Picture this…I have very important dinner guests over to my house. I welcome them into my kitchen. They compliment my bright white cabinetry. I’m finishing some dinner prep and chatting with everyone, gracious hostess that I am. Are you with me?
One of the guests asks if she can do anything to help me. I ask her to grab a bowl out of the upper right cabinet. She sees this…
..she passes out. Babies cry. Children cover their eyes. The fathers grab their families and leave in disgust. I’m left standing alone in my kitchen…in my disgrace.
Okay, okay! I’m guilty. I didn’t paint the inside of my cabinets or cabinet doors. I didn’t and I’m okay with it! I’ll shout it from the roof tops and show it to the world on my blog!! I DIDN’T PAINT THE INSIDE OF MY CABINETS OR DOORS!!!!
In all seriousness, I was just too impatient (in case you missed it, I have 51 cabinet doors) and I really didn’t want buy another quart of primer and paint to do it. At first, I felt like I really needed to do it. It’s what everyone does, right? And it’s the right way to do it, right? After a long conversation with myself, I decided I may be in the minority (or the silent majority) of those who just don’t care if the inside of their cabinet doors are painted, so I bucked tradition and took the road less traveled.
…and that has made all the difference.
While I’m airing my dirty secrets, I might as well share this…
pfft! No biggie, I didn't paint the inside of mine either, and that was two years ago LOL
I just may get to it, one day 🙂
I don't blame you one at all, that is a lot of cabinets. Besides no one will know…well, until they grab something 🙂
XO
I completely agree with you and support you in this 'criminal' act.
I recently repainted my kitchen and bath cabinets and, while I don't have NEAR as many as you, I didn't paint any of the insides or undersides either! 😉
Hahaha !!! You are cracking me up because I kept looking at the picture and couldn't figure out what you were worried about until you told us ~ I TOTALLY would not have noticed at all ~ I wish my hubby wasn't Mr. Perfectionist and then I could just do my cabinets and not worry about it ~ He thinks we need to rip all of our kithcen out and start over and all we need is a little paint ~ It drives me nuts !!
Thank you for letting us know your secret ~
xoxo
Lori
I hear ya..Funny post..I still love your kitchen..Great job..
Janet
Oh my word!
I painted all my cabinet doors inside and out –but I didn't bother painting the undersides! And mine look exactly like yours! (same lighting, too)
lol
Marian don't paint the underside, add some moulding around the bottom edge for a really finished look and it will hide any undercabinet lighting device that might peek out a tiny bit. My contractor did it and I was like – are these custom built ins?
I'm totally, totally okay with it, LOL!
I did the same think when I painted our cabinets.
~Meg
I always debate about painting the inside of the doors, too! You're not alone. Sometimes I have; sometimes I haven't. It's all good, sister!
I feel so free after reading your post.. my UNDIES are also unpainted.. lol
hi Marian – 2 things i'd do is just sand around the inside of the cabinet door so you can't see the paint dribbles on the inside and then it'll look neater. and instead of painting the bottom of the cabinets i'd cover with painted wood or beadboard, just cut out circles for the lights and screw on tp underside. will make it all look much neater and you can paint the underside before you attach. much easier. and will hide all the wiring and cabinet joins.
but all looks fanatastic!
cheers Fiona
http://www.lilyfieldlife.blogspot.com
Ah, a woman after my own heart!!!!!
xxoo
Oh your supposed to paint the insides too? Not! I have a fraction of the cabinets that you have and the thought of painting the inside never crossed my mind. Those suckers will get wiped down and new liner paper… period. I'm with you on this Marian, We women have enough to do.
What…you mean???! wow, I thought I was the only one too impatient to be bothered with stuff no one else can see or know about. My world is crushed! you walk the same path as all us Mommies! Sometimes we are too hard on ourselves and most of the time no one else cares. :))))Your kitchen looks great!
Caroline
i LOVE it! You make me smile and I'm happy to see you doing what makes YOU happy instead of what everyone else does!
So there is hope for my kitchen cabinets… lol Maybe I'll get to paint them one day soon. I will paint both sides of the doors though… but the inside, who cares. Your kitchen looks great btw.
