beautiful room and kitchen
Should I paint the inside of my Cabinets?

If you are considering painting your cabinets, then you have questions. Painting your cabinets can be overwhelming and confusing. We are here to help you with your questions about cabinet painting. Today, it is a question from Darin from last week as we are working on this project in Barrington, IL: “Should I paint the inside of my cabinets?

Hello!!! My name is David, and I own Dfranco Painting and Wallpaper in Huntley, IL. Let’s dive into this question and see if we can help you with your decision on cabinet painting.

Painting Cabinets

As we are doing estimates for cabinet painting, there are several common questions that almost every homeowner asks.

Today, we focus on the last one. For the other questions, we posted links for either articles we have written or videos we have made.

Typically, we say no. But today, we are gonna show why we said yes

Not painting the inside of cabinets

95% of all kitchen cabinets we see are about 10-20 years old, are oak, and are pretty basic in construction and installation. The interiors of these cabinets are typically the same color or a lighter color than the stained wood of the cabinet doors or drawers. These same interior cabinets are typically in very good condition. This is a preference or budget item. (blog article – to paint cabinets).

The inside of the cabinets is usually sheltered, and there is not a lot of wear and tear. Most of the time, the shelves have some type of shelf liner that protects them from wear and tear. We are from the if it’s not broken- don’t try and fix it!

Top reasons to paint the insides of cabinets

OK- let’s do the down and dirty- show why you should paint them.

  • if you have glass doors- then YES, paint the inside of the doors or drawers. This would be a preference more than practice.
  • Older plywood cabinets- previously painted- Then do it! The cabinets in our house were all made with MDF plywood. Dark black stain- and NASTY!! PLUS, someone took a brush and roller to paint the cabinets.
  • The cabinets have damage. There are people who have never used or even heard of shelf liners. When the interior of the cabinets is stained or has a veneer application- those surfaces wear off and are easily damaged by water or wear and tear.
  • If your cabinets are already painted (YouTube short)- and you are changing colors- it is not a great look to have old yellowed dark cabinets on the inside where your glasses or dishes sit yet have bright and clean paint/color on the outside doors/drawers, etc.

So.. are you ready?

This is a quick highlight of why you can, should, or should not paint the insides of cabinets. Sometimes, the answer is very clear and straightforward. Sometimes, it comes down to preference. Either way- we hope we helped. If you have a question- please let us know; we are here to assist with arguably the most popular room in your house!

Persian Libby Fresco

This is our latest Fresco which was inspired by the paintings at the Sistine Chapel. This painted plaster painting will still need a frame and a home, but still a great feeling to complete.

Our next painting is something that I have dreamed about several times, so I cannot ignore it. I hope to take a cue from the great Norman Rockwell.

Learning from Wiliam Cochran

I had the opportunity to meet a Master of Trompe l’oeil, William Cochran. Thanks to the Chicago Institute of Fine Finishes, a small group came to meet, listen, and learn some new painting techniques, correct some bad habits, learn new ones, see color and light differently, and appreciate the right paint brushes for the right job. William has some amazing artwork, can teach, and loves his work. From his community bridge project to small murals, now painting with glass, William is a true inspiration for following a dream and bringing a vision to life. I hope we meet again.

Now, we just need to find some new mural jobs to use these new skills. Does anyone have any ideas?

What is Feng Shui?

FENG SHUI: Simply Defined

Last week I made a call to Joan Scheib of Joan Scheib Interiors. We get calls about different types of interior design styles and what Feng Shui is. I have no clue so I called Joan. She is passionate about taking the ordinary and Creating Extraordinary Living Through Inspired Design!

Feng Shui is simply a way to evaluate and improve how you live, work and play. It has helped people balance the relationship between their living spaces and the natural world for over six thousand years. It is an ancient art of placement for both your interior and exterior environments and is based on the flow of energy or “chi” through the universe and personal surroundings.  Chi, defined as “life’s breathe, circulates throughout your daily environments and helps you achieve a quality of life to which you aspire and helps you realize your dreams both at work and at home.

The Chinese characters that represent the words “Feng Shui” literally translate to “wind” and “water” to create the gentle flowing energy in your environment.  The rooms and spaces you inhabit influence your well-being and the opportunities in life every day.

Feng Shui defines techniques to strengthen the positive energy in your surroundings and to create peace and happiness, offer you health and motivation to realize your aspirations. Feng Shui is not only the proper placement of items, furnishings, the clearing of clutter, and the selection of color and symbols, but it is also a way of life.

