Crystal Ward Kent Photography by Ralph Morang

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Don and Sue Lippoth of York, Maine had remodeled their kitchen twice before. But this time, even with new tiles, countertops, and freshly painted cabinets, something was missing.

“Why not have a design painted on the kitchen cabinets?” Don asked. Phyllis Giordano, owner of Painted Treasures, in York, had painted a child’s chair for them with illustrations of sweet peas. The result was eye-catching and charming.

When they approached her about the cabinets, Phyllis was intrigued.

The Lippoth's kitchen needed some extra flair.

“My specialty is hand-painted art on furniture,” she explains. “I hadn’t done a large-scale cabinet job, so I was excited, but knew it would be challenging.”

Phyllis knew the Lippoths were avid gardeners, so she suggested capturing some of their flowers on the cabinetry. She drafted sketches and the Lippoths approved.

“The illustration was mapped out like a giant puzzle,” explains Phyllis. “The schematic was vital. Most of my illustrations break out of the main space. Thus, some flowers and tree branches crossed several cabinets, or appeared only in key places. We also decided not to paint every item. And everything had to match up perfectly. I was so relieved when Don put the pieces back and told me all was well.”

Phyllis had to re-sand and repaint before beginning, and she also chose to outline the cabinets in a contrasting color for more depth. She used an oil-based paint for the base, acrylic for the artwork, and a varnish to seal and protect it.

The results were striking. Purple and pink lupines add soothing splashes of color. A lower cabinet is adorned with beach roses that climb upward onto a top cabinet. Tulips explode in vivid shades of red across a cabinet below the sink, while a sunflower bends gracefully downward from a top cabinet over a small patch of purple coneflowers. An ambitious painting of a willow tree covers an entire set of cabinets, spreading across all four doors.

In creating these vibrant tulips, Phyllis first lightly sketched the basic outline of the design, then went right to color.

Phyllis used acryllic paint for the artwork, then applied a permanent varnish for protection from scratches and general wear.

“Everyone who sees the kitchen just says ‘Wow,’” says Don.

“Adding artwork is a fabulous way to transform a key piece or an entire room,” Phyllis says.

The Lippoths agree. “Now that we’ve seen what can be done, we have all kinds of ideas!”

Resources
Phyllis Giordano Painted Treasures
264 U.S. Route 1, York, ME 03909
(207) 363-5460
www.paintedtreasuresbyphyllis.com







Crystal Ward Kent’s work has appeared in Yankee Magazine, Chicken Soup for the Soul and Guideposts Books, among other publications. She owns Kent Creative, an agency in Portsmouth that provides writing, design and marketing services, and is author of Mainely Kids: A Guide to Family Fun in Southern Maine.

Ralph Morang has worked for both weekly newspapers and the Portsmouth Herald. A freelancer for more than ten years, Ralph sells stock images from his Web site, www.newenglandphoto.com.