MaryAnn
I did the same thing. It was a choice I made. I didn't want to paint the inside of the cupboards because I figured they would get scuffed up and that would bother me. So I chose to have them match on the outside, and then with the door is opened, to match on the inside. 🙂
I hear ya about the underneath side. I painted two coats on mine, but sitting on the couch I could see that they needed a couple of more coats. It's funny that you can see yours from your couch too!
Your cabinets look great! 51 !!! crazy girl!
gail
Too funny! More power to you, but I could never do that! Every time I looked at those cupboards, I would think of the unfinished interior. I'm really not a type A at all, but I am pretty thorough!
Too funny! But I agree with you, the wood is actually nice looking and contrasts well with the paint. I'm sure the stain will hold up to dishes scratching in and out too. It is a similar tone to the table top. See, I can come up with lots of reasons not to paint the inside 😉 Want more, hehe. Uh, maybe you should remove the numbered tape bits though.
i love you even more now. 🙂
xxo, kim
I love this post and with 51 cabinets…I don't blame you for not tackling the inside…the outside looks pretty and that's all that matters
Marion, you crack me up. LOL, when I saw the pictue of the cupboard door open, it didn't even phase me that you didn't paint the inside. See how much it matters to me. Yep, folks are going to ooo and ah over the visible outside part of it. who cares about the inside. I do agree with you though on the under part of the cabinets. thanks for the snicker this evening. Hope you are enjoying your time in FL
That's exactly how mine look, hehe. I so love your taste and find myself checking your blog everyday just waiting to find another masterpiece!
I loved this post. I chuckled all the way through it. Just refer to it as "new vintage".
I'm new to your blog. I absolutely love this! Thank you for sharing this.
I feel so much better now! Mine aren't painted either. I thought I should do them and my other half said no … I still feel guilty. Well, maybe not so guilty now I know I'm not alone.
Jo
Ha! and the problem is what, exactly??
The only reason mines are painted is because the previous owner did it! I'm redoing the kitchen and debating wether to repaint or just get new cabinets. Guess what? If I paint, I ain't painting the inside that for darn sure!! They're lucky to get primer.
Speaking of primer, would you recommend the all-in-one primer and paint for kitchen cabinets?
I have about the same number of cabinets as you and when I painted mine I started on the bottom and did paint the inside of the doors, but when I got to all the top cabinets I did not paint the inside of the doors. I can only imagine how long it would have taken to do all the insides, shelves etc too!
I did mine 2 years ago and I do still need to paint the inside of one set of cabinets that have glass front doors, because I think the dishes will look so much nicer against a painted background, but as far as all the others, I have no desire to paint the insde!
Thanks for being "real" and honest with your readers 🙂
newbie here but i like you already. although i do sort of feel like you're an overachiever for even painting the outside of your cabinets, much less the insides.
http://etsystalkers.blogspot.com/
I must confess … the insides of ALL the closets in our house are still painted white while all the walls are sage green or lavender … waiting for a bolt of lightening to strike me down!
You're so cute! I love it. I think the least amount of work should be done, when it becomes excessive, like, say 51 friggin' cabinet doors! Haha.
There was a little girl at my church on Sunday who looked like a mini-you!
I said to my husband, "She looks EXACTLY like Miss Mustard Seed!"
He said, "?"
Don't worry, he got schooled. Boys. Sheesh.
😉
I missed it too. I was busy looking for a mouse, snake or cockroach, so natural wood was just fine with me.
Good post
Helen Tilston
Hahaha! I was looking to see what you hid in there! Didn't even notice the fact that they are unpainted!
ok this post has me laughing out loud. esp I CAN SEE THIS WHEN I'M SITTING ON MY SOFA AND THAT CROSSES THE LINE. ha! i love the pics. i love the humor. and you are irrestible. period.
michele
irresistible.
wow.
Pssshhha! Who cares? They are your cabinets…I got your back too 😉
I painted my bathroom cabinets and didn't paint the inside and I DON'T CARE EITHER!!! Whooo hoooo! Doesn't it feel good! They still look amazing. In my book, you can do no wrong!