There are many tips to create immediate and positive changes in your life.  By bringing vibrant energy into your environment through the symbols of beauty, love, success, and bounty, your home or office become an example of the life you want to live and result in your aspirations being fulfilled.

If you have any questions this is what you can have: a 2-hour consultation to provide feedback to give better insight into the ways to enhance your space and life through the use of the Feng Shui method.

Please visit her website or call to make an appointment today, 630-981-7442, Joan Scheib, www.joanscheibinteriors.com

 

We can help you out with any new colors or symbols to improve your life as well! From wallpaper installing to digital murals and wall art, call us today for a free estimate!

Holiday Rush Hour

This is the time of year that most people are frustrated with just about everything. We get a call because the family is coming to stay for the holiday and they need “it” painted before they get here.

As much as we would love to fit everyone in the schedule and give everyone what they want for Christmas, odd is it may not happen. So save up those lists, put the decorations away then give us a call when we are typically slower (Jan-Mar) and we can really help each other out.

We look forward to your call and find out how we may be able to help you.

How to Really Clean Your Kitchen

When we get into some homes, there are often locations in and around the kitchen that have stains, foods, or grease that is impossible to paint over. Help is in a little jug called TSP.

1 to 4 mix ratio, this stuff really cleans what in on a wall, appliance, or cabinet.

Follow the directions and you will be all set!

A Good Start Means a Good Finish

When we go into a customers house, we want the customer to be at ease and know they will be taken care of.  When we give the initial estimate, we want to make sure we explain why we cost more than our competition and why we are better.

Our Process

When we walk into a home to prepare for interior home painting, we find a entrance exit strategy. What is getting painted? We start at the farthest point and move to the exit point. Drop clothes are laid on the ground as we walk through to set up. Hardwood floors are covered for the areas of highest and most traffic. As we move through the house large pieces of furniture get moved to the center of the room. Each switch plate and outlet cover is removed and placed in a secure location. Each piece of trim is wiped down and taped off. Any type of light, thermostat, smoke detector, vent covers, towel bars,  or items mounted to the walls are either removed or loosed so we can paint.  The walls are sanded to remove burrs dirt or paint drips from a previous paint job. Nail pops are repaired and cracks are fixed.

When we are done painting, we remove the tape, replace outlet covers, look for any drips that may have happened, wipe the flooring down, sweep the floors and vacuum any debris.

The results speak for themselves.  There may be cheaper ways but that is not what we at D’franco Painting & Wallpaper do.

Who Are You Hiring to Paint?

I was asked this question this week during an estimate walkthrough. Who are you, why should I hire you, why should I trust you, how do I know you will do what you say, are you gonna do what the last guy did?

We are D’franco Painting and Decorating. We have come from a part-time hobby to 2 friends working together for Dfranco Inc. We have Taken over A Painted wall. We have bought The Finishing Touches inc. We are still looking to expand. In an economy of payoffs, our customers are on a waiting list. We have grown every single year in business. We never stop to learn.

Are you getting estimates from painters that are insured?

Is the person you are considering an out of work painter from another company working for cash? If so who will pay for the paint on the carpet- replace the new sink he just cleaned is tools out it an ruined the finish off?

What kind of references did you get? Homeowner? Businesses? Other contractors? Decorators? Realtors? We give them all to you, it’s not Aunt Jenny giving you the thumbs up to us.

How much does the contract tell you? It should spell out everything, does it?

You may pay a bit more but you can’t expect a Lexus at a Chevy Dealer.

Why Should I Buy a Faux Finish

As you stand in line at Sherwin Williams, Home Depot, Lowes, Menards, or Benjamin Moore looking at the wall treatments that are available, how do you decide what you want?

Are you going to settle for what is in the wallpaper books? Are you going to use the same thing that came with your bedding told you to use? WHY?

If you are going through the trouble of new bedding, new paint or decorating new drapes why would you want to use the same wallpaper as someone else? You can have something that fits your budget, your style, your colors, your own design, and your personality.

Faux finishes are designed for you to give you something that is all yours. No one else will have it. This is all about you.

How can we help you?

Don’t Buy New Cabinets!

Oak cabinets are beautiful. Oak cabinets are also very common. It is the number 1 complaint we hear from customers on what they want to change in their home.

The easy fix is to paint your oak cabinets. Then they can be glazed or aged to give them an entirely new look. Add a faux finish to a room and you have transformed your room from blah to ahh!

Figure that a professional job to refinish cabinets will be about 1/3 the cost of new cabinets. Without the hassle of losing your kitchen for a month so cabinets can be ordered, then installed, then a week or 2 for a new countertop. From Bathrooms to Kitchen cabinets, we can help you spruce it up.

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