DIY Remodel: How to Paint Your Cabinets

If you’re looking to inject some energy into your home, then there are plenty of options available to you. You can change the color of the walls, change the layout of a room, or even give your property a full makeover.

But the truth is that while these tasks will change your home, you don’t necessarily have to do anything quite as grand as a full makeover to breathe life into your living areas. One of the simpler tasks you have available to you is to paint your cabinets. It doesn’t have to be a complicated task and it can really help to transform a room. 

But it’s important to remember that, as with anything, you’ll need to work to get things right. So let’s look at some useful tips that’ll push things in the right direction. 

1. Decide on a Style

Before you jump into painting, or even planning out paint for your project, it’s important to think about your style goals. There are many, many options available to you. Do you want a rustic look, something classic and timeless, or striking and modern? Decide what look you want to go for, and use that to guide your color choices. 

Within a color there are seemingly endless options of shades to choose from. Don’t only look at colors that you like on their own, but also check how well it will coordinate with the other elements in the room. If it doesn’t match the style of your room, then you’ll need to find another color… or you may end up needing to change the entire look of the room to match your cabinets. 

2. Do Your Research 

Painting cabinets sounds like a straightforward DIY project, but it’s more complicated than you might think. You’ll need to do your research beforehand to fully understand what’s involved in the process. Look at what equipment you’ll need – including power and hand sanders, paint protective sheeting, paint rollers and detail brushes, and others.

Research how long the project will take once you have all of the equipment. Plan what time each day you can afford to put towards it. And realize that you will have limited or no access to the room where the cabinets are located. This will allow you to pick the right time to get the project underway.

3. Remember Prep Steps

The steps that every DIY-er looks forward to, the painting, only comes after a lot of preparation steps. You shouldn’t just get a can of paint, paintbrush, and get to work. You’ll need to remove all of the drawers, doors, and any other pieces, and make sure to label and save all of the screws to know where they return later. 

You’ll have to thoroughly clean all of the wood you intend to paint. This can take a long time, especially if your cabinets have had a lot of years of use. Sand down all of the wood to remove any old finish or paint, and make sure you have a smooth surface with no splintering wood. And don’t forget to apply a quality paint primer to make sure the paint takes well to the wood.

4. Leave It To The Pros

The final bit of advice we have is to leave the job to the experts. This DIY project can become a lot more involved if you haven’t done it before. You could warp the wood, or paint over sawdust on the cabinets, which will greatly compromise the final look. If you make a mistake with your cabinets, then you’ll need to pay for them to be repaired or even replaced further down the line.

Depending on your project and what you want out of your cabinets, investing in new, high-quality cabinets might be the right solution. If you want a certain color to change up the look of your cabinets, you can find great custom cabinets designed to work in your space. You can meet your style goals and make sure that the cabinets you get will last for years to come.