Best paint(and method) to repaint kitchen cupboards

[Midlifestylecrisis]

My current cupboards are hand painted shaker style, however they are getting very grubby after many years’ use. Condition wise they are OK, so I’m wondering about repainting.

Any views on the best ways of getting this done and also which paints are least likely to chip? Do I have to have all the doors taken away and re sprayed or is the wok done in situ?

thanks for any help!

I've always painted my kitchen cupboards myself - much cheaper and easier, though to be fair I'm not a perfectionist!

Usual advice is to take the doors
off, though I've never had room to do this. Take handles off, clean with a good degreaser, sand lightly.

Then you've got a choice of products. My preference is to use a good primer (zinsser or little greene intelligent asp) then a low vocal eggshell or satin. Two or three coats, lightly sand between coats if you can be arsed. Try to leave a good long time to cure between coats and after. I've never had problems with chipping etc.

You can get one coat cupboard paints, or mineral paints that don't need a primer. I haven't found these as longwearing but they are quicker.

Sorry, low VOC paint, not vocal! You don't want smelly chemical paint fumes hanging round your kitchen...

I'm going to be painting mine this weekend using this, which apparently needs no primer. I will report back! rustoleumcolours.co.uk/shop-by-project/kitchen-cupboards/?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwoJa2BhBPEiwA0l0ImGiEO8hAy2e1cEbyhzGN3z1_bjNXmwBVbaaOadFyjZo18k3YedPtDBoCqTEQAvD_BwE

We used the Rustoleum kitchen cupboard paint and a small foam roller. A small brush for some fiddly bits. Still looks good after a couple of years. Make sure you clean everything really well beforehand.

I paint quite well but wouldn’t feel skilled enough to try this and would get them sprayed by a professional. I only recently learned that is a thing. That would probably be more expensive than DIY but less expensive than messing it up, cleaning it off and then getting a sprayer in.

Second the fact that you need a really good primer - I use Zinssers.

Thank you for the really helpful advice - I’m definitely not skilled enough to try this myself so would need to go down the professional route I think!

I recently painted my DC wardrobes with Frenchic paint and on the Facebook group lots of people use it for kitchens. No primer is needed but you do need to clean with sugar soap (or similar) to remove the grease and sand beforehand.

I once boasted to a builder friend that I have always done all my own painting, and he replied, "If you can piss you can paint". Which was a bit deflating but it honestly does not require great skills to paint kitchen cupboards. What can actually go wrong? If you leave drips you just sand them down and touch up. And you can just do one at a time, rather than have it as one huge operation. I painted my last kitchen with a toddler on my hip..

Hand me a drill, though, and I go to pieces...