Remember how the kitchen looked the first time we walked through the house?
Now it looks like this.
Angles can change everything.
It’s surprising how much brighter the room feels now—like someone added a handful of light fixtures. The contrast is huge.
We jumped in and primed and painted the baseboards, crown molding, and window trim. There were 52 panes to tackle. We also painted the paneling and the pantry and garage doors while we were at it. We don’t dislike dark paneling—it’s just not the look we wanted for this house. We were inspired by classic painted spaces and decided to go for a lighter finish.
It wasn’t a quick or easy job, but it was absolutely worth it. The room feels lighter and less heavy; the white trim now directs your eye out the windows to the view, instead of stopping it at the dark wood.
One of my favorite new perspectives is from the front door. This is a photo we took during inspection—ignore the clutter from the crew moving old furniture.
And here’s a shot from yesterday afternoon. We’ll add some soft color to the walls to break up the white, and the lower cabinets will be a darker tone for contrast. We’re also considering large dark heated tiles for the floor to ground the space. The plan: white paneling, softly colored walls, dark floors, and a rustic wood table.
We applied two coats of stain-blocking primer followed by two coats of paint by hand. We decided to reserve the sprayer for removable pieces we can take outside—like cabinet doors later—because we’ve had significant overspray using our sprayer indoors before. For this room, taping and masking off four doorways and multiple adjacent rooms felt like it would take more time than the benefits were worth, so we rolled up our sleeves and painted in place.
We worked on it over five days. Luckily we found a no-VOC, stain-blocking primer that actually works, so both of us could help without worrying about fumes. We used Kilz Premium—make sure to choose the stain-blocking no-VOC version. For the finish, we stuck with Simply White in semi-gloss for the trim and doors; it’s the same trim color we’ve used in other rooms and it brightens everything up.
Two coats of primer and two coats of paint took us about 12 hours total. The first coat took the longest—roughly four hours—because it’s the one that gets into every nook and crevice. The second coat was quicker, then the subsequent two coats sped along as things smoothed out.
We used a 2″ angled brush for trim and window frames and paired a brush with a roller on the paneling. The brush got into grooves and seams, while the roller smoothed the flat faces. If your trim is shiny or lacquered, sand it or use a liquid deglosser before priming; our wood was chalky and dry so we went straight to primer and paint and got good adhesion.
It really feels like a whole new world in there now.
This corner in particular is a huge improvement.
The door straight ahead goes to the garage; the left door is the pantry. Someday we’d love a paneled door to the garage, but because that opening needs to meet safety and width requirements we may have to special-order one or find a perfect match. For now, the white paint is a big improvement.
We didn’t need to repaint the pantry door—we already had a spare that was sprayed white and never rehung. As for the garage door, removing it to spray outside would have left the house exposed for a few days, so we painted it in place. We still plan to replace the brass hinges for a cleaner look.
Quick tip: after you prime and paint, you’ll often see small dark cracks or seams that weren’t visible before. Dark wood hides them, but paint highlights them. Check after a coat or two of primer, then fill gaps with paintable caulk (we like paintable DAP window & door caulk in white). Caulk before the final coat and you’ll get a seamless result.
Our current to-do list for this room looks like this:
Remove wallpaperMove fridge cabinet forwardRemove upper cabinets on the window wall to prep for open shelvesReinstall crown moldingPrime & paint the pantry and garage doorsPrime & paint the trim, crown molding, & baseboardsPrime & paint the paneling- Patch and paint the ceiling
- Replace the fluorescent light in the cooking area and the pendant over the sink
- Replace and center the light over the dining table
- Paint the walls (we’re leaning toward a soft, airy color)
- Hang floating shelves on the window wall
- Possibly move the microwave and add a simple range hood to lighten that wall
- Paint the cabinets (we have color ideas in mind)
- Update cabinet hinges and knobs
- Get a rug for the eat-in area or install peel-and-stick tiles
- Add curtains for the windows
There are still plenty of items left to tackle, but we’re thrilled with how much has changed already. What projects did you work on this weekend?