Refinish kitchen cabinets- How can i inexpensively update these?

Lst22839317
by Lst22839317
i have kitchen cabinets from the early 1980s they are flat with a wood trim at the bottom of upper cabinets and top of lowers. Totally UGLY! How can i inexpensively update these?

  5 answers
  • William William on Nov 16, 2017

    Paint is the easiest and cheapest.

    Make sure they are clean and dry. Remove the doors and hardware. Mark the doors and cabinets with tape where they go. Lightly sand the doors and cabinets to remove any gloss and roughen the surface for paint with 120- to 220-grit sandpaper. Use a tack cloth or damp rag to remove dust after sanding. Prime with a stain blocking primer like Zinsser 123, KILZ,or BIN and have it tinted to the color of the top coat. This will prevent dark or stained surfaces from showing through the top coat. Acrylic, or water-base, paints are low-fume and clean up easily with water. Alkyd, or oil-base, paints require good ventilation because the paint contains solvents that can irritate your lungs and make you feel sick. Alkyd options require mineral spirits for cleanup, but they provide a hard, durable paint finish. Whichever you use, buy the best-quality paint you can afford for a lasting kitchen cabinet finish. Seal with at least three coats with a water based polyurethane. Use a small foam roller and foam brush for a smooth finish.

  • Tinyshoes Tinyshoes on Nov 16, 2017

    I primed and painted. Will also need to sand. Mine were dark stained wood and now a pale beige. Look pretty good!

  • Lst22839317 Lst22839317 on Nov 17, 2017

    Snapped a picture this morning. -- what can i do especially with the 'wood trim'

  • The trim can be painted or stained another color. You will have to do some sanding first.

  • Michelle Leslie Michelle Leslie on Sep 25, 2022

    Hi there, I prefer paint to stain. An excellent paint job can feel completely different if you add handles after painting. If you paint the inside and out, you will be ready for doors if you decide to go one step further. Use the primer paints to get one coat coverage, no matter the color you try to hide.