Painting Kitchen Cabinets
Tri Coloured Kitchen
The kitchen can be one of the most expensive rooms in the house to renovate. With a little hard, though, you can transform your existing space on a budget by painting your old cabinets. It’s amazing what a fresh coat of paint can do!
When painting cabinets, preparation is one of the most important steps. Take down as many doors and drawers as you can, remove the hardware and give all surfaces a thorough cleaning with a degreaser (ammonia and hot water will work too). Years of cooking and cleaning products can leave behind a residue which may prevent the paint from adhering well to your cabinets, giving you an uneven finish that may peel over time. After the cabinets are clean and dry, sand well with 180-220 grit paper then prime with a high quality wood primer. We always recommend two coats for best coverage. TIP: If you’re using a deeper paint colour don’t forget that most primers can be tinted to match.
Now that all your prep work is finished it’s time for the paint. One of our favourites is Muralo Ultra Waterbourne line of latex enamels. They’re easy to work with, clean up with water and don’t have a strong smell. After the paint cures, it’s just as durable as the traditional oils. Available in satin, semigloss and gloss, it can be tinted to any colour.
Speaking of colour, while white cabinets are classic and timeless this can be a great opportunity to have fun with your design! We love the trendy two tone looks below. TIP: Don’t forget about the hardware. Replacing handles and drawer pulls can instantly update the look of your cabinets.
Funky Combination Of Blue And Green Cabinets
Modern And Clean Kitchen
Designed by Melissa M. Sutherland, CKD, Allied ASID, Photo by Bill LaFevor
Blue And White Cabinets
Deep Blue Cabinets With White Island
3 Responses to “Painting Kitchen Cabinets”
Can Formica (laminate) cabinetry be painted?
Formica cabinets can be painted but because the material is very smooth a lot of prep work is necessary to get the paint to adhere well. Start with a good scrub with ammonia and water to remove any dirt, grease or fingerprints. Sand well with 180 grit sandpaper then prime with a bonding primer like Stix. Two coats are recommended. Once the primer has dried well (leave it for 24 hours) you can follow with your top coat. We would recommended Muralo’s Waterbourne Enamels. Two coats will give you nice coverage. Also, remember that even though the paint will be dry to the touch it will not cure for around 28 days so try to be gentle with your freshly painted cabinets during that time. Hope that helps!
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