Painting my kitchen cupboards

Dd and SiL painted some really horrible old dark brown melamine cupboards in the kitchen of their ‘new’ house. They used pale cream special cupboard paint and the transformation was amazing.

The kitchen was eventually going, since they had an extension a couple of years later, but it lasted well until then. I guess the key is good prep - I did similar with cupboard paint on some horrible melamine wardrobes - 10 years on and still fine, but of course bedrooms are going to have less hard wear than kitchens.

It's a lovely colour you have on the units.

Thank you. I do love my kitchen. 😊

That looks really good!!

We used Dulux satin finish for wood. Easily cleaned and hard wearing.

I would also recommend using a little roller to paint with.. you get a much better finish than with a brush.. I used a satin finish paint..

Thank you all for your good advice! Now I’m waiting for the rain to stop for a length of time to get on with it. I have a tiny house near Bodmin Moor so need to do it outside if it ever stops…

You could come home with more than a tin of paint!

You could come home with more than a tin of paint!

I think it's called 'the one' or something.

Oh no MissAdventure do I have to sidle up to a nice young man at B&Q and let him know that I'm looking for the one....

I didn't do any preparation at all, as per usual.
One minute I was in the kitchen, the next I had a paintbrush in hand, doing a revamp.

Cfaz49

I would like to paint my kitchen cupboards and a dresser. Has anyone done this? What sort of paint did you use and how has it stood up to being cl

We've painted old cupboards in our holiday home and in several rentals. I wash carefully, sand the varnish off the wood, wash again, sand again, dust off, prime, then paint 2-3 coats, then seal. Holds up to weekly wash down.

Half our home kitchen is very old, left as varnished carved walnut the new half is painted white which I can re-do as necessary. Sounds daft, but mix of cupboards seems to have come into style (not why we mixed, we're not stylish).

When I renovated my kitchen I got painted doors, with a view to keeping them forever and painting if and when they start to look shabby or if I fancy a change. The previous ones were varnished wood, which would have been more difficult to paint.

What do you me by conatnt cleaning. I only give kitchen cupboards a light wipe every week, plus extra if anything really spills on them.

We painted our kitchen cupboards about 15 years ago and repaint them every 5 years, We use ordinary eggshell finish paint.

Agreed that preparation is everything. A neighbour omitted this stage and painted hers bright green very badly and they look dreadful.

My husband prepared ours all thoroughly inside and out and took months painting them because he did inside and out each door twice. We have a lot of doors. We were just going to have replacement doors but ours are not a standard size.

I use Dixiebelle Mineral paint for any cupboards/furniture now as it's really good quality and is so easy to get a good finish.
I was considering painting my utility units too, as I like the thought of a soft buttery lemon colour and would struggle to find ready made doors in that shade! Perhaps Cfaz49you could buy a pot to try on a little table or chest to see if it's for you? Prepare to become addicted

I think any doors can be painted, but the crucial thing is knowing what they are made of and how they have been treated/finished. If they are painted wood, it would be relatively easy, but less so if they have been varnished, for instance. If they are wrapped, then they will have to be carefully prepped by removing the wrapping. Melamine or similar will need a suitable primer.

I painted a wooden table using Frenchic paint. I cleaned it with with sugar soap first then applied three coats, letting each one dry before applying the next. It was very successful, but the table was an old IKEA one that I wouldn't have minded losing if it hadn't worked. Kitchen cabinets are a much bigger risk.

I used Frenchic Alfresco paint. It isn't cheap but it's lovely paint to use and covers really well. There are videos online for Frenchic demonstrating exactly how to paint cupboards

There is a paint that comes really highly recommended as better than those made for cabinets and far more expensive.
I think it's called 'the one' or something.

I painted my kitchen cupboards with floor paint that I had knocking around, and it did a very good job, smoothing and covering all the flaws.

Preparation and finish is key. You will find lots of information and step by step videos on restoring furniture on YouTube. Good luck with your project it’s very rewarding.

Ah Cosmos, crossed posts! Mine was fine.

Years ago when money was tight and the kitchen cupboards needed a freshen up, I used good old Woolworths Household paint. It worked a treat and lasted until we could afford a new kitchen.
I think if you clean them well and use a good paint, most things will work.
Have you thought about Chalk paint? I used some on a small cloakroom radiator, then waxed it and it has been brilliant.

If the doors are made of wood you could use any paint suitable for wood. You would have to make sure they were free of grease and prime them first.

I have used Rustoleum satin finish furniture paint on a few pieces of furniture. They have some lovely colours now. The paint is water based and dries within an hour, though it takes a while to cure properly. The same goes for FrenchChic paint which is very popular at the moment.

I have also sprayed metal handles on furniture with satin black spray paint

You can also buy a kit from Zinnster paints which is specifically for kitchen cupboards. I believe you can have the paint tinted to any colour (including Farrow and Ball shades)

www.decoratingcentreonline.co.uk/kitchen-cupboard-bundle-dco.html

Whilst water based paints are quick and easy to use they are not as hard wearing as oil based paints.

I know someone who had vinyl wrapped kitchen doors. They were peeling around the edges. Apparently, using a hairdryer to soften the vinyl wrap, it was possible to peel it off in one sheet. The doors were mdf underneath. They used a primer and then two or three coats of paint. They look great.

I have considered painting my wooden kitchen doors but the part that worries me is the side/end panels which are not wood. They are melamine or something similar and they need to be primed first.

I would not recommend any kind of chalk paint. IMO it looks cheap and does stand up to wear and tear.

Good preparation and a primer paint specially made for wood.

Oh yes, good preparation is important. But I didn't use any sealant afterwards.