A new look...

Whoah! Someone turned the lights on in here!
I'm going for bright simplicity from now on rather than gloom. Another change is the blog name. I always hated it. It didn't make sense. So after two years I'm having a makeover. I may add things later. Hope you like...

I've just twigged that I've not been getting ANY blog emails at all for, um, a few months...
Told you I'm not very technical. Apologies if I haven't replied to people during this time. I have a massive backlog to work through, so if it's important, you might want to email me again.

 So, here's what's been going on. Connies First Holy Communion was lovely and she looked so sweet in the dress. I don't have a blogworthy pic but we get to do it all over again in a few weeks so I'll try harder then.

The sewing machine is put away and the kitchen cabinet doors are back in their rightful place on the dining table. I hung three yesterday...

 I'm getting there!

And created a bottom for the bottomless cupboard under the sink...

There was a drip that caused the bottom of the cupboard to perish before we bought the house...

I had some contiboard cut to size, and Bob's your uncle...

Turns out that the drip is still dripping which is a drag. Hence the jam jar.

I also removed a totally MINGING semi circular carousel from the corner cupboard and had a piece of contiboard cut to fit as a shelf in there which will make far greater use of the space.

Just waiting for the shelf supports to arrive!

The wallpaper decision making is still no further on. Just need one more sample to arrive.

Let me just leave you with a bit of prettiness...

I found this sampler at the flea market.

I got it for £18. Sometimes they sell for hundreds. I know nothing about what makes one valuable and one not so valuable but we love this one.

I love that Sarah Ann Jordan was seven when she worked this, same age as my daughter. I wonder who she was...

The frame was dark wood and I took it all apart, painted it with gesso and waxed it...

It's hanging above Connies bed. We had Bad Bobby stuffed as you can see. He's a lot less trouble now.

Kidding! He's alive and well but he's been out partying til 2am and won't smile for the camera this morning or get out of his bed. I know that feeling...

P.S. Did anyone else have the pleasure of watching 'The Auction House' on Channel 4 the other day? It's my new favourite show. I think 'Alpine Surgical' will be the new 'Shabby Chic!' Bahaha!

Painting kitchen cupboards...even melamine!

How to go about painting melamine... I've done plenty of research on this subject and I must say, most of it recommends using a super primer like Zinsser or Blackfriars. I also found a few articles suggesting ESP. Mostly on forums where it was recommended by people who paint kitchens for a living.

I've known about ESP since the mid nineties when they mentioned it daily on ''Change That'' the greatest TV show known to man.
I really thought that this was a lazy persons product. For people who can't be bothered to sand properly or for people who are on telly and have a very short time frame in which to paint furniture. Being a total perfectionist, ESP and I never crossed paths.

Until I started researching painted kitchens. I read the words, ''chemically bonds the paint on to a surface'' and I was intrigued. Because that sounds pretty damn good to me.

And let me tell you, it IS pretty damn good. It's the most peculiar stuff. You wipe it on liberally, wait 10 minutes, wipe off the excess with a clean dry cloth, wait two hours and you can paint.

It really gives the greatest adhesion. There was a small area in my cabinet framework where I noticed a little residue of a sticky dot. I left it unpainted and when the surrounding paint was dry, I decided to sand it off. The surrounding areas were sanded too and that paint didn't shift. This was water based eggshell on plastic! I would have imagined that the paint would have peeled away very easily.

This stuff is amazing. Forget your chalk paints. Ugh, who'd want a chalk painted kitchen anyway? Forget your super primers. Definitely forget your cupboard paints! Have you read their reviews?
They just. Cannot. Compete. with ESP.

 I got mine on ebay for £25 with free postage. It's clear and thin like water so it stretches pretty far. One litre would be enough to do my 22 doors more than three times over.

As you can see I have one door up. I only had one handle, my sample handle but the others are coming tomorrow. I think I looked at every handle in the country.

I'm totally thrilled with my one solitary cupboard door. You know when you have a picture in your head? Often things don't turn out quite the same. Well this one has turned out just like it did in my head.

This post is not sponsored by ESP or Owatrol. I'm just a bit in love with it. If you're thinking of painting your kitchen doors, look no further.

before

after

I'm one step closer to having a nice kitchen for the first time ever.

You can see how I'm getting on HERE

Link