Modern Archives - Page 5 of 12 - Kelley Astore Interiors

Kitchen Cabinet Refinishing: Cherry Stain to Beautiful Gray

The kitchen was fairly up-to-date with new black granite countertops and stainless steel appliances. However, the cabinets needed an updated touch! They had a cherry stain that completely clashed with the rest of the kitchen so we decided to refinish them.

Steps to Refinishing Kitchen Cabinets

The first step in revamping these cabinets was to remove the doors and drawers. They were sent to my carpenter’s shop to be sanded and primed. Then, they received two coats of finished lacquer. The chosen paint color was Ben Moore AC-34, also known as Cape Hatteras Sand. It is part of an interesting collection, America’s Colors, of soft neutrals that “snapshot America’s most popular, well-traveled regions” making it a very welcoming choice.

While the doors and drawers were in the shop, my guys began with taping off the inside frame of the cabinets so that no paint would get in. Additionally, they taped around the appliances to make sure they were protected. My team sprayed the first coat of primer before spraying two coats of finished lacquer. Lacquer paint has a strong odor so we ventilated the area with a fan and a long tube that exhausted the fumes outside of the house. Once completely dry, the paper and tape were removed and the doors and drawers were reinstalled.

Kitchen Cabinet Refinishing

The Finishing Touch

It was a surprising reveal, amazing how much different a space can look when the correct colors are present! The gray cabinets with stainless finishes blended seamlessly with the black granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, white backsplash, and light-colored floors. Something as modest as refinishing the kitchen cabinets gave the entire kitchen a brand new look without having to completely renovate the entire room.

Kitchen Cabinet Refinishing

From Reds to Riches: Complete Bathroom Remodel

This bathroom was in need of a makeover. It had 4×4 builder-grade tile on the floor. The shower was a tiny walk-in shower with a shower curtain and the vanity was extremely short with no counter space. There was a linen closet that made the space feel crowded and closed off. The ceiling required smoothing, new ventilation, and recessed lighting by the shower. Plus, the walls were in need of a fresh coat of paint.

What was the bathroom remodel process?

The first step in our renovation was to completely gut the entire bathroom, removing the linen closet to be able to create a larger shower. We placed new drywall where the old shower and closet were ripped out. Now, it was time to map the position of the new shower and install the tile; I chose a 4×12 navy blue ceramic tile with glaze. The new shower remained in the same place as the previous shower so that we did not have to alter the plumbing.

Complete Bathroom Remodel - During

Next, we laid the bathroom flooring tile in a brick like pattern. Marble Systems supplied this beautiful 12×24 white porcelain tile with gray veining. We selected a 1×1 tumbled marble for the shower floor to give it a natural look and prevent the surface from becoming slippery when wet.

After priming the walls, we painted them Ben Moore AC-25 Harbor Gray to pull out the gray veins in the flooring. We put in large glass panels for the shower door and neighboring wall to provide an open room that was once very closed off. We picked a large, single sink vanity with plenty of counter space and storage. It was painted navy blue to complement the shower walls and topped with white carrera marble. Additionally, a large mirror with white trim and a new vanity light was placed to continue in helping the bathroom appear big and bright. Lastly, a brand new toilet and all chrome finishes were installed to match the sleekness of a brand new bathroom.

Complete Bathroom Remodel - Finished

Ta-da! You’ve seen the full bathroom remodel from reds to riches.

5 Things That You Can Have Custom-Made

From bathrooms to bedrooms to kitchens, you can have something custom-made for any room in your house. There are many items that can be custom-made for the home, such as curtains, furniture, built-ins, and cabinetry. I enjoy adding custom-made pieces to my designs because of the complexity they add to a room. My recent projects including custom-made items are a master bathroom with custom vanity, custom bookshelves for bedrooms and home offices, and something a little out of the ordinary, custom desk skirts.

Custom-Made Bathroom Vanity

This master bathroom custom vanity is made from a wood called Sapele or African mahogany. It is naturally golden to dark reddish-brown, but we stained it to a darker brown to contrast beautifully against the marble floors with gray veining. Sapele is a more cost-effective option to Genuine Mahogany and is a very close match in visual appeal, wood processing, and durability. The irregularities in both grain patterns give them an exotic look leading to their popularity around the world. A great addition to the vanity was a pull-out drawer cut out under the sink so no space was wasted. It is great for storing hairbrushes, combs, razors, toothbrushes, and toothpaste. Bonuses such as this are just one of the reasons why I love custom-made cabinetry!

Custom-Made Kitchen Island

For this kitchen, I designed a custom island. As you’ll notice, it is not a perfect rectangle, giving it more character. My favorite enhancements are the prep sink, having multiple sinks in a kitchen is a game-changer, and the microwave drawer is way more appealing to the aesthetic than a countertop microwave or one that hangs above the stove. Also, there is plenty of storage space! The drawer under the microwave can be great for organizing your Tupperware and we installed shelves on one side for a collection of ironstone pots and cookbooks. Lastly, the faux paint finish on the island was carefully colored to match the exquisite marble slab on top.

Custom-Made Cabinets

This is one of my favorite custom cabinet projects! All of the cabinets are stunning cherry and stretch from floor to ceiling for maximum storage. We placed glass mosaic tile as the backsplash and a warm granite countertop to compliment the cabinets. Furthermore, the wine cooler had a perfect home in the kitchen because of all the cabinets being custom made.

Custom-Made Built-In Bookcase

I designed a built-in bookshelf with a desk for a young man’s bedroom to blanket the wall across from the foot of his bed. Joinery crown molding was placed at the top and baseboard molding at the bottom, both continue onto every wall in the room. The integration of an upholstered memo board behind the desk can hold photos and important notes or reminders.

The below picture is from my home office, where you’ll see custom-made built-in units. I created this layout to house my fabric books in the upper cabinets and added doors to the lower shelves to keep clutter out of sight.

Custom-Made Desk Skirts

On the other side of my office are my two desks. I had desk skirts, also called table coverings, made to disguise wires and computer modems and create extra storage space. The gathered skirts are made out of 100% linen fabric by Pindler.

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