You are too funny~ Life is short…so give yourself permission to spend time on the important things! LOL Love your honesty!
Blessings & Hugs,
Karen
I say Good For You! Nothing wrong with keeping perfectionism at bay.
We had our kitchen cabinets professionally painted and glazed and they did NOT do the interiors either. Actually, the painted shelves would end up being scratched and marred, so why bother. I think you definitely did the right thing! Linda
Thank goodness! Sometimes I feel like I am too impatient and want that instant gratification too!! Painting 51 doors was hardly "instant" and was probaby tearing you up inside to get it done so you could see "live and in person" the visual you have seen "in your head" for like….ever!!
I would never have been able to paint the inside either!! They look amazing by the way!
Beth
You crack me up! Your kitchen looks Fabulous…I know you have been wanting to paint them for a long time.
haha sounds like a good idea to me. PS I LOVE your kitchen table!
Because, of course, you intended it to be like this. No one paints inside their cupboards any more, just like no one wears ginger tights or uses videotape…
Thank you for the laugh! Nice to see that the kitchen is finished and it makes you happy.
Love it! I hired someone to paint my cabinets white (several years ago) and I didn't have him paint the insides either and I always feel "guilty" about it – now I don't!! He didn't paint the underneath part so I made him do it as it bugged me as soon as I saw it.
Now I'm about to rub Murphy's furniture oil on them to see if I can make them look kind of "antiqued". Hopefully it works. I have about 30 doors/drawers. Ugh.
Have to publish as Anonymous otherwise I get a message that I have to start a blogger account to publish and I can't think of a name to use!
While we're sharing…I didn't paint the inside of ours, either! HA! Your cabinets look amazing just the way they are! 🙂
ok, i officially love you now…
you,… the most talented woman ever, and who has the most amazing beautiful decor in the world… didn't paint the inside of the cabinets, thank you lord… because NEITHER DID I!
Cindy
Thank you, I'm about to paint mine…and I really don't want to do the insides!!
I love it! I do the same thing! There is no need to paint the inside, the doors stay closed anyway!
How funny!! Thank you for giving me permission to not paint the insides of mine! I am about to start painting this week.
Oh NO, how could you? Now the cabinet door police will get you and arrest you for this delict, LOL. I, in contrast, don't blame you at all. Painting so many doors from the outside is hard enough and needs a lot of patience already. I'm not sure I could have done that.
Enjoy your beautiful kitchen!
WHAT? I can't believe it? lol. 😉
we painted our cabinets white. We didn't have nearly as many as you do, and we left the insides of ours unpainted, too.
The thought of also painting the insides made me very, very, very tired. I had to get over it.
Guess what! I'm part of that minority, too! When I did my post on my kitchen cabinet reveal, I told everyone the insides were not painted. I felt like I had to draw the line somewhere. And like you, impatience gets the best of me. I still don't regret it…
You're so real, thanks for that 🙂
Blessings
You've got your own before and after. Open the door…before. Close the door…after. Open. Before. Close. After. You with me? You'll never forget the reason you painted. Open, close, open, close, repeat as necessary. 🙂
blogs should have a like button! thank you 🙂
You have put a smile on my face! We redid our cabinets in our last home and didnt finish inside either.
Marion I painted my kitchen cupboards and didn't do the inside either. Like you I had loads of cupboards and was way too impatient. Join the club its called being normal. Sandy x
I think its the best of both worlds….Love painted furniture & I love wood grain. Be bold…I applaud you:)
Who has the time?! I'm with you, any corner I cut and it not be noticed then I do it. Life is too short x
If I were to grab something out of your cabinet, I wouldn't notice because it looks just like home, and how cabinets have looked in every home we have lived in since we were married. Your kitchen is beautiful!
Bhahahahahhahaha!! This post cracked me up this morning!! If I had 51 cabinets and drawers I probably wouldn't have even tried tackling them! So the fact that you did, makes you a superstar in my book! 🙂
Love it! Not only did you NOT paint them but you showed us all? that's why you are a blogstar!
