Honey and Red HOT Kitchen

I am sure that you really care, but I had a few inquiries about my color choices, so I thought I would share my kitchen art with friends and family alike... so here are the before and after photos. Remember - I am a novice at painting, and the kitchen now makes the rest of the house look sad and gloomy. Too bad I have no more time, nor money for the other jealous rooms! My arms feel like they are made of rubber, also... so I doubt I could squeeze another seven hours out of these muscles to paint anything else. Aside from some painter's tape trouble on the ceiling at the red wall, we did an awesome job. Here are some painter's tips from my really handy neighbor who came to show us how to do the job like a pro today:

1. Invest in a good brush. (His 8$ Rubbermaid brush put my cheap ones to shame! My friend and I fought over his brush after he generously lent it to me - feeling pity for us after seeing my supplies).

2. Never use painter's tape. Or - if you use it, peel it up while the paint is still WET. I found this out the hard way, after letting the red dry... and watching the latex (now turned to a plastic-like substance) peel mercilessly off the wall as I tugged on the tape. I did the entire room today without painter's tape, and it looks MUCH better - and no mess to patch up later!

3. Use a tiny flat paintbrush (such as what you would allow your kids to paint watercolors with) to do trim corners, make straight lines, or go around light switches or plugs. I made the most awesome corner crease today between the red and gold using a little brush like this.

4. When putting glossy paint on, use the roller going down the wall from the top as your last stroke. The gloss looks better this way.

5. And I already said this, but once again, never judge your RED paint until you have two coats on and it is dry!

NOW FOR THE PHOTOS:

Before

Notice -

1. The Thomas the Tank Engine Table (my next project after the flower beds out front tomorrow is to paint this little table "hammered red" and return it to the kitchen next to the window)

2. The sad white mini-blinds that won't be returning... hopefully we'll have new curtains soon with the help of a friend from our co-op.

3. The ugly contemporary light fixture over the table (WHAT possesses these builders to pick such UGLY lighting?) - I threw this one out and spray-painted a hideous, bright, shiny brass fixture that was in my "dining" room (school room) and my neighbor gave us the shades you see in the After shots below...

After