Stenciled Kitchen Cabinets

Painted Cabinets

by Kelly Duffin

Like many stencil artists, I am always searching for new surfaces to stencil on. Just a little over three years ago, I purchased my first home. I bought the first house I looked at, and there were many reasons for the choice I made, but one of them was the kitchen cabinets. My home was built in 1955 and the cabinets are original to the house. They had been painted over many times, but I didn't care — I knew when I saw them that my stencils were going to get a workout. The cabinet doors and drawers are ideal for stenciling on because they are completely flat.

My entire house was in need of remodeling (a real "fixer upper") and, approximately 1 year ago, I finally moved into my home. For my first winter project in my new home, I spent several months sanding, priming, painting, stenciling and sealing all of the cabinets. (I couldn't paint each door the same - that's just too boring.) Once all of the painting was finished, I added a different door knob to each of the cabinet doors. It was a true labor of love and here is the final result.