The Kitchen Cabinets I

Since Mari's birth in November (2010) our biggest project has been stripping and painting our 1958, knotty pine kitchen cabinets. We decided this HAD to be done soon, because the paint was cracked and peeling off in long, ragged pieces. The previous owner hired someone to professionally paint them, but they didn't sand the varnish of first.  When I tried to tape a piece of the flaking paint back on and it crumbled apart in my hands, I decided it was time to take care of problem NOW.  Plus, my mom was re-painting her cabinets and I didn't want to be left out! Starting this project at the same time was very motivating for me.

I am so glad this part is over!

These are the only two before pictures we have

Wonderfully, I didn't need to use paint stripper because it all came off easily with a putty knife.
Peeling and scraping the paint took two full days. An audio book helped pass the time.
Sanding took a little longer at three - four days because of the huge mess and dust. I had to keep stopping and cleaning up before taking care of the baby. I mostly used an electric, orbital sander, but did in the grooves by hand.
After sanding, I cleaned everything with mineral spirits and filled in dents and holes with wood putty.  Finally, time to paint!