry if you mentioned it somewhere and I missed it. I took down ugly wallpaper and found more underneath with damaged walls so my son is going to help me put up “ship lap” on the walls across from the cabinets. I’m painting it white and think your color would look lovely on my cabinets. You’re an inspiration!!!!! Thank you for sharing your wonderful accomplishments.

    1. I used Benjamin Moore Advance paint. But once again, I had issues with the satin sheen being too shiny for my taste, so I topcoated with General Finishes High Performance Top Coat in a matte finish.

  29. Lovely! Two things. We painted our electrical sockets, light switches with Benjamin Moore paint and they have lasted 20 to 30 yrs between paint jobs with no problems. 2nd, my mom took her appliances to a car paint shop and the paint is still good 70 yrs later (yes we love our 2 oven stove). I painted a new dishwasher 3yrs ago and it still looks good. Good paint properly applied and cured is a wonderfull product as you’ve shown so well. I lock forward to trying that sprayer you recommended.

  30. I liked the green cabinets but I love the teal so much more. They look so good with the brass hardware too. I think the refinish on the counters was such a good move too. Now they look good with the subway tile. Excellent choices all around!

  31. Marvelous! You’re kitchen looks marvelous! Love the color as it somehow softens it whereas the green was beautiful, but I think maybe your kitchen wasn’t large enough to handle such bold in-your-face color!
    Whatever the case may be, it is absolutely gorgeous now. This of course, is all just my opinion 🙂

  32. That is the most beautiful color combination! Your countertops are absolutely stunning with the cabinet color! Just wow!

  33. This is probably my favorite room you have redone in your home. I was amazed how nice the basic cabinets ended up looking when you originally remodeled the kitchen, but this right here is SO much better than the green. The hardware is perfect!!

  34. The cabinets are beautiful, Kristi! I still love the green, but this is just gorgeous! So glad you found the color you love. It’s all going to be so pretty!

  35. Love the new color!! The green ,for me, just screamed at me. And was dark. Glad you decided to change it! Well done! Ant wait to see the next step

  36. You posted at the beginning of your blog that there were messes everywhere and yet I didn’t notice a single one. I had to scroll back through and make sure they were there.

    The color is gorgeous, I love it. But the finish is blowing my mind. It’s so smooth and…silky. I can’t think of a way to explain it except that it reminds me of opening a brand new jar of smooth peanut butter. So satisfying..

  37. It looks great! Deadlines can’t always be met. Slow down and enjoy your accomplishments. You are amazingly talented.

  38. Wow! Looks great! Love following your blog! And one of the reasons besides your work, is you keep it real!

  39. Wow! Your green kitchen was classic but didn’t elicit emotion. It was almost more like a showroom than a kitchen. This teal is stunning and it’s a happy place. I can see life being lived here. Well done!

  40. Just goes to show that so much is a matter of taste. I like these cabinets, but I actually liked the green more. Not a lot more. Just a little more. But, it doesn’t matter because 1) it’s not my house, and 2) these are beautiful regardless. I’m just amazed by your work. Great job!

  41. Ever see an older woman with pale skin and then she dies her hair jet black?? Got that image?? To me that’s how your cupboards painted green looked. Hard. What you got going on now is so pleasing, pleasant, delightful, happy. That’s all I have to say…….. Oh wait, one more thing. Love the handles on the cupboards. NOW I’m done. tyvm

  42. Your cabinets look fantastic and belong in a feature story for HGTV magazine. This is hard work and your patience has truly shown in the end result. Fabulous!

  43. Absolutely beautiful!! Have you considered not putting handles on the breakfast room side of your peninsula? I like the look of it just a furniture.

  44. Gorgeous! I love your blog and much prefer your “keeping it real” photos over all of those “curated” photos that are everywhere else.

  45. Aqua, turquoise, teal hues are just so liveable and relaxing. This color is GORGEOUS. One of the prettiest painted kitchens I’ve seen. And so glad you stuck with the gold on the pulls. Can’t wait to see what you do with the draperies.

  46. Kristi, I actually really liked the green kitchen even though I’m not a huge fan of that shade – like you, I lean more toward blue-greens. I thought that original green color was beautiful and bold and the whole set up was just lovely – it really looked like a designer-y, magazine-worthy kitchen. Just stunning. The redone counter-tops make all the difference in the world, they just look so fresh.

