Has anyone successfully painted kitchen cupboards?

[LuLloyd]

We are moving next week. The kitchen cupboards in our new place are bare wood. Eventually we will have a new kitchen but in the mean time I’d like to paint it a pale grey.

Any success stories of painting kitchen cupboards? And what paint is best to use?

[loveisagirlnameddaisy]

Never done it myself but I've seen plenty of other people do it. If they're bare wood, just treat them like any other bare wood? Undercoat and paint?

[Ifailed]

I have. I would suggest some kind of clear varnish on top, other wise I found the paint started getting chipped off around handles (which I also replaced with new ones)

[Blodplod]

I painted a whole kitchen about 7 years ago. It was bare wood and I wouldn't be getting a new kitchen for 3-4 years so I spruced up the very old existing one. My mistake was not to clean properly first (sugar soap I presume) to get rid of existing grease. I primed it using a really good primer zinsser (not sure how it's spelt!). It's expensive compared to others but in a league of its own and saves you from having to rub down the wood. I used The Little Greene Paint co paint in Kitchen Green (). You obviously need to buy paint that's durable for a kitchen so look at different brands for advice. Matt rather than gloss. It took me about 2 weeks to complete, not literally all day everyday but I put doors on an old dining table to dry between each coat and could only dry 2 doors at a time. I loved my kitchen afterwards. It totally transformed it. So in essence, clean wood, use a good primer, buy a suitable paint and go for it!

[steppemum]

yes. Ours are now cream, there is wood underneath.

I took them off and used an electric sander.
I was going to use cupboard door paint, but in the end used kitchen and bathroom paintfor wood, becuase it had a matt finish.

It has worked well, being cream they do show the dirt more than the wood. It has worn badly in a couple of places, the strip just above the cutlery drawer, where we obviousy bash it as we chuck the cutlery in. (kids unpack dishwasher!) and there is a place which gets splashed with tea etc and is hard to keep clean, but that is colour rather than the fatc it is painted.

a year after I did it, I did scrub it all down and then touch it up as there were a lot of chips, I sort of thought I would have to do this every summer, but it hasn't chipped again in those places, maybe we didn't leave it long enough for the paint to harden at the beginning.

Overall I am really pleased with it, and it has been a success, veyr old but still sound kitchen, repainted and new handles, made it look very modern and fresh.

[Blodplod]

Also regards paint when when got our new kitchen they painted it with Tikkurila paint. You might need to phone up and ask which is best to use for your kitchen units as the products may have changed. They colour matched (I had French grey from Farrow and Ball), so you can choose a colour you like and get them to colour match. I've done a quick google and it seems this paint is used by many kitchen painters.

[Ridingthegravytrain]

I used satinwood paint and smoothed it with a mini gloss roller. The result was fab with no brush strokes

[Mommasoph30]

also there is Vinyl wrapped kitchens - have a google i think these will last better than paint

[PenelopeFlintstone]

I did my flat doors in situ with a small roller. I was ready for the long haul but it was finished before lunch!

[Maudlinmaud]

I has mine sprayed about 6/7 years ago and changed the handles. Loved it and still do but it's chipping quite badly in places.
I went for a soft chalky colour and the only thing I regret is that it's very difficult to keep clean. I am very tempted at the momental to repaint it myself and I've been looking at greys thinking they are more practical.

[User5trillion]

We did but used a professional spray company, cost about £1200 and looks amazing. Wouldn't do it myself.

[whiskyowl]

Definitely check that it's bare wood - it would be quite unusual to use untreated wood in a kitchen. It marks very easily. I'd be willing to bet it's been varnished or oiled at least. If it has, that coat should probably come off before you repaint.

[dontcallmelen]

I have done mine several times times, used F&B littlegreene & Mylands.
IMO the Mylands has lasted the best & was the easiest, covered really well & gave a super smooth finish(eggshell finish).
If your cupboards are bare wood, i would wash with sugar soap make sure they are fully dried & undercoat with zinsser, topcoat with eggshell.

