Sure, we remember when our kitchen cabinets looked new. But years passed, and aging wasn’t kind to their condition. It didn’t matter if they were shaker, euro, or even RTA cabinets that we put together ourselves. Now, they’re somewhat shabby.
They are scratched and dented, and it’s been some time since they’ve been wiped clean. They seem pretty much beyond redemption at this point.
How Paint Can Bring Old Cabinets Back To Life
So, you have a choice: leave them and curate a dilapidated environment or do something to curb the deterioration.
As far as you’re concerned, the cabinets’ wood is still sturdy; it has life. That’s fine because all you need to revitalize them is a fresh coat of paint. It’s easy, and we’ve got the info on what paint works, what color is best, and how to do it yourself.
We’re choosing this route because you believe those kitchen cabinets are still in good condition.
That’s fine, but the first thing we need to do is confirm that they are, in fact, in a good enough state to repaint. If they are warped, cracked, or chipped, they may need to be replaced.
Keep in mind that we do have a limited lifetime warranty on our products and a two-year warranty on drawer faces and cabinet doors. However, if they are in sufficient good condition, it’s a great idea to give them a new life by painting them.
Picking A Color
You’re dealing with the kitchen, a room that hosts many people. It should be accommodating and inviting. In fact, the entire house should reflect the warmth and hominess of the kitchen, as a general rule. To help establish this influence, neutral paint such as white, beige, and gray on the kitchen cabinets is ideal.
If you have a kitchen island to work with, it can provide a great opportunity to introduce dynamic contrast to the room. You can paint it in whatever shade you feel will produce the ideal reflection of your style.
The color of your cabinets can be bright, moody, whatever works! The island has a strong chance of becoming the room’s focal point. You may also consider two-tone options, combinations that can be used to continue the contrast.
In such cases, with the two-tone color designs, it is important to anchor the room by always putting the darker colors on the bottom cabinet. It’s a dramatic look in relation to the upper cabinets of a lighter shade.
Now that you’ve picked your colors, it’s time to move forward and face the greater challenge. Painting your kitchen cabinets requires time and patience, so be certain you have those in supply before you undertake the project.
It will save you money, so it should be quite rewarding. Besides the pride you’ll feel, you will also save a few bucks. So here’s what needs to be done to keep those cabinets fresh and new.
Removing The Cabinets
Prepping the kitchen is necessary to protect the area. Paint should not drip everywhere, and removing it from floors and countertops will create new problems. Use cardboard, plastic, or cloths to drape over all of the areas in the vicinity of where you are working.
Next, it’s time to dismantle the cabinets. Use a basic screwdriver to remove the doors and hardware (knobs, hinges, latches…). It’s easy to mix everything up at this point, so use whatever system works for you to keep it all organized so you’ll have no question what belongs with what when it comes to reassembling (you can just use a pencil and mark them to correspond).
Prep Work and Painting
With everything apart, give it a thorough cleaning. Due to the exposure to cooking grease, they could be covered in all sorts of gross matter. You could simply add a few drops of dish detergent to a half-bucket full of water (a couple of tablespoons of vinegar will also work in lieu of detergent).
Choose fine-grit sandpaper and sand the surfaces of the cabinet until they are as smooth as possible. It’s not necessary to work down to the bare wood, as it’s okay for some of the original finish to remain. Next, clean the cabinets with a clean tack cloth to leave no residue and to ensure there is no dust left behind.
Now it’s time to paint. First, the cabinet doors and sidings require a coat of primer-sealer. This is used to ensure the paint bonds to the wood. For best results, use a shellac or oil-based primer. They’re both effective at keeping the original dark wood from showing through. Apply a second primer coat if necessary.
When applying the actual paint, be certain to use a proven premium quality brand (available in many finish options). It’s a bit pricey, but with it (and necessary if you’re doing DIY because you don’t have a warranty for the work and you want it to last).
Now, the moment of truth—repaint the cabinets with a brush. Then, follow up with a foam roller and clear away any brush marks. If you have a professional spray gun, by all means, utilize it! These tasks must be performed outdoors—if the fumes were trapped in your home, there could be dangerous circumstances.
Final Touches
After completely drying the paint, retrieve your trusty screwdriver, reattach the doors, and reinstall the drawers. Then screw all of the hardware back into place (hopefully, you have it organized as advised).
The end result is essentially the result of what you put into it. The more extreme care you apply, the more attractive the cabinets will appear.
Congrats! You actually managed to bring your dull old kitchen cabinets back to life! If that doesn’t seem to do the trick, you may need to do some additional work to revamp your kitchen in an affordable fashion.
