Every month I'm cupboard painting

Doing all this cupboard painting isn't exactly something I look forward to.  The end result, yes, but the process and, mostly, having a whole cupboard's worth of stuff on the dining table, not my favorite.  If I didn't have a schedule to finish all the upper cupboards by the end of the year and the knowledge of what a difference it makes, I might put this off indefinitely.  Then I realize how basically free this is and how little active time it takes and I suck it up and get it done.  And I'm always glad I do. 

With another busy month I took the easy way out and painted the smallest of the remaining upper-lower cupboards (we have the ones under the counter too and then another row above this one).  Here is where I started:

At least a year ago I did put down new contact paper on the bottom two shelves.  It was coming up though because the surface wasn't clean enough.  That paper was pitched after the cupboard was empty.  Then some contact paper pulling (I've gotten a lot faster at this!  Only took about 30 minutes!), quick clean, and then 2 coats of primer and 2 coats of paint. 

Doing the corner was a little difficult since it was hard to see and reach.  I was opening and closing the two doors, trying to get the best view and angle.  I was left with this around the corner, in the cupboard I plan to paint next month:

It's actually nice having this one cupboard left unpainted on this level because it makes for an easy before/after comparison!  I frequently open the newly painted cupboard and then this one to marvel at the difference.  I'll have to start climbing on chairs to do that soon!

If we hadn't spent a weekend at the lake before I got the last coat of paint on, this whole process could have been done in 2-3 days.  As it was, it was drug over almost a week but we weren't home that whole time and got to spend time in the water so that's on ok trade off for me! 

Done:

Putting everything back in is my favorite part!  I get to admire the beauty of the white cupboards filled and also get to figure out what to get rid of.  It is always, always something.  I ended up with half an empty shelf after this one (in the corner, you can't tell, but I know it's there!). 

If we ever get another baby the bottom shelf will likely be reclaimed for bottles again (it was for Luke) and so I'll have to do some rearranging but something I'm more than happy to do in that case!

I love a good comparison:

All my white mixing bowls were waiting to be washed, I didn't get rid of those, I use them too much!

I always feel a little crazy doing this project because it's not like anyone really cares besides me.  BUT then I was talking about it to my sister with 5 kids 5 and under (someone who has less free time than me, obviously) and she agreed she'd want to do the same if her cupboards weren't already painted.  (This is also the sister I've had multiple "I found more things to get rid of!" conversations with.  She gets it.)  So I feel a little validated.  This isn't totally a crazy exercise to complete. 

I've mentioned it a few times but I'll say it again.  There is something about completely emptying a space, freshening it up (painting), and putting things back that makes it glaringly obvious what can be tossed (to the garage sale pile).  It's enough of a difference that I've thought about painting inside every storage area in the house - kitchen drawers, lower kitchen cupboards, dresser drawers, our bedroom cupboard, the garage...  I'm not joking.  It's a big difference and a big motivator.  Try it.  You can thank me later.

Other cupboards I've painted:
Kitchen cleaning cupboard
Office closets
Office cupboard
Kitchen dishes cupboard
Kitchen cupboard over the stove