Kitchen Makeovers
We can turn your outdated 80's oak kitchen, and other wood-based cabinetry into something that will make you fall in love with your kitchen again! Why spend tens of thousands on new cabinets and a major kitchen reno, when you can have us professionally refinish your existing cabinetry?
We use zero V.O.C., all natural milk paint to give kitchen cabinets new, unique looks. You won't see any paint sprayers in our work shop...everything is hand-painted to bring out the character hiding in your cabinetry, in almost any colour imaginable. The waxes we use to seal the paint are museum quality, made from beeswax with a touch of carnauba wax, providing a durable finish.
FAQ
Is a milk paint finish durable?
Yes. Milk paint cures as hard as a rock, and doesn't chip, stick or wear like latex paints. If you've ever seen a century old barn with paint still hanging in there..chances are it was painted with the original paint which is milk paint! The wax finish takes 30 days to cure, but you can still use your kitchen up until that time. You just have to be a little careful. Once cured, everything can be used as normal.
What is the process?
There are two parts to refinishing your kitchen; the in-house portion where we refinish all the trim, and outsides of the cabinets that are attached to the walls or floor, and the in-shop portion, where we refinish all the doors and drawer faces. We ask our clients to remove all the doors and drawer faces, along with hardware (hinges and knobs) if possible. We can arrange to have someone take the doors down for you for a fee if there isn't a handy-person in the house. All cupboards and drawers should be empty to protect your items and to make our work go a little faster.
How do you prepare the surfaces?
There is a lot of sanding involved in our treatment! Everything gets washed to remove grease and other build-up, then a thorough sand is performed, usually down to bare wood to help reveal the wood grain and create a clean surface to paint. Where required, we tape off edges. A base coat of paint is applied, followed by a sealant to avoid any bleed through from the wood or other contaminants. Several thin layers of paint are applied (darker colours require 3 to 4 coats, light colours require sometimes up to 8 coats). The paint is then hand sanded to create a soft, silky feel and finally, it is all sealed with wax. This applies to both the in-house and in-shop portions.
How long does it take?
Typically we need a full week inside your house. Turn around time on doors is about 4 weeks, depending on our current workload. We will give you an estimated completion date when you book with us. Some of our clients choose to go on vacation during the week that we are doing the work inside their homes. We always clean up after ourselves, but we do create a noisy mess when we are inside working.
I have a colour in mind, can you make that happen?
Yes! We are often inspired by some of our favourite things when it comes to colour. In the photo here you can see we custom blended colours to emulate a piece of Cranberry pottery. Because we hand paint everything, our techniques can produce very beautiful and unique finishes you would never get from a spray booth. Your kitchen isn't limited to what everyone else has..it's a reflection of your personality, style and inspiration!
Can I see more pictures of your work?
We would like to encourage everyone who is interested in having their kitchen reimagined to book an appointment to view a variety of completed doors in various colours and finishes. We work exclusively with milk paint for our kitchen projects, an all natural product that gives some very unique looks. As mentioned, this is not a spray-booth kind of project.
How much does a consult cost?
Consults within the Powell River area are complimentary (from Saltery Bay to Lund). The best way to start the process is to email some pictures of your kitchen to us, and we'll take it from there.
We are able to take on a limited amount of kitchens each year, please contact us today to schedule your in-house colour and cost estimate!