Tjhoko Champs Winner – Elicia Badenhorst
Elicia Badenhorst –
Firstly, thank you for including me in the Top 20 of the Tjhoko Champs 2019. For many years I wanted a new kitchen. Knowing that we will never be able to afford it, I started to explore other ways that I can redo my kitchen through painting. After watching every video on YouTube of Nadine Vosloo, some on repeat, I decided to go for it. My kitchen was your typical 80’s kitchen – pine cabinets, yellow tiles, yellow melamine counter tops and linoleum (novilon) flooring. I felt depressed in my kitchen and it did not go with my decor. It was daunting to think I am going to paint everything, but it was so worth it.
I did everything Nadine said in her video’s and firstly cleaned everything very well with thinners. I painted my tiles first, I used Cloud White to give a clean look and it worked well with the dark grey. Above the stove I did tile stickers, which is becoming very popular and I can change it up as I like for a different pop of colour. This is the only thing I purchased non paint for the kitchen.
The Melamine counter tops we decide must blend with the now painted white tiled walls. I painted over the Melamine counter tops in Cloud White. We chose Sheriff Stone for all the Cabinets – I absolutely love this colour. This brings a wonderful contrast between light and dark. I have 27 cabinet doors in my kitchen that was painted and that needed new knobs, which is extremely costly. Nothing was wrong with my old knobs, so I decided to paint every knob and every doors’ hinges with Am’s Rose Gold.
My floor was a leap of faith as not many people has painted linoleum flooring, but I am so EXCITED that my floor was a huge success. I painted over the linoleum (novilon) flooring with Stone Wash. The flooring was the only thing in my kitchen that I sanded lightly. After the whole kitchen was painted, I painted my counter chairs in Stone wash and the bottom of the legs in Am’s Rose Gold. Then my entire kitchen after the paint cured – tiles, melamine counter tops, cabinets, knobs, hinges, flooring and chairs – I used clear glaze to finish, protect my paint and make it water resistant. This glaze is magic. Everything feels like velvet, is smooth and easy to clean. Many that came into my kitchen cannot believe the feeling of the melamine counter tops, tiles, cabinets and flooring. Many ask me how does the counters, tiles and flooring hold up with paint? We continue like a normal family – make food, eat, mess, kiddies touch my tiles with their dirty hands, or kiddies on their push bikes over the floor or in mommies’ heels and no problems whatsoever. Cleans up like a dream and no paint lifts at all. That Glaze protects the paint and is a must for every project.
With the help of Tjhoko paint, I redid my kitchen literally from top to bottom, Tjhoko gave new life to a seemingly dull kitchen. A home stager in the USA saw my kitchen on Facebook and asked to use my photo for her clients to show them what paint can do to the value of your home when you want to sell. I still gasp when I enter my kitchen, “This is my kitchen”. Hard work pays off, but it is easier if you are using a product like Tjhoko paint.
Thank you for such a fantastic product, in wonderful colours, and the useful videos, that we can use to transform our homes. Next up will definitely have to be an update to my 80’s bathrooms.