We’re finally ready to start Phase 3 of my kitchen renovation, and I couldn’t be more excited! The first step? Paint! Kitchen paint (or really any room!) can absolutely transform a space, and I’m excited to get the ball rolling. Let’s go!
Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace
If you’ve paid any attention to interior design in the past couple of years, odds are you’ve seen or heard of this color! Does it live up to the hype? Oh, yes. Very much so. It’s honestly the perfect white color in my opinion. I get it, to a lot of people, white is white. But that’s definitely not the case here!
I chose to go with the Advance line because it’s a high-grade enamel specifically for cabinets. That means it will dry much harder and be very durable. But, I have a little secret to share. Originally when I built these cabinets, I chose the satin finish because it was a little trendier to do something “less” glossy. While I really liked the finish, it was definitely more difficult to clean.
As I was gearing up for Phase 3 of the kitchen, I decided to go back and make some fixes to Phases 1 & 2, which included repainting semi-gloss. And it was the right call. As much as I liked the different look of the pearl finish, it just wasn’t as practical.
I used this color for the majority of my cabinets, and will be also applying it to all the new trim I’m installing, plus a few other places as Phase 3 of this kitchen renovation progresses! Stay tuned 😉
Tips for Applying
When applying this paint, I recommend a few things. First, if you are able to remove the doors so that you can paint them on a flat surface, I recommend it. This will allow you to see drips much easier. I would honestly recommend this with any paint!
Second, I recommend applying this with a small foam roller for the smoothest finish. I use an angled brush to get in the corners, then immediately roll over any paint brush strokes. Also, plan on multiple lighter coats. I do know that a lot of people like to use a paint sprayer. Personally, I’ve never used one, so I can’t say either way!
Finally, give yourself plenty of time. Enamel paints take a bit longer to dry and have a pretty long “curing” time. So, while it may be dry to the touch, you want to avoid any heavy use for a few days. Since I removed the doors, this gave me plenty of time to allow them to dry separately. I actually waited 2 days between each coat, and almost a week after the final coat before re-installing.
Sherwin Williams Honest Blue
Because I’ve gone with a more coastal style for my home, I obviously needed a bit of blue! And let me tell you, finding a perfect blue is REALLY hard. I personally prefer grey or purple undertones over green undertones, and I like really soft blues. I’ve used Valspar’s Palisade Blue in a few places in my home and I absolutely love it. It’s the color of my front door and it’s perfect.
(Sherwin Williams on the left, and Valspar on the right)
But, I actually used this color in my entryway right off my kitchen, and because the light is different there, it’s actually much darker! Sherwin Williams’ Honest Blue is VERY similar but slightly lighter, so I decided to go with that color in this space! And it’s perfect.
I chose to add this paint in a few places. First, I wanted a pop of color on the original cabinets, so I decided to add this color to just the lowers. I think it’s the perfect amount!
We have three doors to our house, and right now 2 of them have the Valspar Palisade Blue color facing the outside. So, I decided to also paint the back door with Sherwin Williams Honest Blue!
(Before and after)
Finally, I repainted the beadboard in our entryway so that it better matched the cabinet color. I actually re-did this entire space last year, but I never really loved having so much blue in this tight area. I loved the idea, but not so much the execution. So, that also included repainting the door (see next section!) and I’ll be re-painting the trim Chantilly Lace.
I chose the Emerald Urethane Trim Enamel line in Semi-Gloss, which applied very similar to the Benjamin Moore Advance Line and I would recommend the same application tips!
Sherwin Williams Eider White
This is a color that you actually don’t see a ton! I first heard of it when Sherwin Williams announced it was their color of the month in August 2021. When I saw it, I thought it was the absolute perfect taupe-greige color and looked very organic. I did have some concerns because I saw some reviews sharing that it sometimes gives a pink undertone. So, I made sure to put the sample in lots of different areas in my kitchen to test it. And, I didn’t see any!
I chose the Emerald Designer Edition Interior Latex Paint in Satin. It’s a pricier paint, but they were having a sale, so it ended up close to $75, which is still pricey, but honestly worth it. It applied like a dream! I started by edging all my corners with an angled brush, then rolled using the “Professional” grade ⅜ in. Microfiber roller.
One lesson I’ve learned the hard way in the past is that it’s much better to really coat your roller. I used to be very stingy with my paint, trying to get every last drop to last. But, it ends up not having a great finish, you have to do more coats, and pressing the roller so hard really exhausts you! I very generously saturated my roller and applied light pressure, and it went on so incredibly smooth and it looks fantastic. I ended up only using about ⅔ of my gallon, so it was definitely ok to go about it this way.
So, how do I like the color? Honestly, it’s a LITTLE lighter than I was thinking. But, I also think that’s because I don’t have any trim on the walls to create that contrast I’m hoping to get. But, even still, I really do love it!
I did enjoy the color that was in here before, but I always knew I would be changing it out. Plus, you can’t tell right away, but they painted this kitchen in two very similar, but different colors! I’m not sure if that was on purpose, or if someone didn’t do a great job at color matching, but once I saw it, it drove me crazy!
(the before)
I also used it to re-paint my entryway door, and the inside of our back door, and it’s perfect. I also changed out the locks to something a little more modern.
(before and after)
(before and in progress – the trim will be repainted soon too!)
Now that the kitchen is painted, I feel a whole new excitement about getting on with the rest of this kitchen renovation. So what’s next? First, I’m going to tackle the floors which I think will REALLY transform this space even more. Then, I’ll start replacing all the trim before moving on to the backsplash and countertop. I have two more small builds I want to do, and some fixture upgrades and this kitchen will be done! Haha, I say it like it’s just a tiny little thing, but it’s going to take a few more months to complete. And, honestly, I’m just going to enjoy the process 🥰
