Painting kitchen cabinets is one of the most economical and time-saving way to give your tired kitchen an all new makeover. Painting the kitchen cabinets can effectively remodel the kitchen, and if you take the time to do it right, you can achieve the professional look without much hassles.

Your kitchen cabinets are subject to a lot of wear and tear as they are continuously used throughout the day. As a result, they begin to look dull and dirty after some time. Many people may think of buying new kitchen cabinets in such a case. However, rather than investing your precious money in brand new cabinets, you can instead renovate the entire kitchen area by simple painting them. You will just need to have a systematic plan and some time. This work can easily be completed over a weekend.

What all will you need:

First off, you need to purchase the right paint. A good quality washable paint must be preferably used. Paints are available in a number of colours and high gloss to even semi gloss finish, which is entirely up to you. You will also need sand paper, paint brush and a primer. Apart from this, rubber gloves will also be needed to protect your hands. Rather than purchasing all new hardware, you can borrow it or use the old ones, as new hardware is pretty expensive.

To begin:

You should start by dismantling all the cabinets. Remove all the hardware and door knobs, hinges, and screws etc. that are attached on the faces of cabinets. Clean the cabinets with a warm soapy water solution to get rid of accumulated oil and grease. After this is done, use the sand paper to wipe the surfaces that are to be painted. It would make the surface rough, so that the paint may adhere easily.

How to paint:

Begin by applying some coats of an enamel primer. For the main paint, you can choose a lighter shade as it brightens up the kitchen area and also makes it look more spacious. Before applying the paint, dilute it by about 10%.

All the cabinet doors can then be painted by laying them flat down in an airy room. Always begin with painting the least accessible areas first and then work toward the outer parts. Also, it is always a good idea to paint surfaces horizontally. After one side is thoroughly dried, flip over and paint the other side.

You must apply at least 2 coats of paint, and if you have time and energy you can even go for 3. Applying a number of thin coats is always better than applying one thick coat. Most importantly, all the faces of the cabinets must have consistent and unidirectional strokes; otherwise the surfaces will look messy.

After the painting is done, you can clean the knobs and hinges by using mineral spirits. You can even replace them if they look very dirty. Overall, painting kitchen cabinets will be the most economical way to give your kitchen a brand new look.