The Butler’s Pantry – Painting & Shelves

We filled this past week with a lot of work, but it feels like there is not much to show for it. In general, the Butler’s Pantry is in excellent condition, and it needs very little work. However, there were are a couple of trouble spots. Before painting, I did a little touch up on a long crack in the cabinet and a couple on the wall behind the sink.

To prevent the outline of the corner shelf unit from showing through the new paint, I sanded the paint ridges flush with the wall. (Note: Before sanding, I tested this paint for lead, and the test was negative.)

Andy removed the rest of the contact paper in the lower cabinet. Unfortunately, the scraper left quite a few gouges.

For a quick refresh, I gave the shelves a light sand with my mouse sander and a coat of Red Chestnut stain.

After prep, the painting was very straightforward. However, covering the green paint took more effort than I expected. The coverage of one coat of paint was pretty poor.

Originally, I bought one quart of paint, and I thought for sure that would be enough for this tiny room. That was not the case. The walls required three coats of paint and even a fourth layer of touch-up on some sections. For this room, I used flat finish paint, and I used a different brand formula as well. I am not sure if one or both of those changes factored into the required quantity, but I will file the experience away for the future.

If you follow us on Instagram, you already know that I made a workflow mistake. I asked Andy to remove the old light and switch out the outlet. Both were covered with green paint.

My plan was to strip and restore the light in one afternoon so Andy could pop it back on the wall quickly. However, best-laid plans, blah blah blah.

The light needs parts. I have ordered what I need, but proper lighting is necessary. In the interim, I brought in a lamp with a very bright bulb. It lends a horror movie quality to all of the photos.

We should probably invest in a clip-on work lamp of some kind, but I already bought a miter saw this month, so I am stalling on the expenditure.

This week, I plan to finish the rest of the painting. I need to paint the inside of the cabinets, and today, I will start stenciling behind the sink. In addition, the parts for the vintage wall sconce restoration should arrive. Andy will be able to re-install the light.  I will be posting photos on Instagram and real-time updates on our Instagram Story.

To save you from the boredom of viewing only in-progress painting photos, I will end this post with a picture of something more fun. Due to its size, the Butler’s Pantry is incredibly difficult to photograph properly. It is such a tall and narrow room. Until now, I have not shared the fact that there are additional cabinets in the soffit above the shelves. This photo is pretty awful, but it will give you an idea of where I mean.

I am starting to put the decoration and organization plans in place, and I picked up these cute glass knobs for those upper cabinets. Decorating used to be the least of my interests, but I am starting to enjoy it more as we complete each project.

Next week, there should be a great deal of visible progress to share. Also, just a reminder that our BHH Podcast Survey is still open. We have received many great responses, and we still want more. You can find out more about our new podcast in this post: Casting Call for the Blake Hill House Podcast