BTW – I showed it my 4 year old & puppy and they are still crying. JK, LOL
You're my hero!
Too funny! You crack me up! LOVE the kitchen though. What a differance the white make. Gorgious!
thx for keeping it real!! 🙂
At first I thought, "is she talking about the plastic stuff in the cupboard? Why would that make someone leave in a huff?" Ha! My cabinets are all dark stained wood and the underside does not match the cabinets. No biggie.
I'm afraid Miss Mustard Seed, I've reported you to the Interiors Police for painting with intent to deceive. Seriously though, what the eye doesn't see etc.
I love your kitchen and think all your work on it has been a triumph!
ACK! 😉 If it doesn't bother you, who cares….right? (I would maybe take the little number stickers off, though).
Your kitchen looks great!
Yay I'm not alone!! I just painted my kitchen cabinets a few months back. It took me almost 2 weeks to finish and when I was done with the outside of the cabinets and doors, I said "screw it" to painting the inside of the cabinet and inside of the doors! I also didn't paint the bottom! Anyone that has done this kind of renovation themselves can truly understand and relate to this article!
I did the exact same with my presses when I painted them, I totally understand your pain. And I didnt even have 51 to paint! I like to think it just makes the presses even more unique. Plus I am eventually going to cover the inside of the doors with some fab botanical prints to make it a bit more of a feature. The unpainted wood will then 'frame' the images nicely! (Well that's the theory anyway!)
You are HILARIOUS!! ….and your cabinets are beautiful….thanks for the "lol's" this morning!
Hooray, hooray! You made my day!
You crack me up! You're a woman after my own heart! Life is hectic…for everyone and when I find a short-cut…I take it! Especially in decorating my home. We have an old farmhouse that is always whining for attention…five children…a barn full of animals…enough grass to cut to drive a woman nuts…so when I paint my cupboards, I paint the outside that shows…then when it finally drives me crazy…I paint the inside. I love my white kitchen…and this time…I'm thinking of a color for the inside! I LOVE your blog…and check it every morning!!!
Hi Marian…I think you have every right to not paint the inner door cabinets and the undersides. You know how much time that takes? I do – I've done so much cabinetry for clients and it's a back breaker (especially the undersides – they are very annoying to paint and glaze and hardly anyone sees them – unless your're a kid or someone who's 4 foot tall!!).
Once a client insisted on my painting and glazing the insides of her cabinetry also. Talk about a pain in the butt – I hope I never have to do that ever again!
Thanks for sharing your secrets!!
Linda
ooooh, Miss Mustard Seed!
My perfectionist – "you just don't paint it if its solid wood and it looks okay!" – does not like your influence on me… but I've decided that when I grow up, I want to be you. 🙂 (Okay, I'm nearing 30, but I still have some growing to do, right?)
Not to worry, I painted mine last November and didn't do the insides. And the bottom has one coat of primer and that is it. Maybe I will get around to it, maybe not. I don't care I LOVE my white cabinets and that is all that matters!
Behind closed doors….LOL..glad to see that you are human and take short cuts like the rest of us…lol
Sylvia
This made me smile! I am really not a perfectionist so it's nice to see a bit of "imperfection" being shared. Let me just say if it's mostly hidden, I can live with just about anything. The underside if I can see it, would drive me batty, so I'm with ya on that. But the results, ie your gorgeous kitchen…worth it!
We painted our drab cabinets a couple years back, best thing we ever did, I now love walking in, cooking, even just standing looking out the window, all due to a little white paint.
Okay, that is hilarious! I don't blame you one bit. I'm painting my kitchen cabinets right now and it is a pain in the you know where! I did paint the insides of my doors, but I didn't paint the underside of the cabinets!
You are still my idol and I will continue to bow down to you when I click on your blog….
xoxo,
Kim
Sweet relief! I painted ours over a year ago and have had "painter's guilt" off and on ever since. I am now officially OVER IT! I just texted my DH "if it's ok with Miss Mustard Seed, it's ok in our little trailer home!"
