Rehab in the Hood

THIS was in my kitchen. It was a grungy tan with chips in the finish, and at the best of times, it never looked clean. It hung over my stove, useless and repulsive. I hated it. And it hated me. We had irreconcilable differences. I'd breeze through IKEA, ogling the shiny new hoods, thinking I needed a new relationship. They beckoned to me.

But I'm oddly loyal when the new prospect has a $600 price tag dangling from it. Besides, the kitchen is the last thing we're going to get to. So I cajoled the Hubster to take the hood down for me and haul it out to my painting picnic table.

There, it got a scrubbing, a light sanding where needed, and the wires and knobs were either taped up or plastic-wrapped. I pulled out my trusty Rustoleum spray paint in Aqua and did 4 light coats of make over magic on my kitchen partner of 20 years.

He seemed to soak it up.

We're working on our relationship, and we'll probably still part ways, but admit it, this looks pretty good for a $3 fix, doesn't it? Now, about those backsplashes...