Do I paint my kitchen cabinets? I need your opinion!!!
I know your first reaction may be to "save the wood"....but my cabinets are pretty nicked in some places and I wonder if it would be better to paint them? They are over 17 years old and have been "well loved and used".
I love the creamy white color of cabinets with bronze pulls and I would love your opinions! Would it give my kitchen a fun update or "what if"....knotty pine comes back in style???? Is that like wishing mom jeans would come back in style? Help!!!!
Paint or NOT?
I have created a clipboard with many of your kitchen transformations as my inspiration! If I didn't include yours, let me know. They have been awesome inspiration and are helping me make up my mind! Here is the link to the clipboard: http://www.hometalk.com/diy/-57a1p9smop/board/148236. Follow along!
Sorry for the rough pics. I do not take many pic's in my kitchen! Help!
I love the creamy white color of cabinets with bronze pulls and I would love your opinions! Would it give my kitchen a fun update or "what if"....knotty pine comes back in style???? Is that like wishing mom jeans would come back in style? Help!!!!
Paint or NOT?
I have created a clipboard with many of your kitchen transformations as my inspiration! If I didn't include yours, let me know. They have been awesome inspiration and are helping me make up my mind! Here is the link to the clipboard: http://www.hometalk.com/diy/-57a1p9smop/board/148236. Follow along!
Sorry for the rough pics. I do not take many pic's in my kitchen! Help!
To paint or not?
Would love your opinion!
Nice lighting in this pic? I would be changing wall color as well! Eeeeekk! Help me!
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I would not paint them. Only because painted cabinets, unless professional done, do not have a strong finish. I would paint the wood around the window, remove the doors on the upper cabinets that separate the rooms and change the knobs. The wall color could be changed to a more grayish green. (budget reno).
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Yes definitely paint them, but do it right. It will be more work, but will last for years. I have done this myself, so I do know what I am talking about. Since your heart longs to get rid of the knotty pine, do it. I have never once regretted painting wooden pieces. Prep and the right products are the key to having your paint job hold up. Here are the steps for the best result. 1. Choose a area to paint in--spare bedroom, den, garage, basement--somewhere that no kids or pets use. Set up a work surface--old or folding table, saw horses with plywood. Have enough surface space if possible to lay out all your doors and drawers. Otherwise, you will have to rotate and this will take longer. If needed, rent some saw horses and buy large thick appliance boxes to use instead of plywood. You can return the saw horses and toss the boxes. 2. Make a drawing of your kitchen with each door and drawer on it and give it a number. Remove doors from cabinets one at a time. Remove all the hinges and knobs. Write that # (make it small) from your chart on each door where the hinge was. Very important for when you go to replace the doors. Do not paint over your #. It will be covered by your hinge. Write the # of the drawers on the bottom. 3. Wash all surfaces to be painted with TSP or something similar to remove grease. 4. If cabinets have rough or pitted areas, lightly sand those areas smooth. You do not need to sand all the surfaces if you use liquid sandpaper. This product makes the surface tacky and helps the primer stick. Follow the directions carefully and use plenty. 4. This is where you will probably balk, but use oil based paint & primer. I know people will tell you that latex is just as good, but if you want durability, go with oil. It is harder to clean up and takes longer to dry, but it is worth it if you want all your hard work to last. I prefer a satin or eggshell finish for a soft sheen, but you can go semi-gloss for a shinier surface. Since it is oil based either will clean up just fine. Use a good quality brush-made for oil paint-to trim out small areas, then use a smooth foam roller -make sure it works with oil- to cover the main portion of the surface. Do this for both the primer and paint. With oil, only paint one side at a time and let dry about 24 hrs. (or according to the directions) I prefer to do the back sides of the doors first--2 coats, and then turn them over and do the front. Everything needs 2 coats--primer and paint. Be sure to check the underside of your doors and drawers as you paint to make sure that there are no drips running to the other side or just run a separate brush or roller over the underside edge to smooth any drips. 5. If any coat does not feel or look smooth after it is dry, lightly sand before applying the next coat. 6. Don't rush the drying process. It may take a few weeks to get all the doors done on both sides, but what is a couple of weeks compared to years of enjoying a great paint job? 7. When your paint is completely dry, use a white polishing pad--this is a woven pad that is actually a ultra fine sanding pad. Do not use anything with color as this will sometimes rub off on your light cabinets. This will polish your cabinets and give a wonderful smooth surface. 8. Replace or reattach hardware and mount doors back according to your chart and the #'s you wrote on your doors. 9. Stand back and admire your beautiful 'new' cabinets.
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