This is my first time to comment. I have been lurking for several weeks, in absolute awe of your talent and your sharing….and, especially today….your humor! You are a special treat and inspiration to us wannabes! Thank you and have a fabulous vacation!
Cyndy Buiniskis
Whatever you want is OK. I's your kitchen!!! They look great.I actually like the warmth of the wood inside. Just a thought on the corner upper cab,place mirror in the back for some highlight effect. You can age the mirror so it will not look sooo shinny.
Mary
RENONFL@YAHOO.COM
just checked inside my factory painted cabinets and the inside of the doors is painted but the rest is a light wood. I love the look of your wood so enjoy those beautiful cabinets of yours!!!
I love your blog 🙂
xo ellie
Great post!!! The only way I'd do the inside was if I was having them sprayed…just got that done to my front door and it saved me so much time! If I was doing them by hand I'd paint just the outside too! If I ever get to it:)
Rondell
THAT is a prime example why you get so much done and why I love ya and can relate to ya!
You AREN'T a perfectionist yes it still turned out 'perfect'! How awesome is that??
In high school I painted the insides of cupboards for a job.. bleh.. no appreciation when you can't even see it so I say, what's the point??
Thanks for sharing!
-Heather
lol, this was very unexpected and REAL of you. i like it!
This is why we love you so! Your honesty and frankness is truly appreciated! No airs or prentiousness here!
You are awesome!
Shut UP! You are a human! I am so HAPPY!
…♥
Too funny! We didn't paint the inside of ours either – it doesn't bother me at all…well, maybe a tad, but I've come to terms with it. We did paint the bottom though…I think your kitchen looks great! ~Destiny
Thank you for being real! Sometimes I have to put myself in "timeout" and limit the time I spend reading blogs because I get so discouraged that my home will never be perfect like the ones featured! I have 4 kiddos at home and I could go insane trying to make my house "blog worthy!" Thank you, thank you, thank you!! I have learned so, so much from you!
All I have to say is at least you got yours painted – inside/underside done or not! Mine are terrible & I even have a drawer front that DH added for me that never got finished or even a handle put on. GASP! I lose more fingernails trying to open that darn drawer…..There are people coming to my house this next weekend that were here 3 years ago & they're going to see that same drawer front in the same despicably bare shape it was in 3 years ago, unless you want to count the grubby finger marks that are on it now as the "new" faux finish. sheesh. I'd hate to show you or your friend a photo of MY cabinets.
{GASP!} That's it. We can't be friends anymore.
Ha!
Jami
Good for you! I am proud of you for being okay with not wasting your time painting inside your cabinets. Now don't back down and do it because you feel guilty about it. I love your kitchen.
Oh YAY! I am so happy to hear you did not paint the insides/shelves. I am so overwhelmed every time I think about painting my kitchen cabinets and having to do all the insides/shelving. I feel like this project will actually happen if the pressure of painting the insides is off! Thanks for sharing!
I am breathing a huge sigh of relief…you are, without question, my number 1 source of inspiration, and it's so wonderful to hear that you didn't paint the inside of your cabinets!!! lol! I think it's fantastic…;)
I hope you had smelling salts for your friend. LOL
We just purchased a home and my brother in law made some unpleasant comments about the kitchen. I now have a tin can in the kitchen with a sign that reads, "kitchen makeover fund" at the ready for his next snarky comment. I think that will shut him up.
In your case, smile, hand the offended person a brush and a can of paint. I think that should end the discussion. :0
Monique
Whelp…that pretty much makes you my hero! Perfectly Imperfect, we should all be so lucky to live life that way!
Well, I do believe in "to each his own", but not painting the inside of the doors would bug me to no end…I have finally accepted doing it the right way, the first time, is faster in the long run……
I do think it is fun not to care, though. I wish it was my personality.
Ha…good for you! I didn't paint the inside of my laundry room cabinets either and there were only ten! So far the cabinet police haven't found me!
I didn't paint mine either 🙂 or the underside 🙂 and I have those same lights! 🙂
Marian–After 102 comments you just may not read this, however, I want to thank you so much for your honesty. When I painted my cabinets, I, too, did not paint the inside….I was just plumb tuckered out. God bless you. I feel less guilty already and practically giddy that you 'buck the system'. Really, from the bottom of my heart, thank you.