    All that said, I am IN LOVE with this new teal paint color! Totally up my alley, and the kitchen does look even more “you” now. Really gorgesous! Congratulations on being in the home stretch for this massive job! I wish I had 1/10th your energy and vision!

    XO

    Kimberly

  47. Uniquely beautiful, Kristi. And that last picture for the first time really showed me what an open concept kitchen you have. It’s huge! Now that the other side of the peninsula is done and usable I bet you’ll find the whole area seems larger.

  48. I love the color! So glad you decided to change from the green. Can’t wait to see the finished results.

  49. I really like the green cabinets but this so much more elegant! Love all the softer colors. As I always say, you are simply amazing!

  50. Just stunning.

    I know you blended the cabinet color and then had the paint store formulate it, but it would be awesome if you’d share the formula. Until then – and probably thereafter – it will always be called “Kristi’s Stunning Teal” by me

  51. Hello! is this the same color as the cabinets in the condo; by the way…I love this color. I follow you all the time and yes! this seems like it fits and looks like a happy, comfortable home for you.

  52. I love these Cabinets! The color is so calming and the light countertops brightens everything up. It will be great! I love when pictures are shown with tools laying around! That is definitely the real deal and It shows how much work goes into it all! Love it!

  53. Kristi,
    I can’t thank you enough for “keeping it real.” Your willingness to step on a limb with colors and styles is always inspiring and fun for those of us who follow your blog. Even more inspiring to me though, is your candor and willingness to move in different directions when your initial results don’t resonate with you as you hope they will. I struggle with this in my own home and following your adventures makes it easier to find patience and acceptance with my own remodeling foibles. I wish I had the time, resources and courage to gut rooms the way you do. Love the teal, love the hardware, the floor, the counters… love it all. Bravo. I’m dying to see it all put together and prettied up.

  54. I Love everything !!!! I’m sorry to ask, I missed a few posts. I live in the real world also. Why did you decide to change your kitchen? I love the new color. I love all the wonderful projects you take on. Just curious about the changes. Keep up the great work.

  55. Gorgeous! The green was beautiful but looked like a magazine kitchen or something from a design house. The teal is just as beautiful but even better because it looks like a real kitchen that is in a real house with real people.

  56. Absolutely love this color…..it is so much more ‘you’. The kitchen is looking simply gorgeous! Awesome job Kristi.

  57. One of the main reasons that I have always read and will continue to read your blog is that you are so real. I love that you have stuff on your stove, and that you admit to the dirty dishes in your sink. If you were perfect, I wouldn’t be near as attracted to your blog. I love that you set a standard for beauty that is achievable by the rest of us.

  58. New fan here…. and I think I’ve been on your blog for like 3 hours now (oops!) I noticed they were green before and now teal (both great colors by the way) Did you have to start all over? Meaning did you have to strip the color, and sand? or just sand, prime and paint… My cabinets are currently painted white from the previous owners, and I want them gray.

    1. Jasmin, I’m so sorry that I missed your comment until now! I didn’t strip the cabinets. And since I was using latex over latex, I didn’t prime. I just sanded them down a bit and painted right over.

  59. Your kitchen looks amazing!
    I am planning a similar project however, can you tell me what paint / brand / type you used and can you still see the wood grain or did the paint cover it?
    I know stores sell some expensive stuff that allows for grain to show but there are several out there. Can you expand the materials you used?
    By the way, I would have liked to see the before and after pictures.
    Thank you.

  60. I fell in love with these cabinets when they were green and with the metallic gold accents but I love them in the teal even more. I don’t know how she did it but these do not look like they were made from boxes. There isn’t that doubling up of material between each unit or box, that is exactly the size of the next section. I studied this kitchen for hours trying to figure out why I love it so much more than kitchens I have seen -that were lovely- just lacking “something” I find here. Finally I saw the symmetry of each run on each wall comes together like a single piece of furniture, instead of just a run of cookie cutter cabinets side by side. Still I had a hutch in my last kitchen made by Kitchen Craft and you could look at it and see it was made of components but Kristi somehow avoided this. I don’t know how she did it but this looks like custom work – not semi-custom and certainly not like prefab. Kristi is a very clever girl.