Can I do a DIY makeover on my cabinets to make them a lighter color?

Jamie
by Jamie

I would like to lighten my cabinets in my kitchen to make the room brighter.I have a company from Home Depot coming over on Monday to give me a quote . However, can this be done on my own and actually look nice ?!? Any suggestions would be great . I know they sell a kit at HD , but do they really work and look like they were professionally done ? Or is there another way ? TIA

Here’s my kitchen now.

And the gray (or something like it) that I would like it to be .

  10 answers
  • Kathy Gunter Law Kathy Gunter Law on Jul 05, 2019

    You can definitely DIY this job. It will depend on what you want the finished product to look like as well as your skill level and the amount of time you are willing to spend. There are several projects on here as well as other resources that spell out what to do if you decide to take the task on yourself.

    • See 1 previous
    • Kathy Gunter Law Kathy Gunter Law on Jul 08, 2019

      At the top there is a "find your next project". Type in what you are looking for there. You can also choose to look at questions others have asked. I've seen several helpful posts on the kitchen cabinet subject.

      One thing I would add is to make sure you use something like painter's tape to number your cabinets as well as where they go.

      Also, get a large container to hold all your hardware. It's amazing how that can go missing and you don't want to be hunting screws.

      Do some research for the best paint. There are some made for cabinets. I did white several years ago and it looked nice as well as held up. However, when I finally replaced the cabinets I opted for wood stain because the white is a difficult upkeep for me.


  • Pjo26908388 Pjo26908388 on Jul 05, 2019

    Your kitchen cabinets have nice lines making it a great area to paint. Decide what you like and follow the proper steps. It takes a while to do but it will transform your kitchen. There are many techniques and meathid for painting In sure you'll find just the one to accent your room nicely. Adding new hardware is a great update too.

    • Jamie Jamie on Jul 07, 2019

      I definitely want to update the appliances soon too !

  • Johnavallance82 Johnavallance82 on Jul 05, 2019

    HELLO jAMIE,

    Yes you can - Use Iron on Veneer, or paint using Paint Roller Pro (No Brush marks) and Satin finish paint.

  • Kmdreamer Kmdreamer on Jul 05, 2019

    You could just paint or white wash them

  • Janice Janice on Jul 05, 2019

    Certainly you can do it on your own and much less expensively, however, remember that the prep work is key to getting great results. It is a time consuming project. You can find many inspiring tutorials on youtube.com If you watch a few of those, you'll be better able to decide if you're up to the task. And if you've done a lot of diy's you know that whatever time you estimate it will take, it will take longer. Once you have an estimate from a pro, you'll be able to make an informed decision. Good luck on whatever route you decide to take.

  • Gk Gk on Jul 05, 2019

    I wouldn't spend the money to reface them. I would either paint the cabinets, white wash them or sand and restain in a different color and then add poly as your finish coat. It doesn't look like you have that many cabinets. Painting would take less time than sanding and restaining. They are fairly light right now. I don't know how much lighter you can get with refacing.

    • Jamie Jamie on Jul 07, 2019

      Doesn’t it look streaky and fake when you just paint them ?

  • Pat Pat on Jul 05, 2019

    I think your wall paint and your back splash are making your kitchen dark. Even the window treatment is not helping any. I would put under cabinet lights to light up your work space. A lighter backs plash...maybe white or cream of some kind that looks good with your counter top. Then paint the walls white to brighten things up. Can't see your floors so no comment there. You could put new pulls on your cupboards....maybe black to match the counter.

    • Jamie Jamie on Jul 07, 2019

      What are pulls ? And I have lights under the cabinets that turn on when you pass by ... and ya , maybe I will remove the curtain and put back in the winter. I was planning on painting my walls gray but then I used the Home Depot app and they looked weird . Wouldn’t it be a big job to change out the backsplash?

  • Johnavallance82 Johnavallance82 on Jul 07, 2019

    Hello again Jamie,

    Iron on Veneer is ( thin wood you can iron on as it has a glue on the back of it when you peel off the foil) Hope that helps. You could also Paint the doors in a colour and while still wet use a graining tool on outside frame or stiff dry brush to get the effect.

  • William William on Jul 07, 2019

    You can do it yourself. Lots of ways and tips from other Hometalkers.


    https://www.hometalk.com/search/posts?filter=paint%20cabinets

  • Gk Gk on Jul 07, 2019

    Some people like the painted look Jamie. If you do a good prep job and use a good quality paint they don't look streaky or fake. But if you prefer the wood then painting them probably isn't an option for you. It all depends on what you'd like to see in your kitchen. I had medium oak cabinets for many years and I have painted them twice. First time I painted them a dark cranberry red and then I stripped them and painted them a medium gray. I loved the red and still love the gray! I have a difficult time trying to match wood look flooring and wood cabinets so it looks good to my eye so I opted for the painted cabinets. I am just not good at matching woods. I find that it's much easier on my eye to not have so much wood.