Why To Update Kitchen Cabinets With Paint?

If you want to make a change to your existing kitchen without replacing the cabinets, there is no better way than by coating them with new paint. If you are happy with the layout and function of your kitchen but just need an upgrade of décor, you don’t need to spend a lot of money to achieve a new look.

And here comes the question: Why to update kitchen cabinets with paint?

Painting kitchen cabinets is a great way to inject some personality and fun into your kitchen décor! When it’s just paint, it is not such a huge commitment since it can always be changed in the future.

When you become bored with your cabinet color, it is out of fashion, or it is plain, and you want a pop of your favorite color in your kitchen but don’t want to change all the cabinets, you can accomplish that by painting them.

Seeing the astonishing effects, you will be surprised how unique and original painted cabinets can be. The updated kitchen will get a makeover and will look refreshed. And unlike a factory paint finish, you can repaint the cabinets in the future if you want a different look.

When you buy a new house that has the kitchen fully furnished, you may paint just the cabinet doors without buying and completely replacing the whole kitchen cabinets. This will be definitely a much cheaper option, and will also save you time on searching for new furniture.

Purchasing new cabinetry can effortlessly use up your home remodeling budget. New kitchen cabinets could very well account for 50% or more of the total cost of the kitchen makeover. But doing DIY cabinet painting you’re going to remodel your kitchen without any shelling out a fortune.

And you don’t need to be an expert to do it! A handful of essential basic knowledge is enough to get good and quick results. By renewing your old cabinets rather than installing new ones, your kitchen area can appear fresh and like new.

So, if you hate the color and grain, or the cabinet surface has already become worn out after many years, you may decide to repaint it. Be aware of the fact that kitchen cabinets are the most likely to get damaged due to constant use.

Elements that belong to the most vulnerable to damage when preparing meals, or when reaching for food or kitchen utensils are the cabinet doors. This can happen due to impacts, spills, or mechanical damage.

Thanks to the renovated cabinets, your kitchen will also gain an individual, unique character. This way, you can be sure that you won’t see the same cupboards in your neighbors’ or friends’ houses.

Painting your kitchen cabinets have lots of advantages that the regular models of cabinetry don’t. Painted kitchen cabinetry promotes a sleek, modern appearance, which has long been promoted as part of any contemporary décor. Because when the fresh paint has been used, you will definitely renew and change the entire look of the space.

You might refer to interior design magazines or browse online for some inspiration and help with painting kitchen cabinets.

Even though you may start painting furniture without experience but if you want to get a satisfactory effect that doesn’t require corrections in the near future, you should stick to a couple of rules.

These are proper preparation of the furniture, selection of the right paint, and protection of the freshly painted surface.

Cabinet preparation

Don’t underestimate how long it can take to paint. To include a lot of preparation before you start, painting kitchen cabinets can take a while as you will find out.

First, you must secure those surfaces that you don’t intend to paint (e.g. countertops). Of course, let’s not forget about the walls or the floor.

Before you start painting, remember to clean the cabinets properly. Kitchen furniture gets dirty the most because of the fats and oils that accumulate on surfaces during cooking and are later difficult to remove. All the fumes and grease stick not only to the fronts, but also to the bottoms, the sides, and even penetrate to the interior of cabinets.

Simple wet vacuuming is usually not enough to degrease surfaces. For this, you will need special cleaning agents and some free time. You will freshen up your cabinets mainly by a thorough cleaning with grease and dried dirt dissolving agents.

Paint selection

Kitchen furniture renovation paints are specialized preparations that can be applied to different kitchen surfaces (mainly cupboards, but also wall tiles).

Note that paint performance largely depends on factors such as absorbency, surface texture, application method, and color.

Paints usually have a satin finish (or something between the matte and gloss). They are intended only for indoor use. You can repaint smooth, as well as stylized, wood-like, and wooden surfaces. The big advantage of this decorating solution is the low cost.

Today, there are many color options available for painting cabinets because various paint manufacturers market a vast range of hues. Thus, you will definitely find a color you like and one that matches the current style of your kitchen.

Sometimes you may like it on the color chart or paint sample, but when you are painting cabinet doors with the color you may find it too bold and difficult to live with. So don’t forget to test the colors out before you make a commitment.

The paint colors should be carefully chosen to complement each other and their tones should balance. For example, if you think there are too many variations for your taste you could use just white and two accent colors.

For example, painted cabinets in a country-style kitchen would look fantastic when you use many of the vintage tones like blue, green, or red. On the other hand, most modern-looking kitchens are going to usually need greys and taupes, and sandy hues.

Paint colors can certainly be blended and matched as each and every cabinet does not need to have exactly the same color scheme.

Also, a touch of illuminating paint color will brighten and open up space.

Very often, people who decide to do their own furniture renovation projects are wondering what paint for white surfaces will be best. In this case, the task is much easier if you want to paint the cabinet doors in vanilla or grey colors.

However, if you want to replace the white with a dark color, you should take into account the need to apply several layers of paint so that the white underneath is not visible.

It may not be easy to paint modern furniture with high gloss. But if you use special spray paint, it will make the application more convenient and significantly reduce your working time.

After you’ve selected the paint you like, it’s time to get to the actual work.

Follow these basic instructions to help you with painting cabinets:

Old and damaged cabinet doors can be easily coated with new paint. To do this, unscrew all the components and grind the previous coating with abrasive sandpaper. The easiest way to do this is by using a sander.

Surface abrasion is important because if you don’t give it the right roughness, the new layer of paint will not get the proper adhesion. And this may result in chipping and peeling off.

The remaining old paint can be removed with a solvent, and then the whole thing must be cleaned. You can coat the smooth and degreased surface with durable enamel.

If you intend to change the color of the cabinets completely or get a much brighter color, you must use a white primer before painting. This will make the top layer hold better. Only then apply paint, in several layers, until you achieve the perfect coating. Also, when purchasing a primer, choose one that is suitable for your cabinet’s material, such as, for wood, laminate, or MDF.

If the cabinet doors have minor defects on the surface, or if you want to change the fixed handles from two points to a single point, cover the holes using a putty knife. Once dry, the areas must be sanded again.

But not all surfaces and materials can be sanded and painted again. A good and quick solution will be then to cover the doors with a furniture veneer. This is a recommended way to radically change smooth surfaces. Thus, you can get a new texture and sophisticated patterns on the cabinet fronts.

If you’re using paint in a spray, it’s good advice to take the cabinet doors off and spray them outside.

Don’t forget to paint the inside of the doors as well. Then you just have to paint the boxes and trim with a brush.

Protection of the painted surface

To protect the cabinets after painting, allow the surfaces to dry completely. But if necessary, apply further coats of paint.

The last step is adding the extras. Small details, such as knobs or handles, can change the appearance of the cabinets and the style of the whole kitchen.

You should remember that a radical change in appearance will be possible only after changing the color of the cupboards. So don’t be afraid of bold ideas! After some time you can update and renew the furniture again. It’s because this method of renovation is relatively inexpensive compared to replacing the entire kitchen furniture.

BONUS TIP

By default, after using them for a while, all kitchen cabinets will start to lose their luster. If you don’t have in mind thoroughly repainting your kitchen cabinets, you can shine them up by using car wax. Apply a large amount of car wax to a cloth (e.g. a towel). In a circular motion, wipe the surfaces down. You will notice how shiny and bright your cabinets appear.