[Nandoshoes]

Ohhhh great thread


I'm just about to paint some melamime (I think that's it ) cupboards. I'm going to use this paint from b&q for it. IM SCARED ! www.diy.com/departments/v33-renovation-carbon-smooth-satin-kitchen-cupboard-cabinet-paint-750-ml/1286514_BQ.prd?ppc_type=shopping&ds_kids=92700020373458828&utm_source=google_cpc&utm_medium=shopping&utm_campaign=PX_GSC_Home_and_Decor_BandQ&gclid=CjwKCAjwmqHPBRBQEiwAOvbR84zDH0mgZMOJZtNlywkbJaDwwU4SzaAynro0Tg6rBJcmWZAJUkp1HBoCceQQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds&dclid=CN6Bt73k_NYCFQiIUQodkekJTQ

[NotMeNoNo]

Look up the traditionalpainter.com website, everything you want to know.
You need good preparation, primer and durable eggshell paint. I would not skimp on these. But it's a very satisfying project.

Best results I've had is Little Greene oil based eggshell put on with a foam roller, laid off with a brush.

[NotMeNoNo]

Also try a decorators merchant like Brewers for professional quality paint, not B&Q.

[Blodplod]

Second the brewers comment above.. whilst I love farrow and ball colours it's alledged to be shite paint from decorators and architects worldwide. Find a good manufacturer of paint and paint match. We bought all our 'farrow and ball' paint from brewers colour matched. Far more resilient paint.

[butterfly56]

Yes did this in a couple of kitchens always sugar soaped the door.
Used a good quality brush and a satinwood finish which always looked great.

[Humptynumpty02]

"Also regards paint when when got our new kitchen they painted it with Tikkurila paint"

I'm someone mentioned this, proper paint. Without sounding too patronising, most people would have glossed over this post as it's not one of the household names but that's a mistake, this stuff is the doggies dangles. It's also referred to as Feelings Furniture paint and we've used it on a rescue job on a wardrobe we hàd made recently which the painter subsequently completely ruined. He used Dulux Trade Diamond Eggshell, what garbage that was, finish was shocking and it marked up so easily, very poor. So I researched to death and came across Feelings as it was being talked up by many kitchen decorators. It's only available from a single source from what I can tell, super fast delivery and it's a joy to work with. Colour matched to any F&B etc and it's tough as old boots, I was putting up the hanging rails and accidentally dropped a screwdriver on it from just shy of 6ft and not a blemish. 3 weeks on and not a single mark.

I just wish I had found this stuff before i painted most of the woodwork in our house with F&B which is already starting to wear quicker than in was expecting.

[Blodplod]

@humptynumpty02, the tikkurila paint is in fact the dogs.. my kitchen doesn't even look hand painted. I know it was hand painted because a lovely lady called Lucy spent two weeks doing it. Although if I hadn't seen her in my house I would have thought it had been spray painted. It's that good. Obviously the finish is down to skill of the painter and the brushes etc but most certainly the paint took most of the strain! It is awesome and after years painting furniture in F&B or little Greene, Annie Sloan etc I'll now never use anything else apart from the Tikkurila. I've added a pic of my island, I know it's hard to see finish from a photo but I don't think this looks hand painted.

[sukitea]

After you paint you need a clear water based varnish, otherwise it will chip fairly quickly.

[jamaisjedors]

Some good tips about doing this on the young house love blog/site.

Painting doors can be a real faff because of all the turning.

[timeismovingon]

I am having my kitchen painted as we speak! The doors are already painted so are being lightly sanded and re done. The kitchen isn't great quality to be honest but I don't want to buy a new one so am tarting it up.

I am using Little and Greene oil egg shell. I've read that L&G is better than F&B for things like kitchen cupboards.

[jamaisjedors]

SIL had hers sprayed and they look great.

[Blodplod]

Has the OP painted herself into a corner? 2 days worth of advice sans no word since?

[HamSandWitches]

My DPs have just done theirs and it looks great, was a good quality antique pine kitchen which is now a creamy grey colour. They removed every door prepped them, painted and then added new handles then replaced the flooring. It looks like a brand new kitchen. Not sure what brand it was but it was the one designed for kitchen cupboards.They said the cipbaords they had were solid and good quality so didn't want to replace them with a cheap kitchen but they were looking a bit dated