This project started on May 15th.

With nothing before me but TIME, and the recent success of stripping and staining the vanity, I thought it would be worth the effort to strip and refinish the kitchen cupboards.  We knew it would take a lot of elbow grease and time, but it would still be a LOT more affordable than a kitchen redo.  (We could never afford a redo!!!)

Unfortunately, despite the right materials and the right process I could NOT get the stain lifted from the doors.   I pondered my options and then decided that the best step at this point would be to use the same process I used in the laundry room two years ago.  While it wasn’t plan A, it was a solid plan B.

Weeks and weeks and layers and layers.

First – the kitchen has too many doors and drawers for me to lay them all out in the basement at once.  I divided it into three unequal parts.  I went by sections that made sense.

It was sloppy living for a while.

And the basement was a little uncomfortable.  Thankfully we had some large boxes that our treadmill had come in that we could use to stain in.

The second section was the largest.

Every surface had to have three coats of gel stain each applied three days apart.  Then it needed three layers of sealant, each three days apart.

And let’s remember that each door has two sides.

I tried to stay right on top of it, but life did have me miss a day or two.

Still – it was a real pleasure to put the whole thing back together.
In the process we also decided to leave the doors off the large cupboard and I put peel and stick wall paper inside.
I am very happy with the end result.