Exhibit 1: casings & cabinet frames

This was my labor of love!

I wanted to see if I could restore the door casings and my cabinet moulding better than my painter (who only sanded down some paint). I verified I had lead paint and then went about researching the safest way to remove it.

Steps 1-3: Embarkation

I applied Smart Strip paint remover and cured it with the Dumond laminated paper for 12 hours. After peeling it off, I commenced to scrape the layers away with my utility scraper. After about the second door, I realized that I had gotten way in over my head with this project. However seeing all 10 layers of paint exposed… rose, creams, green, yellows… I began to think about all the families that had moved through this 100 year house. Why not preserve that so I could understand my time in this history!

Steps 4-5: HALT

Ovidio, my painter, advised me how to preserve it in the current status.

• I sponged the wood with water and soap to remove any leftover paint remover chemicals and left to dry

• I applied a coat of Peel-Stop

Steps 5-10: FINIsH

Next I wanted to make the surfaces smooth and finish them

• I blanketed my entire kitchen with plastic to ensure that the lead particles stayed within the area

• I geared up in a Tyvek suit, googles, respirator mask, and gloves

• To smooth the exposed paint layers, I used an electric sander attached to a vacuum so dust was collected

• I sweat my tits off working over the wood. Thank goodness Samir helped with part of the work

• Finally, I painted everything with a coat of polyurethane so it had a nice, clear finish

I love my little distressed accents in the kitchen. It makes me feel the love everyone has had in this room.