~Pam
pamspaintparlor.typepad.com
Idea…just slap some beadboard under the cabinets and cut holes out for the lights.
I love it. But don't expect to see any naked pictures of me on my blog. (I think I did paint the inside of my cabinets, but there's plenty other shortcuts I have taken.)
Funny you should bring that up – I'm in the beginning stages of planning an update of my kitchen cabs and think I NEED to paint the inside. First, they're probably pushing 40 years old & made of a fiberboard of some kind. Second, they're currently black and will remain some darker color (I think), but the insides? White. And poorly done white at that. I think I'm going to have to paint them or it'll drive me crazy. I will not have to paint the undersides though! Yours look great!
You continue to be an inspiration for us all! And you really surprised me with your admission. Whoda thunk!
I love that you are so honest! Who cares!? Your kitchen look amazing! Thanks for all the inspiring projects you post on your blog!
Mine are painted the same way. 🙂
You could always do some kind of stencil in the middle. Sand it down a bit to make it look like that was the look you were after. Or just leave well enough alone 🙂
Kathy
it is your kitchen to do it as you like but imo
it looks sloppy. If they were just not painted that is one thing but the drips going over onto the wood makes the job look slap dash. this is the reason we peek in cupboards and closets when we are looking for houses. poor work we can see makes us worry about what we can't see!
OK, I'm back. I was thinking about the stencil. Numbering things is big now that would look pretty neat and still do the light sanding over them. I wouldn't bother with the ones way up high though.
Kathy
OMG -If I would have made a bet I would have lost !!!
I thought you, being such a perfectionist- would ( contrary to me as I am lazy )definitely paint the insides !!!!!!YOU HAVE MADE ME FEEL SO MUCH BETTER !!!
I love you!! Thank you for freeing me from my crazy guilt. Farewell minor issues . . . Miss Mustard Seed has proven it's no big deal!
I missed the unpainted interior until you pointed it out so I think you'll be safe with your important dinner guest. haha
You really write well Marian. If you get tired of doing what you do, I look for a best seller out of you. Maybe a new Heloise, or hey just a good juicy fiction novel. Have fun in Fla. Aunt S.
Your honesty is very refreshing…and funny! I gotcha on this one. I think you made a good choice :o)
Stacey of Embracing Change
Not a thing wrong with it, I say.They are your cabinets and whatever you like is what you should have. :))
O and meant to say I LOVE that you left the top of the cabinets free of decos. It looks so clean and neat and sharp.
I have several sets of the Blue Windmill canister sets…:))
It's good to know you are not "perfect"! I commented on this when you said you were going to paint your cabinets. We did paint the backs of our doors, but we started painting the insides of the cabinets, I am so glad I started with the ones we cut the door fronts out of and added glass. By the time I was done with those 2 cabinets, I was over painting the inside. Needless to say…the others did not get done and no one has ever said a thing to me about it. No worries! Have fun painting the undersides. That is NO FUN either. It is one major back ache/neck ache. That was one project I was glad to be done with and I suspect you will be too! Blessings!
God Bless you Marian. Thanks for keepin it real sista! I know you may not be Catholic, like me, but let me absolve you of your "sin"!
So many of us out here with jobs and kids and hubs and fams and are simpatico with the can't-wait-to-see-how-it-looks-so-just-plow-thru-it syndrome. We get it that painting that other stuff that no one really sees,well, CAN. WAIT.
See cuz this same population was DYING to see how yours turned out and we thank you for it putting that toe in the water. Love it.
Be well,
Lynn in Downers Grove
YAY, Good for you!!!! I didn't paint the inside of my cabinets either. Who cares? They look fab from the outside and that's what counts! You Rock!!! Oh by the way, I painted the underside of my cabinets because I could see them from my living room also. That did bother me. 🙂
Hey, if your guest is that disgusted by looking at bare wood I'd say buh-bye. It totally makes sense that you wouldn't want to paint 51 doors on both sides. Thanks for being so honest. It makes me feel better that I'm not the only one who makes decisions based on what I want and not on what I think others would want.
