Tape as a templateThe first thing I did was make a template on one of the doors so that I could decide where exactly to place the molding. This made it easy to measure how many linear feet of molding I would need. Then I ran to Lowe’s to find just the perfect wood for this project. I chose a trim that is only about 1 1/2″ wide because I didn’t want it to look too bulky on the door fronts.
Measure, Measure, Measure!The trim can either be cut straight and butted together or cut at a 45 degree angle. I chose the angle cut because it works better with this particular molding.
Making the cuts!I measured the tape template to determine what lengths I needed to cut the molding. I then cut all the pieces at once. I have 4 doors so I need 8 pieces at 14 inches and 8 pieces at 27 inches. Then using my square measuring tool (which is just weird because it’s actually a triangle) anyhoo, I then made the marks where my angled cuts would be.
I’m so glad I have a miter saw that takes all the guess work out of this for me. Simply set it to 45 degrees and you’re good to go. I did have to make sure i knew which side to set it on…I went back and forth from side to side. These were super easy to make thanks to my Dewalt Miter Saw!
Because the wood I’m using is a bit soft (and I need a finer tooth blade for my saw) my cuts ended up a bit ragged.
Nothing a little sandpaper can’t handle. If you have this same issue be sure to take care not to sand so much that you change the angle of the cut.
Lining up the corners!And BAM! Just like that I had perfect 45 degree angle corners. Easy peasy!
SandI decided I should just give these door fronts a bit of a scuff with some 220 grit sandpaper. I’m using Amy Howard at Home chalk paint for these doors which doesn’t require sanding…but when working with Melamine, I think it’s best to give it a bit of scuff so that it has some grip for the paint to adhere to.
For the visual learner like me!I’m a very visual person so it was necessary for me to have lines drawn on the doors where the edge of the molding would go. This really helped me to get the placement perfect on each door.
Here you can see my pencil lines.
Attach the molding to the doors!I used my WEN finish nailer to attach the molding to the door fronts. I always double check to make sure I have the proper length nails that won’t go all the way through my project.
These Bostitch 5/8 inch brads worked perfect for my cabinet doors.
Perfect! I’ll take care of the holes with wood putty before I paint. But at least the corner is perfect.
One door down, 3 to go. I can already see what a huge difference this molding is going to make for my Laundry Room Makeover!
Painting the DoorsAhem…the FRONT of the doors. This video shows how I taped off the back of the doors. Super easy to do and made painting so much easier.
That’s right…for this project I chose NOT to paint the back of the cabinet doors 1) It saves a bunch of time in the painting process and B) It doesn’t matter, nobody cares what the inside of the door looks like. Ok, maybe I’m the only one that doesn’t care…but my cabinet doors, my makeover, my rules. 🙂
I used Amy Howard at Home paint for these doors and I am so glad I did. This paint is fabulous, it covers beautifully, it doesn’t require a lot of prep and to top it all off when it dries it smells wonderful. Must be the essential oils in it.
I used Amy Howard’s One Step Paint in Chavant Blue for my doors and this blue is so pretty! It’s just the perfect color for my home. Not too bright or bold and not too dark.
WaxingAnother plus for the Amy Howard at Home One Step Paint is that, even though it’s a chalk based paint, it doesn’t require a sealer such as wax. It has a beautiful matte finish all on its own.
I chose to wax these doors with AHAH Mind Your Own Beeswax for the simple fact that being located in the laundry room right above the washer/dryer I wanted to make sure they had all the protection from heat and humidity that they could get.
This wax goes on beautifully with a brush and after about 30 minutes easily buffs to a beautiful sheen!
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