I couldn't have asked for a happier and lively client! She loves color! She loves patterns! She loves the whimsical/boho vibe! And she trusted me to create these whimsical floral kitchen cabinets!!
Have you ever traveled with your kitchen cabinet doors? I know..... that is a really strange question! However..... this client has!
She drove from Ft. Worth Texas to deliver her entire set of kitchen cabinet doors to me..... so I could paint them for her! I've done plenty of kitchens in my day.... but I've never had someone bring their kitchen to me!
She chose the base coat color of The Gulf by Dixie Belle Paint. She has already painted her refrigerator in a beautiful aqua blue...and she really felt that The Gulf was a great compliment color. She is currently painting the "bodies" of her kitchen cabinets on her own.... while I work on the art-filled doors.
I will likely blog about these doors in sections..... as if each section of art is a single canvas. And each section of art will have a different theme..... just keeping the color palette the same across the project.
I began by prepping the doors. This is so important for any furniture project.... but especially kitchen cabinets.... because you know..... grease! I washed them down with White Lightning and rinsed really well with straight water.
Once dry, I primed each door with Boss in Gray. I chose to prime them... not for fear of bleed-through as these doors were naturally light.... but for an added promise of adhesion.... since these cabinets will likely be wiped down often as well as exposed to heat and steam.
I painted a single base coat of The Gulf.
My original design plan included layering boho designs.... so I used Dixie Belle's Silk Screen stencils to create several mandala's and even a dreamcatcher.
I love working with these silkscreen stencils... just like the roses on this blue cabinet..... the designs are crisp and so finely detailed!
I also added two Wood U Bend pieces in the door corners to serve as an unexpected decorative element. These actually are scrap pieces that I had on hand..... and they look amazing! I love Wood U Bend as it's so versatile for all your crafting/DIY/building projects! I just heated the pieces with my heat gun... applied Tite Bond wood glue.... glued in place.... added a bit more heat... and pressed firmly into place.... and voila!
However.....my design plan changed and I painted right over the silkscreens! LOL! It happens way more often than I like to admit. The Wood U Bend stayed!
I applied these silkscreen stencils on live video and you can watch that in my 3-part series on YouTube HERE to see what the doors looked like BEFORE I painted over them.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdbUPLp4izRmQJqrTSkp_3vHU_aImMfwa
I decided instead to go with a giant whimsical floral design in a black and white striped vase. My client loves the black and white patterns like stripes and checks.... so I really wanted to include them here. I used chalk to draw out a general size of the bouquet. I then came in with my surrounding colors and shaded and shadowed the surrounding area that would serve as the backdrop. I used Peacock and Limeade.... and freely applied them with a brush, my fingers, and lots of water.
Once dry.... I painted my vase..... super easy... freehand..... and sloppy-un-even stripes!
The details of these floral kitchen cabinets I can't really walk you through. I can tell you that I chose my colors first... and pre-poured my paints into a tray. I wanted them readily available as I painted freely. I used multiple sized brushes...... every brush I could get my hands on!
I began by placing my large flowers first. I worked to keep a balance of where I laid stronger colors, brighter colors, and softer colors. I just continued to add florals in crazy fun shapes without really thinking about it. I made flowers that don't even exist in the world.... well as far as I know.
I just created shapes without much thought. This was an exercise in itself. I wanted to overthink it so badly. But I would just say NO..... just paint.... don't think!
I continued this process over two days... off and on... in and out of my shop.... taking breaks.... studying the flow..... adding details and layers and crazy twigs.... checkerboard fillers..... polka dots and swirls.
Until I said.... it's done. I stepped back and knew these whimsical floral kitchen cabinets were done!
I let the paints set up for several days.... as I had applied them quite thickly.... and then sealed the doors completely in Dixie Belle Gator Hide for durability and protection to the wear and tear of a kitchen.
The very last thing I did was add the metallic gold to the corners of the door and over the Wood U Bend molds. My client appreciates glam as well! The new Dixie Belle oil-based gilding waxes are amazingly creamy and have gorgeous coverage and shine.
I know this is a crazy project... .but I really am enjoying it! I'll be bringing you the next set of kitchen cabinet doors in another week or two! Follow me on Facebook and Instagram to get the first glimpse.
While I do absolutely love this whimsical design, I know it's not for everyone. Click here to see detailed steps of how I painted my own kitchen cabinets in a neutral shade in only one weekend.
Shop: Floral Kitchen Cabinets
The products listed here are what I used for these floral kitchen cabinets! Dixie Belle Paint company offers amazing products that will make all of your projects successful no matter what your skill level! Just click on any of the products shown below! You can also find my favorite products and tools in my Amazon influencer list here.
Here's how it works...these products are attached to my name. When you purchase by clicking from my blog.....then Dixie Belle offers a kickback to me for referring you! It doesn't cost you any more to use my links....and the support helps me to bring you new projects! So I thank you in advance!!!
See you next week!
XOXO,
Tracey
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