One Thing Leads to Another...

It all started with a door that wouldn't close properly. For more than two years the door between our kitchen and the garage wouldn't close right, or when it did, it wouldn't open. It made me crazy...made all of us crazy.

Last week it actually dawned on me that HEY! Maybe if I buy a new doorknob, the door will work again. (Yeah, I know...DUH!) So within one hour, I was off to the Home Depot and the new doorknob was installed. It works like a charm. I feel stupid for not realizing ages ago that it was just a doorknob that needed replacing. 

That doorknob replacement got us to discussing the hardware on our front door. It's always in the sun and over the years, the hot rays have taken their toll. The finish was not looking good at all. Andy suggested that we replace that hardware with a new opener and deadbolt.  

So today I headed back to "le Chateau Depot" for new door hardware.  Oh...and a new exterior thermometer because the one we had blew away in a windstorm while I was in Dallas. Of course once I was there, I forgot to buy it. I knew there was something that I was forgetting. That was it. 

Several of our kitchen cabinet doors haven't been hanging right either. Some don't close right, some are crooked. After all these years, the hinges have gotten bent or warped or whatever. So I figured that while I was getting the other stuff at "le Chateau" today, I'd get some replacement hinges too.

When I got home, I took the old hardware off of our front door and installed the new set. Looks nice! Then I took two of the cabinet doors off, removed their hinges, cleaned them up, put on the new hinges and re-hung the doors.  Wow, what a difference! I was on a roll at this point. 

The problem I found in removing the doors, however, is that I got a very up close and personal look at just how bad our painted cabinets are looking. Dirt, chips, stains...oh my. It's probably been ten years since I had our cabinets painted, and they are showing their wear and tear. I try to ignore it most of the time, but today I couldn't ignore it. So back to the hardware store I went for new primer, some sandpaper, and some new brushes. It looks like my next two weeks are going to involve giving my kitchen cabinetry a brand new coat of oil-based enamel. 

And of course, since I put the new hardware on the front door, the paint has gaps where the old hardware was. So that will be getting a fresh coat of paint as well. And since I'm repainting the front door, I might as well do the back door too, right?  Yep. 

And since I'm freshening up the cabinets, I might as well take this opportunity to change out the door and cabinet pulls. I've been wanting brushed nickel, so now's the time. Before I buy new hardware, I'm going to try to use brushed nickel spray paint and change my existing ones. Hopefully that will work (because I need 40 something!), but if it doesn't, I'll get new ones. 

Can you see how this is going? 

Finally, I figure that after the holiday decor comes down, and since I'll have already crossed that line into the world of primer and oil based enamel, I'm finally going to paint the natural woodwork in my family room (as well as the brick on the fireplace) so that it matches the rest of the house. 

I'm not kidding. One thing leads to another. I guess it's no coincidence that the band who sang this in the '80's was THE FIXX.  

Projects never end, do they?  Well, at least the list never ends. It's kind of like the "if you give a mouse a cookie" books.....

Comments

[Stefanie]

You are truly inspiring... I'm absolutely the last person on earth who would take it upon myself to march to Chateau Depot (LOL) and buy a new doorknob and fix it MYSELF!. Yes, I'm the complete UNhandiwoman. Good for you, sounds like you have your work cut out for you!

[Lisahunt]

Wow, sounds like a busy time in your house lol!
Isn't it amazing how one job seems to lead to another? You fix up one thing, which makes something else then look shabby, so you fix that up...and so on, and so on...it's never ending!
Good luck with it all!

xxx

[JDaniel4's Mom]

I have a long list of things I want to do at my house. I now have to prioritize them and get to work.

[JoAnn]

You've just described our summer/fall! It all starts off innocent, and the next thing you know there's a guy named Junior breaking down a wall!

[Christi B]

If'n u need to buy new hardware (knobs/pulls) check Costco (if there's one near you). We got our brushed nickle ones there and they come in a large pack (20 I think?) so we were able to do our whole kitchen with just 2 packs (I think) and they're nice lookin :) Have fun with the painting! Our cabinets are stained so no painting for me...just occasional "simple green" cleaning :)

[Barb]

Same color, although it doesn't look the same any more, it's a lot lighter! Lighter and CLEANER! I'm going to end up painting all the doors and trim as well, because now they look so gross and dingy in comparison.

Are your cabinets wood? If so, I wouldn't see why it wouldn't work. It wouldn't work if they are some kind of laminate or pressed particle board (MDF).

The key to painting your cabinets is PREP, PREP, PREP, PREP, PRIMER, good PAINT, and PATIENCE. Use high quality oil-based paint, and the best brush that you can afford. It makes all the difference.

[Jan C.]

Are you painting your cabinets the same color, or going for a dramatic change? I'd like to paint ours, but I would need wood filler or something to fill the gouges around the hardware from people's fingernails ruining the old finish over the last 40 years. I'm not even sure wood filler is something you can use on kitchen cabinets!