I say HOORAY for you!
I was WONDERING how in the WORLD you got that whole kitchen done as fast as you did. I've been beating myself up b/c with three kids it has taken me MONTHS to get stuff done…and I'm just MAKING myself do the ceiling…at least you did the obvious!! Thanks for being REAL. I think I can breathe a little better now. 🙂
ummm…confession is good for your soul? looking at your cabinets, what I'm gonna do with mine are tape the sides (on the inside) so I don't get any paint from the outside. I wouldn't paint mine on the inside either….if they get too grotty, I'll just line them I guess. Your kitchen inspires me!
Ok, I read through all the comments and I am totally the ONLY odd man out here…I saw it right away and cringed! LOL There is no way, me personally, could live with that, it would really bother me. You know I am always honest and one of your biggest fans, so I hope you won't take it personally {doubt you would!} But the great thing is, I see here that you have a TON of friends who you can invite over and it not bother them at all 🙂 The kitchen looks fantastic, so fresh and airy feeling.
hahaha! love this… you are so not alone!!! ; )
OMG! Does that mean I can finally come out of the closet??? I mean cupboard!!!! YEAH! You Rock!
I absolutely love your awesome sense of humor too!
xx
Sandra
Hooray!!!! Cause I don't wanna paint in the insides of my BLACK cabinets when I repaint them CREAM. heehee
You made my day! No, make that my year!!!
ha! when i painted the kitchen cabinets in my last home, i started off with good intentions. i did the top cabinents first and painted the backs of the doors. by the time i got to the bottom half of the cabinets (i painted them a different color), i was OVER it. the backs of those doors aren't painted. someone bought the house anyway…even in THIS economy…couldn't have been too bad! lol
I didn't paint the inside of mine either, I had my painter (brother-in-law) refinish them and I think it looks amazing. If I were you I'd just clean up the egde where it bleed over and keep it real wood. I think it says.."hey, my cabinet doors aren't particle board…they're the real deal"
I've got the wires showing with the under cabinet lighting also. It doesn't seem to bother anyone but me… then again that might be because I'm 4'9 and can actually SEE them hanging there mocking me! lol After our kitchen remodel there are still alot of touch ups and trim work to do but I try to not let it bother me too bad. I just keep hinting to hubby about it!
Haha. I love your white cabinets. I painted mine black last year and did the SAME thing except I used a paint sprayer and there was a mix of overspray primer and black on the back. I had primer out a few weeks ago (finally peeled off the last of the numbered tape) and painted the insides GREEN! I love the secret color splash.
I don't have nearly as many doors as you though!
Great post, thank you very much, please write more and more like this.linmei/comment201205
I friggin LOOOOOBBBBEERRRSSS you lol You rock Miss M! (i did paint the insides of mine though lol but i did debate it )
It doesn’t matter, girl! Your kitchen is beautiful! =)
You are still my idol!!!! I love everything you do…..unpainted cabinet door or not :o)
Hooray! I’m not the only one! Now I totally feel no rush to finish.
One of my WORST childhood memories is of laying on the kitchen floor with my head on the bottom shelf of a base cabinet, painting the UNDERSIDE of the top shelf! My mother was insane when it came to painting. The non-joke in our neighborhood was “if you stand still long enough Mrs. Rambo might PAINT YOU!”
Love it! I did the same thing with my built-ins in my living room and there are only 4 doors. Well, I did paint the inside of the folding doors but that’s only because it’s visible — otherwise I’m all about the short cut!! Thanks for sharing that your secret — so refreshing! 🙂
YOU ARE HUMAN after all! Sometimes reading the blogs I read, I feel so inadequate.Glad to see the real story. Love your blog and I have stolen so many of your ideas.
I wish I had your kitchen. Mine is half the size of yours. I took the plunge this summer and painted my cabinets and I painted the inside of the doors. It was a big job with 21 doors! I have 3 bathrooms that need to be done. Now maybe I can finish that job in half the time!
