Spray painting is a popular method for painting kitchens, not least because it can be done much more quickly than painting a kitchen by hand. But the final look and feel of a spray-painted kitchen is very different from a hand-painted one. As with everything, there are pros and cons.
Read MoreHere is a list of the stickiest things known to man. Well, known to this man, anyway.
Superglue (especially when you get it on your fingers)
A jelly bean you lost in the van in sweltering heat which you suddenly find while feeling around blindly for something else you dropped
Whatever it is babies sneeze out
Painting kitchens takes a lot of grit. I’m not talking about the kind of grit it takes to walk barefoot up Croagh Patrick. Kitchen painting is physically demanding, but I’ll choose it over shoeless mountaineering any day.
No, I’m talking about the kind of grit you find on sandpaper.
I’ve asked The Paint Hub in Carlow for some help with this month’s blog post.
I’ve been buying my paint from them for many years now. Even though I’m based in Cloyne, Co. Cork—which is the same distance from Carlow as the Earth is to the Moon. The service, expertise and the range of paint they stock makes it very worthwhile for me to deal with them over that distance. They are simply out of this world. (Did you see what I did there?)
So you’ve had your kitchen painted (or any room in your house for that matter) and now you feel something is wrong. It’s not the kitchen itself. You love the cabinets. The drawers are all gorgeous. The island is a beacon of perfection. Nevertheless, something is off…
Then it dawns on you.
The quality of light in your kitchen is very important. Not least because it’s very hard to cook in the dark. Mind you, whenever I make something for my children, they say it’s so bad I must have cooked it in the dark. [Sidenote—when I was a kid, my mum would only have to say “Or else...” when I refused to eat my greens, and I would gobble them up. These days, kids are too familiar with their universal human rights.]
Read MoreChoosing a colour for your kitchen or implementing a colour change can be a major process. After all, colour is such a transformational medium. It instantly creates a mood or gives a lift to an existing scheme. The perception of colour can have a dramatic effect, depending on the environment. Ironically, colour is often one of the first elements you notice but often one of the last to be considered or implemented.
Read MoreThis month’s blog post is written by Ger Cooney, a Cork-based interior architect and designer who has consulted on numerous kitchens I’ve painted. This month, Ger will look at practical consideration when designing your kitchen. Next month, he’ll give you advice on colour choices.
Read MoreWhen I finish hand painting a kitchen, people often say the same thing to me as I leave.
They say, “We’re looking forward to seeing you again next year to do some touch ups.” And they have big smiles on their faces.
I’m always shocked.
At the end of the year, I like to:
Look back on the year that’s been
Look forward to the year ahead
Doing so fills me with a great sense of gratitude. This year in particular.
Looking back, I think 2020 is best described as …
Read MorePeople ask me all the time what tools I use to hand paint kitchens.
I tell them, “A purdy sprig and two fussy blokes.”
Nobody ever believes me. They think I’m having a laugh. I’m not.
I explain, “I cover two fussy blokes in paint and roll them over the surface. Then I follow up with a purdy sprig to get the finish I’m known for.”
Read MoreI don’t want to boast, but most kitchens go to pieces in my presence. I’m a bit like the Beatles that way. (Or, for the younger crowd, Justine Bieber, whoever she is.) They end up in bits. Not emotionally, you understand. Physically. I go in and within a day the doors and handles are off.
You look alarmed.
Read MoreDisaster!
That was the only thing going through my mind.
The acrid smell of a burned-out motor filled my nostrils. My stomach tightened with anxiety. The one piece of kit I absolutely cannot do without had just flamed out and died. In the middle of a job too.
Sheen is important when you choose a finish for your kitchen. The common sheen levels are 10, 30 and 80. 10 is an eggshell finish. 30 is satin. And 80 is gloss. They can all look fabulous, but you need to be careful with your choice.
Read MoreWhen people say the word ‘vinyl’, it usually means one of two things:
They are old and about to bore you witless with stories of how music was better when Led Zeppelin were still performing back in medieval times.
Or:
I admire anyone who has a go at something themselves. I honestly do. Even if it’s painting their own kitchen cabinets and units. Actually… especially if it’s painting their own kitchen cabinets and units. I know how demanding that can be. And, between you and me, if you don’t know what you’re doing, it can go wrong quickly. A bit like flying an aeroplane.
Read MoreI have 8th June highlighted in my calendar. I practically wore down one of my daughter’s crayons to a nub doing it. Bright pink.
It’s the day I’m allowed back to work. I can’t wait, really I can’t. For someone who is used to being out and about all day, being in lock down has been difficult. There’s only so many times you can repaint your own kitchen, after all. I’ve also watched everything on Netflix and, while I love my daughter to bits, if I have to attend another tea party with Mr Unicorn and his imaginary friend Captain Angel Dust, I swear I’ll go mad.
You might think, given the nature of my work, I don’t bring work home with me. The thought of me removing someone’s kitchen from their house and taking it home might appear daft to you. You may even think my wife would be very upset if I kept bringing other people’s kitchens home.
Read MorePinewood is a popular choice in many kitchens. I personally don’t have anything against pine, other than that I hate the sight of it. My top three things I hate most goes like this:
Wales losing at rugby
Pine
Any pine I might have missed under item 2
