Bonjour from Campagne Maison...
As most of you already know, I am a firm believer in recycling whenever possible. I live closely to MY 3 R rules... Re-purpose, Re-finish, Re-cycle. I also live on a tight budget, which allows me to express a lot of artistic liberties when it comes to remodeling this 100 yr old farmhouse.
I am currently trying to piece together the history of "Campagne Maison", the moniker that I have lovingly bestowed upon the home. I am a renowned history buff and am itching to know all about the what's, where's, why's, and who's of the homestead. I can attest to the fact that the house is built from lumber that was milled on sight--back when a 2 x 4 was a 2 x 4!! It is solid oak with tongue and groove floors and walls. That is where the story takes a turn because the widths and lengths of those boards--well, let's just say, they're all different. In defense of the builder, knowing that lumber was at a premium and every piece was precious, I am sure that not a scrap went unused. I have made multiple discoveries that I will share one story at a time, many will make you a believer, like me, that it was destined for me to be right here, right now.
Anyway, let's get back to the 3-R's...Faux granite countertops. From the looks of the original cabinetry and laminate countertops, it is my guess that the farmhouse kitchen was updated in the early 70's. I actually kinda/sorta liked the formica, but those of you that know me, know that I wouldn't sleep until I put MY "touch" on MY kitchen. So here goes....
After scouring thru all the granite countertop samples at Lowe's, I found exactly the one that I wanted. Well, exactly EXCEPT for the $ 3000 price tag!! So, I put my artistic liberties to work, researched an article written by Christopher Lowell (who, by the way STIRRED this whole creative thing up inside me that has to come out or else I'll die) on "How to Paint Laminate Countertops". After deciding on just the right paint colors for the desired finish, I went straight to work. Yes, it was work, lots of work. Scrub, Sand, Kilz x 2, Paint x 3, and Sealer x 7--yes, 7 coats. But that was by MY choice since I figured the more the better when it comes to the sealer.
Total cost of the faux finish came in around $ 100.00--a savings of around $ 2900.00. Cha-ching!!! The most awarding thing to me however, is not the cost savings, BUT the comments from everyone that sees them and says "YOU" did that???
The jury is out, are they great or what? Please leave a comment. I'd like to hear what you think!
Au revoir,
1 comment:
Great job, Jacques! I really thought you had one of those neat granite-look laminates when I first saw the pic & then read further that you painted it. Looks fantastic. I hope it will last a long, long time until you can get what you want.
Thanks for your email, I'll be sending you a note back shortly and thanks so much for reading!
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