Painting Your Kitchen Cabinets Like A Pro
Photo by Guild Anderson Furniture Limited
There is no quicker way to transform the look of your kitchen than by painting your cabinets. Not only is it an affordable alternative to a full remodel, but it is also quicker and produces less mess. Picking the perfect paint color for your kitchen cabinets is the first step, but after that you’ll want to read our tips so you know how to achieve that smooth, professional-looking finish.
Picking a Cabinet Paint
You’ll want to look for a water-based paint designed specifically for painting cabinets. These paints are typically 100% acrylic and specially formulated to give you a smooth, durable finish. While you’re purchasing your paint go ahead and buy a good quality brush with an angle that will get in all of the inset portions of your cabinetry.
Preparing Your Kitchen Cabinets for Paint
Just like with any painting project the preparation phase plays a huge role in the quality and durability of your finish. Set yourself up for success by taking extra time at this stage of the process!
Being by removing the doors and drawers from cabinet boxes. Next, clean your cabinets thoroughly with soap and water. It might be necessary to use a degreaser to remove built up grease or residue. Remember, a clean surface is crucial for a smooth, durable finish!
Using 100-grit sandpaper on doors, drawers, and cabinet faces rough up the surface to prepare it for primer. Primer should always be applied in the direction of the wood grain. If your cabinets have a heavy wood grain you want covered up look for a high build sandable primer. You might need two coats of primer to fill in the grain depending on your cabinets. Once dried, sand the primed cabinets prior to painting. Finish your prep work by vacuuming and wiping down all surfaces with a tack cloth to remove any remaining dust.
Prep work is the most time consuming part of painting your kitchen cabinets. Once you’ve finished this step congratulate yourself on taking the time to do the job right before moving onto the most exciting part!
Paint Your Kitchen Cabinets
Just like when you were applying the primer, you’ll want to paint in the direction of the wood grain. Always allow your cabinet doors and drawers to dry flat to avoid an drips before applying a second coat!
Give your cabinets plenty of time to dry before reinstalling doors and drawers. (Check your paint’s instructions for drying times.) You may be tempted to put your kitchen back together right away, but giving paint the time it needs to fully cure will protect all of your hard work from smudges or scrapes. Once your cabinets are reassembled step back and admire your new kitchen!
If you have any questions or would like help transforming your Northern Virginia kitchen with paint, don’t hesitate to give us a call!
