Everybody knows that the kitchen is the most important room in the house. It's warm, friendly, and dark! At least our kitchen cabinets, finished in dark oak, seemed to soak up light like the inside of a cave. Even extra bright bulbs in the hanging lamp and florescents under the cabinets failed to cheer up the room. The answer struck me like a holy revelation: just have the cabinets professionally painted!

Yeah, right! Who has $1200.00 for cabinet refinishing? I decided to pay myself. The material cost remained under $100.00 and needed no special tools. First I removed all the doors and hinges. An electric drill with a Philips bit takes most of the work out of this chore. Wash down the surfaces with an all-purpose cleaner/degreaser to remove any oil or polish. The color we decided on boiled down to a pale beige with a touch of even paler lemon- yellow in the low areas - sort of a reverse antiquing. The effect simulated a limed oak with pearly highlights.

On a comedy note, one winter day after the first snowfall, our cat, Schatzie, looked out of the kitchen window and saw coming toward her two burly strangers carrying large snow shovels. Frightened, she shot across the room, opened the lower cabinet door under the sink and disappeared behind it in seconds! What a scaredey cat.

The base coat of paint required one half gallon of white primer. When dry, sand down any bumps in the surface. A gallon of acrylic enamel is enough for two coats. Check for drips before the paint is dry and for bumps after drying. Acrylic paint dries to the touch in two hours, and can be repainted after drying overnight.

The antiquing is the fun part. Cover about two square feet (one side of one door) with the lighter graining paint. Use rubber gloves and a small piece of toweling to wipe the graining paint partially off the surface while the paint is still wet. A squiggley motion imparts a wood-grain effect. Keep the motion of the cloth moving with the grain. The final coat of clear acrylic paint produces a pearly, hard surface that is surprisingly impervious to hard cleaning. Use the same hinges, but a new set of handles will put the finishing touch on your new kitchen cabinets.

The next morning your kitchen will glow with a new light, multiplying on the sunny ice cream colors like new-born snow.

Even though I save money out of necessety, I still enjoy doing the work myself.