white kitchen for the win

A few words on our apartment.  It's small.  It's cheap.  It's barely maintained.  It's my favorite apartment we've lived in.

And the kitchen sucks.

Have you noticed how I never post photos of our kitchen?  That's because it's impossible.  Truly.  I'm fairly certain it is about five square feet in size and has nearly no natural light aside that from a tiny window.  The darkness is exacerbated by the gloominess of the dark, cheap, old, worn cabinets.  They're a veritable black hole of sadness.  I hate being in there any longer than necessary.  Which could explain how much Chick Fil-A we've been eating.  Don't judge.  You know you do it, too!  (:

Well, last week, in the middle of an emotional breakdown, massive baking for church functions, and looming deadlines for clients, I had had enough.  I took a quick trip to Home Depot, picked up a $15 can of Killz, came home, and whitewashed the darned cabinets. 

Why Killz?  Well, these cabinets were nasty.  They were going to need a primer and Killz is my go-to.  It's cheap, thick, and for a dive like our little apartment, the perfect solution.  For the trim, I used a sponge brush.  I find I get smoother strokes on woodwork when I use foam as opposed to a bristle brush.  For the doors I used a roller.   It took several coats, uncounted, and a bit of time to allow for drying.  

It took me a couple of days and still isn't entirely done.  I had to put the project to the side for a few days for things like those looming client deadlines, but even with the state it is in, I'm furious with myself for not doing this MONTHS ago!  Guys, seriously, this is a game changer.  You ready for this?

For the first time since we moved in, I like my kitchen.  Still not love, but we're getting there.  I do enjoy working in there.  Has it gotten any bigger?  No.  Are the cabinets better quality?  No.  But is it as dark as it was?  Not by a long shot.  It feels bigger, brighter, and more inviting.  Perfect for dark gloomy days of baking and soup making.  I have thoughts of wrapping the hardware in twine (because what shouldn't be wrapped in jute?!)  and still need to do some painting.  But it's such an improvement!

Why the sudden change?  I got sick of looking at magazine and pinterest images and thinking, some day.  Realistically, we are not going to own a home of our own for a long time.   Getting through school, a couple more moves, and fiscal realities just make that a fact of life.  That doesn't mean I can't enjoy my space.  This is my home.  It's also my place of work, my studio.  I need to function for me as a creative space.  The dark cavern was absolutely forbidding creativity to flow.  Your House of Dreams doesn't always have to be a pipe dream or expensive.  It can happen where ever you are, no matter how long you are there.