Frenching in the kitchen...

This past week's project was finally switching out the kitchen pantry door. It's something we wanted to do from day one...but never quite knew how to tackle the project. To be honest when we started to work on it last weekend we still didn't know quite how to tackle the project...but we finally said f-it and just went for it! And like most projects we do around here, we grossly underestimated the amount of time, money, and energy we would need. But now that it's all finished up, I'm so happy we did it.

The Project: Change out our standard kitchen pantry door for a french door - and paint it to match our cabinets, changing out the brass knob passage hardware set for an antique glass fixed knob and ball latch, and then finally changing out the painted door hinges for anodized aluminum hinges.

Project Cost: French door (Lowes) $100, Glass door knob (Anthropologie) $40, Hinges 3 (Lowes) $9.00 total, quart Olympic low voc Paint in Dunn Edwards Blustery Wind & Olympic white untreated wood primer (Lowes) $21 total, Painting supplies (Lowes) $15, Hand wood planer (Lowes) $10, Ball latch hardware (Lowes) $3, Hing guide (Lowes) $7, Drill bit for ball latch $8

Project Time: One weekend to size & install door and hardware and 2 week nights to paint and distress

Project Highlights:

Steve hand planing the door...probably taking 1/4" to 1/2" off the door

And yes, he had to ice his hands that evening!

The dry fit when we finally knew that the door fit in the warped frame, the hinges were lined up right, the door was level and plum, and this project wasn't going to be a big mistake!

Painting the door to match our cabinets and island (aka the kitch)

And then smooth sanding and distressing the paint to make it look like it had been in this house forever

Putting on the hardware

This cut glass knob was the first thing I bought for our house...and now it's finally being used!

And last but not least; The finished product

Next project on the slate:

Finish the dining chairs - I'm refinishing them in a high gloss version of our signature blue paint

You will be able to see them through the arched pass through next to the pantry...

The goal is to repeat this blue color in each room downstairs to create a cohesiveness to the floor

Making the whole space feel and flow like one big room