An easy, quick and inexpensive way to ‘bring your kitchen to life’ is to give the cabinets a new look by changing their colour and handles. If your cabinets are in good condition but their colour has faded over the years, or is simply dull, you can transform them easily, without the help of a professional!
Before you start, make sure the surfaces you want to paint can be treated. Solid wood and veneer cabinets can be painted, whereas laminate and melamine surfaces cannot be treated. In that case, you will need to call in a professional to apply a new layer of veneer to the surface.
Follow the steps in this guide on ‘how to refresh your kitchen cabinets’ for an immediate result.
You will need the following materials: a cleaner for wooden surfaces, wood filler, sandpaper (150 and 220 grit), a small foam roller and tray, wood primer, wood paint (in the colour of your choice), cardboard sheeting, plastic covering film and masking tape.
We should stress here that you need to choose high-quality, durable paints to avoid the colour peeling over time.
STEP 1
Remove the knobs, hinges and fittings from the cabinets. If you are not going to fit new knobs and hinges, keep the ones you have just removed, marking the cabinets so that you remember where each one goes back.
STEP 2
Clean the cabinet frames, doors and drawers with a suitable cleaner and let them dry thoroughly. If you are going to fit new knobs and hinges, fill the existing holes with wood filler. Once the filler has dried, lightly sand the surfaces with fine sandpaper (150 grit) to roughen them, then remove the dust with a vacuum cleaner, wiping up any residue with a damp cloth.
STEP 3
Prepare the room for painting. Cover the floor with cardboard and the worktop with plastic film, and apply masking tape around the cabinets to be painted.
STEP 4
Start painting by applying one coat of primer to the surfaces with a small foam roller. You can paint just the outside of the cabinets, or use a brush to paint the inside as well. Once they have dried thoroughly, roll on a coat of paint in the colour of your choice. When it has dried, lightly sand the surfaces with fine sandpaper (220 grit) and remove the dust with a damp cloth. Finally, apply a second coat of paint to the cabinet frames, doors and drawers and leave them to dry.
STEP 5
Refit your old knobs, hinges and fittings in their original positions. For an instant refresh, we would suggest replacing the knobs and hinges with new ones. In that case you will need to drill new holes in the cabinets and doors, or you can buy hinges and knobs in the same size as the old ones you removed.
Source: http://www.sunset.com/
