After purchasing her 1960s split-level house, Jessica wanted to dial up the retro in the relatively plain kitchen. Owner of J. Paris Designs, a furniture refinishing and repurposing business, she used her refinishing skills and design know-how, the resources on Retro Renovation, and some help from her husband Dan and dog Harlow to enliven the space.
Jessica writes:
Our home is an average 1960s split level. It had been stripped down and painted white when we bought it at the beginning of this past summer, with very little original character left.
The kitchen was worn and grimy and none of the (original) appliances worked.
We replaced everything except the cabinets, which I painted with a mixture of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint and water with a spray gun. I finished them with Polycrylic. The finish has held up wonderfully!
We built and laminated the countertops ourselves with the Formica Charcoal Boomerang laminate purchased from Home Depot. I had ordered a few samples of the Wilsonart styles you have advertised, but none of the colors were right. The charcoal is just enough retro without being overpowering.
The cabinet knobs, hinges, and porcelain on steel sink (complete with Hudee ring) all came from HD Supply (thanks, Kate, for the affordable knob recommendation!) As you know, finding a white sink with a hudee ring is kind of difficult. I couldn’t accept the high cost of the Kohler ones you had written about, but the HD Supply one was very affordable! I will say, it is much shallower than most sinks, which is why we went with the high goose neck industrial style faucet.
The countertop trim molding (both front piece and cove base in back) came from Eagle Mouldings. They were very helpful answering any of my questions. I did realize after I purchased the trim that I had bought aluminum, not stainless like Pam’s kitchen. Aluminum can’t be bent at a 90 degree angle around corners like stainless can. We ended up having to cut and miter the edges ourselves, which was incredibly challenging. The new stove ended up being six full inches wider than the original built-in one (something you don’t always think about) so we had to adjust that area accordingly.
I reused the existing NuTone range hood by taping off the chrome and painting it with a can of Rust-Oleum Appliance Paint from Home Depot. It looks spectacular and brand new!
I researched different flooring patterns for the VCT and ended up using the basketweave pattern with three different colors. The brand is Vinylasa, and the colors are Ebony (VT569), Steel Works (VT522), and Shooting Star (VT557). I purchased the flooring from a local independent flooring store because they had more color options than Home Depot or the like. I was worried it would be too busy, but once it was done, I was in love!
The funky Sputnik style light was purchased at Menard’s for around $170 – which I thought was an awesome price! The teardrop shaped pendant was the only cool part of the original kitchen, and I was happy to keep it.
I made the pendant over the sink using an inexpensive pendant kit and a collander from Home Goods. The backsplash is just simple white subway tile with grey grout.
Jessica, your kitchen looks fantastic! It’s interesting to see someone use Annie Sloan Chalk Pain to finish cabinets. This paint can sand down to such a smooth finish, we can see why it could be great for cabinetry, assuming the adhesion holds. Can you give us your opinion on how you think it will hold up long term, given that you that you work with this paint professionally?
Thanks so much for sharing your project with us — way to go, DIY squad!
I think Harlow likes it too!
G S says
Wow, this could not have turned out any better. Love the color, and I think the poly would be great for the chalk paint. The floor pattern is really awesome. As much as I like B&W checkerboard, this is so much cooler.
Jessica@JParisDesigns says
Thanks! I actually originally planned black and white checkerboard, but then found the backstage pattern. So much more interesting…this coming from a true B&W fan!
Jessica@JParisDesigns says
Ugh..autocorrect. Basketweave not backstage!
Karin says
Spectacular renovation! It’s so inspiring. That floor is a work of art, thanks for the tile referral. Maybe I missed it, but what is the name of the Annie Sloane color on the cabinets?
Jessica@JParisDesigns says
Thanks, Karin! It was a custom blend of equal parts Florence & Duck Egg. My local Annie Sloan dealer has an entire wall of custom blends she has created, so this made the perfect shade of blue!
Susan says
Great redo! We’re wanting to use the boomerang in charcoal for our new countertops so it’s great to see how they look in use.
Carole says
Beautiful!
Our first house was a 1973 split-level. I still miss that house.
kara says
I didn’t notice the colander kitchen lamp you made – that is AMAZING, you a re a genius!
kara says
Amazing job, you guys. I love the range hood!
Marcia says
What a great job! I love the cabinet color and that some of the floor is called “shooting star.” Definitely fits the retro vibe. Thank you too, Jessica, for the Annie Sloan details. I’m wondering how many coats you had to spray on and were you spraying over stain or paint?
Jessica@JParisDesigns says
Thanks, Marcia! I was painting over stain…dirty dirty stain! I scrubbed those cabinets til my hands hurt with TSP cleaner beforehand (so much grime!). I watered down the paint 20% so that it would go further and spray smoother. I did one coat going one direction then one coat going the other direction then a third going the first direction again. Same for the Polycrylic top coat.
Carol says
Jessica, can you tell me what brand of polycrylic you used? I wanted to use oil paint on my cabinets for durability, however, the smell is dreaded, so I have postponed the project. I think this is the answer to my quandary because I would like to spray. Spraying is a much nicer finish and the chaulk paint is sandable. Plus the subtle sheen not shine looks awesome. Thanks! Your kitchen is beautiful.
Jessica@JParisDesigns says
I used Minwax Polycrylic. It is waterbased rather than oil, so very little odor and easier clean up. There are, of course, arguments to be had over water- vs oil-based finishes….but I’m perfectly happy with the results I experienced. I will say, there are very little how-to videos or info online about using Polycrylic in a spray gun. It uses a LOT of it, I can say that. It is a light weight finish, so a lot will evaporate almost as soon as it leaves the gun. And there is a lot of overspray, so prep accordingly. I used the satin finish, but it does come in a gloss as well.
Carol says
Thanks Jessica, I’ve always had good luck with Minwax and thanks so much for the tips. The finish on your cabinets is perfect.
Julie says
Your kitchen looks amazing. I’m sure the chalk paint will hold up because of its great adhesion and finish. I adore the countertop trim and the way you taped off the exhaust hood chrome for painting. Everything looks spectacular. Goes to show that you can have an amazing retro throwback kitchen without throwing away all your money. Great job!
Jan says
Love this entire space! The cabinet color is great. Your old brown appliances are to die for – did you find a new home for them? You and your husband did some great work here! And Harlow is too cute!
Jessica@JParisDesigns says
Thanks, Jan! None of the appliances worked any more except the fridge (which was from the 90s and we now use in the basement). They were donated 🙂
mary says
Gorgeous kitchen but what most attracted me to this renovation was the split level feature, that stairway. Love it!!