A Peek Of Pink Cabinets, Lighting Decisions, and Easy Desk Addition
Last night, I was both frustrated with how long this cabinet project is taking, and I was also giddy from finally being able to see some color on the cabinets. I got the cabinets caulked, and only make it about halfway through the first coat, but I still wanted to give y’all a little peek of the pink.
You still have to use your imagination to picture the finished cabinets, but this sneak peek of the pink will help.
I’m so excited to get those finished!! The first coat always takes the longest, but after the second coat, I’ll still need to do two coats of the clear coat finish. I’m really hoping they’ll be done by Friday!! I’d love to head into the weekend with this huge project behind me so that I can focus on other projects on my to-do list.
Since the weather was nice yesterday, I also took a few minutes to tape off and paint the sconces that will go in this area. I used Rust-Oleum spray paint in a gloss finish. Unfortunately, even after shaking the can for 60 seconds, the first few sprays came out powdery and rough. I have no idea why this happened, but it was almost like one of those textured spray paints.
I don’t now if it shows up enough in the picture so that you can see it, but the texture was rough, and it was the very opposite of a glossy finish.
So I had to wait for it to dry thoroughly, sand it smooth with 220-grit sandpaper, and try again. After that first 30 seconds of spray that came out rough and powdery, the rest of it worked just fine.
All of the pieces now have a beautiful glossy white finish on them, and as soon as they dry (I’ll give them a couple of days before handling them), I’ll be able to gold leaf the parts that need to be gold, and then install them as soon as the countertop and window casing are done.
One thing I’m still undecided on with these lights is where to start and stop the gold leaf. That decision was pretty easy with the pendant lights.
But with these sconces, it’s not quite as clear. These sconces don’t have the raised part around the bottom of the shade for a perfect stopping point for the gold leaf. And what do I do with that horizontal support piece? Does that stay white? Or do I gold leaf that part? These are some of those small decisions that I tend to obsess over. 😀
Moving on, I’m all ready to work on my desk makeover as soon as the cabinets are finished. I bought two of these ready-made, easy-to-install drawers. I honestly had no idea these even existed until someone mentioned them in a comment on a past post, and I headed to Amazon to check it out. There are so many different variations of these ready-to-install drawers! I can’t believe I never knew these existed!
I mean, it doesn’t get any easier than this. You just screw the drawer to the bottom of the desktop, and you have a drawer!
I bought two of them for my desk, and I think they’ll be perfect. The ones I got aren’t very big, but I just needed a place for pens, pencils, a stapler, some Post-It notes, etc. So they don’t really need to be big. These will be perfect.
And finally, I now have a very clear plan for the pendant light I want to make to go above the desk. This was actually my mom’s idea, and I love it! Basically, I’m going to take the idea of my favorite piece of artwork I’ve ever made…
And I’m going to adapt that idea into a pendant light using these 20 lampshade rings.
That’s just my kind of project! Tedious, repetitive, and made of probably 1500 small pieces. 😀 I don’t know why, but I love projects like that, and I’m so anxious to get started on it! But first, I have just a couple more days I need to spend on these cabinets to get them finished up.
Addicted 2 Decorating is where I share my DIY and decorating journey as I remodel and decorate the 1948 fixer upper that my husband, Matt, and I bought in 2013. Matt has M.S. and is unable to do physical work, so I do the majority of the work on the house by myself. You can learn more about me here.
I can’t wait to see the finished pendant light.
I’m a big no on the wall around the window being pink. It’s not part of the cabinet and seems too…….solid? I dunno. Something with more “movement”, maybe.
I like the pink. Once the countertop and window facings are installed, there will be so little of that wall showing that any movement in that area will be wasted, especially once the window shade, sconces, and large pendant light are added.
Hey Kristi, I’m curious about putting a clear coat over the paint. My dad and I are planning my kitchen refresh, which will involve painting my 1980’s cabinets. I’ve seen a lot of conflicting information on whether to put on a clear coat or not…like whether it’s necessary or not. I’ve seen you mention before that you use the General Finishes, so it seems like you’re in the pro-clear coat boat, lol. Is your practice to always use a clear coat or do you have certain situations where you don’t? Thanks so much!
