Painting Kitchen cupboard doors

[MrsZoidberg]

We have a handbuilt kitchen but its been there for 15 years and it is dated and very tired looking.

I like the layout but want to smarten up the look. It's quite a dark wood, and I think it makes the room dark so wanted a nice new cream kitchen. The frames are very solidly built so I'd rather not replace them, also if I replaced the kitchen I would have to replace the granite worktops - which would put it out of our budget. Handmade = not standard sizes! so I can't just replace the doors, so we wondered about painting them.

I think the doors are oiled rather than varnished (how do I tell??) so is it possible to paint them and what would I have to do to the wood to prepare it?

Thanks in advance

I would think you should take them off, and sand them down. Then paint them.

Being the proud owner of a cream kitchen though - I would advise against it! Bloody filthy every single day! Bane of my life that kitchen!

If you sand it down and find that it was varnish and the wood is lighter underneath, I would be tempted to wax it and leave it at that.

Once you paint it you won't be able to bring it back to wood (well not easily or well)!

see here

Do you need to paint the whole kitchen - i.e. outsides of cabinets where they show, etc?

I've painted a kitchen before and it is possible, just quite laborious and you do need to be careful and patient. It would be great to give your cabinets a facelift though. And you could choose whatever colour or colours you want.

There is probably some kind of stripper that would take off oil: maybe something from Colron? And then a suitable primer.

Oreocrumbs, so ceam probably not good for a house with 3 long haired mucky dogs? This is the problem, the wood actually looks dirty, but doesn't improve with washing, at least the cream would be washable. I've got a spare door I can practice on - but it does worry me that its a one way decision!

Fossil - What a great link - I just wish I lived in Cheshire! There's quite a bit of "extras" to paint, several panels, twidddly bits between the cupboards. etc, but all floor cupboards. I was intending to paint it myself, but I don't know if I'm a careful enough painter - walls and ceilings no problems, but I'm crap at gloss work.

Its not the even the dogs (4 labs here)! Its the coffee splashes, the egg yolk that drips, the cupboards around the dishwasher and sink that gets splattered....Argh. I. Never. Stop. Washing. Bloody. Cupbaords

Then theres the dogs!!

Mine is a plasticy newbuild fitted kitchen, and I hate it. And then its the ridges where it gets greasy and dusty. It just always looks a bit grubby.

I would never recomend cream kitchens!

Do you know what type of wood it is? If its an oak as an example, with a mid wood colour then I think that is the cleanest looking. Dm's never looks dirty (another mad dog owner).

It might be worth asking a local handyman/decorator for a quote for them to do the work and see what they recomend!

We used to have a shiny white plasticky kitchen - showed everything but at least it was easy to clean.

Our "handmade" one we think was made by the person who converted the barn. He fancied himself as a bit of a carpenter - we've corrected most of his other messes. He also didn't believe in spending money on "unimportant" stuff - i.e. the kitchen that only his "little woman" used.

Now I've studied it a bit, I couldn't even guess what wood / woods were used. Some of the bars are quite light, others quite dark and the inner panels are dark and streaked with too much stain/varnish/oil/whatever. It's not all bad - the end panels are quite nicely done

I have looked at replacing it with a modern kitchen when money is easier, but I love the cupboards in the island - they are soooo deep, and also there are some great drawers around the sink - small square ones, but unlike the ones in modern kitchens, these go all the way back - one will take a roll of foil and a box of sandwich bags end to end with space to spare. I would also have to replace the huge expanse of granite - I wouldn't be able to afford more, so would have to go to a normal worktop.

I had my heart set on a cream kitchen, not only would it brighten the place up, but it's fashionable at the moment - I have never had "fashionable" taste before