Tales from the Trenches: The thirsty walls.

This weekend, I began the kitchen repaint. We're not calling it remodeling, as we aren't replacing anything major. I'll be painting the ceiling, walls and cabinets.

I should have probably started on the ceiling first, but I was dying to see color on the walls, so I started with priming them.

In the photos they look pink.

I am not painting the kitchen pink.

What I was painting the kitchen was called La Fonda Deep Clay Red. On Friday, I started having a heart attack. That dark of a terra cotta with Chocolate Cherry cabinets will be too much dark in my 12 x 16 kitchen. I decided to go back and buy La Fonda Terra Cotta. It is a couple shades darker than our living room, but a couple of shades lighter than the Clay Red. I still used the primer that I bought for the darker color because I figured it didn't matter.

Thank God I primed the walls, though. Geeze! The walls have never been properly painted, thus they are drinking the paint in like a sponge. I had to go back to Lowe's today to get another can. The paint guy recognized me from Saturday. We're becoming like old friends! ;S

So, I sit here now very tired. I washed the walls on Friday and started to prime the walls. Hubs had some drywall finishing to do (spackling), he sanded the walls and I re-washed the walls before getting back to priming them.

I know. I should have waited, but I just couldn't wait anymore. That's why I started painting on Friday evening at about 6:30 PM. Hubs thought I was nuts.

Below I have before and during photos for you. Just for your enjoyment, I thought I would include the wall wash recipe that I've been using, too.

Wall Wash
1 cup baking soda
1 cup vinegar
1/2 cup ammonia (I used sudsy lemon)
1 gallon water

Start at the bottom and work to the top with a damp-- not wet-- sponge.

That would be the backside of Hubs. He was sanding the remaining part of the wall before taking off to go fishing with K- today.

I'm scrubbing the walls all with the power of my 1 Diet Coke a day.

I'm sure that the back door is filthy. I wash it a few times a week. My mom tells me to be glad that I have the hand prints. Believe me, I am.

My garden window had become the kitchen tool keeping station. Well, that and the kitchen table in the middle of the floor.

My in-process priming. My disgustingly ugly kitchen floor. It has always been rather gross looking and when we bought the house, Hubs made me promise not to strip it. (Our bathroom took me 4 hours to strip the years of Mop N' Glo off the floor.) Turns out, Hubs will be installing a new floor in our kitchen, living room and down our hall in September. Happy Vacation, Hubs! (Berkshire Cherry 30 year Pergo.)

Fully primed walls. Now I'm going to roll backwards and paint the ceiling. I swear, I couldn't take a day longer of no color!

Smiles in my weekend:
- Many!

Have a great day!