I gotta say, I was thinking you should simplify things and just match the desk lamp to the other hanging lamps. Then you go and blow my mind with the idea of making a lampshade similar to your gorgeous spoon art project. Ah-may-zing!! Love, love, love that idea! The way it will pick up the colors from the paint swatch cabinet and bounce that moment around the room is genius! Thank your Mom for me, because that inspiration is epic!
I would use the gold leaf tape in the rim of the sconces and therefor you would have a very similar look to the pendants. I’d would do more gold leafing, but that is just me and my love of gold leaf. Can’t wait to see the light fixture, I have always loved that art piece you made, it was how I found you in the first place. It was posted on Pinterest I think, and I followed the link, and viola, a wonderful bright spot in my day was found. Keep up the amazing work, you’re in the home stretch now. Cheers.
I love the cabinet and the lamp shade is going to be awesome.
LOVE the pink cabinets!!! Is the little rim around the pendant lights too small to use the gold leaf tape? Will the stems of the pendants be gold, as in the other ones over the front wall? Do the lights have to be a perfect match? How would it look to have the stabilizer bar be white, and the other stems gold like the front wall pendants? Looking forward to seeing the completed cabinet area!
Kristi,
I don’t fully understand what you are planning with the pendant light that will hang above your desk. But, you can bet I can’t wait to see it all done…and I know you will explain every step to us when you have it done and hung and I will love it.
Cabinets are looking so classy.
I would sure love living next door to you…and you work your genius on my house.
Do you have a link to the drawers you ordered?
Here’s the affiliate link to the one I got: https://amzn.to/43zNzR2
Hi Kristi, while I cannot yet imagine what that wall will look like all pink, I love the idea of painting the wall around the window the same colour. That is such a fabulous way to make the whole wall look cohesive. It is these details that I admire in your work. I’m glad you are forging ahead and provide yourself with all that wonderful and beautiful storage. It will be a treat to work in that studio!!
WOW…this is an exciting post! I LOVE the cabinets…it is exciting to get a peek! The other ideas are all so interesting, especially the lamp shade…OMG…mom is genius too! Love those drawers…something simple to do, and something very useful. After you really see them, and approve, will you put a link on for all of us? Could you just use a golden tape around the very edge of the bottom where that little flange edge is of the light? You must be getting very excited, as things seem to be falling into place beautifully! Happy Spring to you and Matt, family, and all the fur-babies. 🌷🌷🌷
I haven’t attached the drawers yet, but I can tell I’m going to love them. There are so many available, but the one I got is full extension. This is the affiliate link for the one I got: https://amzn.to/43zNzR2
what kind of countertop are you going to put on the cabinet part?
It’s be exactly like the countertop on the mural wall.
As much as I adore the pretty blue ceiling, do you think it still works with all the bold pink?? There’s a lot going on in this room with the patterned floor, rich pinks, bold florals and shiny light fixtures. We can’t take it all in through a one dimensional photo, so wondering what your eye sees??
The ceiling is going from blue to white. The walls are going from blue to classic gray.
Thank you for the pink shot……..I just needed to see pink. Before you do the desk and the lights, why don’t you paint the ceiling so that will be done, then you can get back to the pretty stuff.
So far, it all looks gorgeous! Can’t wait to see more.
you will keep remolding your home until you can’t until then you will find another project to do
Your under desk drawers reminded me of IKEA’s trolleys – specifically the RASHULT ones which are short enough to go under a desktop. Painted pink and gold, I’m sure they’d be useful to you! They have bigger brothers, the RASKOGs, but they’re too tall to slip under a desk – though they will go under a worktop.
https://www.ikea.com/gb/en/p/rashult-trolley-white-20463056/#content
https://www.ikea.com/gb/en/p/raskog-trolley-white-20382932/#content
I was one that voted against the cubby on top, and now I don’t know what I was thinking! It is beautiful and I LOVE the pink. My vote for the sconces is to have the gold on everything but the shade, but don’t listen to me. You always hit the ball out of the park! I can’t wait to see the lampshade!