Everything is perfect just like that. For those who are not happy with it just have to close their eyes. 😉
I’ll have to take a picture of my Mom’s cabinets for you. She has a whole bevy of cabinets (no, not jealous … a little) and she did her whole kitchen in white. It turned out gorgeous! So we go over for dinner, almost same scenario, and open the cabinet doors and every one of them , inside and door, is painted a bright (really bright) different color. The grandkids thought she was the coolest Grandma ever!
This is one of those situations where I tell myself” rule your brain or it will rule you.” Normally when I do cabinets like this my brain feels overwhelmed but I just tell my self it will look better if I paint the inside and I just take it little by little working on them in my bits of time and when I am done I feel so happy its done the right way and I do not feel overwhelmed with all the painting.
I didn’t paint mine either! And ok with it! Seemed like a big expense, of money and time, that could be better spent elsewhere.
Just when I think I could not love you more – you go and do this!
chuckle!
Ah ha ha ha! We all have our little secrets! Now I am feeling better about myself!!!
I have brand new cabinets from Lowes…but they are custom…guess what the underneath and one side that isn’t added onto is not painted. WOW! Don’t feel bad. Yours look lovely. I know what you mean about being impatient and not wanting to do them. You could use chalk paint for the inside and at least have them white and it goes on so quickly. Probably even the milk paint. At any rate…they look fine.
You, my dear, are a breath of fresh air. I purchased you book the other day and have spent my weekend, slowly savoring each word. My husband even asked me if I went back to my Yoga class (Which I haven’t been to in months), because I have been so at peace…. You put into words, what all us woman have jumbled in our head. Thank you.for keeping it real, and for saving us mucho $ on therapists!!!!
I plan on painting my kitchen cabinets soon, but I won’t be painting the inside or the underside either. Feel much better about that decision now, lol!
While we are confessing I painted my giant wardrobe almost a year ago and I still have not painted the inside.
Haha! I actually prefer them unpainted because you don’t have to worry about dishes going in and out, scratching up the painted shelving. That would irritate me far more than unpainted wood. My cab interiors are unpainted, except for the one with the door removed. Heck, I’m still trying to decide on an exterior color, let alone the inside! So far they’ve been white and the lower cabs have been teal, completely stripped and sanded and repainted teal…then I tried your Grain Sack…and now your Dried Lavender is on the way! I do love the Grain Sack, but I just have the tickle to try the lavender before committing. Isn’t insanity doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results? 😉 I will find the PERFECT color for my little kitchen that could. Anyhow, keep on keepin’ on…ya rebel. 🙂
I just noticed you repainted your chalk board wall! Looks great.
haha, this made me laugh. I must’ve missed this post …
But I REALLY love that you are okay with imperfection. Really.
Hahaha, love this! Once I see that something is going to look right, I tend to stop there also. Creative types, right? 🙂
Love the cabinet post….l deviated a little farther…I tore my cabinets down..found some very very cheap on sale at Lowes decorative shelve brackets and replaced my upper cabinets with white shelving….yep the untility white garage shelves…already water proof..easy to clean and the porject including paint was just 200.00 bucks..You rock and are always an inspiration…Sheryl
You have no idea how much I love this confession!
Very funny! I can top that, painted over hinges, but painted inside, far from perfection let me say! I am here 20 years and have been freshening up that paint almost every year…that’s a drag but I get upset in my sunny kitchen if I see it turning at all. My husband is always dripping something that stains too. Think about doing a color to avoid this nonsense, but like the white. Oh well… 🙂
When we bought and remodeled our first house, I was ignorant enough to NOT stain or varnish the outside edges of the window casings (and they were walnut) because I didn’t think anyone would care. After all, they’d be covered by the curtains, wouldn’t they? And I didn’t finish off the bottoms of the kitchen cabinets, either. I wonder what the buyers thought when we sold the place.
I’m DYING over here in AZ! I have done the exact same thing. I even have those hockey puck lights rigged like you do!! ha-ha, I LOVE it! Thanks for the laugh!
It’s definitely more common than you think! A LOT of people I know have done the exact same thing! Love that you shared this… your home is one of my favourites!