How to repaint your disgusting white cabinets (2023)

FAQs

How do you redo badly painted cabinets? ›

This starts with sanding your cabinets to eliminate those brush marks, drips, or other flaws you're seeing. Sanding thoroughly will also help your new paint to better adhere. You don't have to get down to the bare wood. Simply make sure you're eliminating those imperfections, so you have a smooth surface to paint on.

You can paint over white lacquered kitchen cabinets just as long as you do the correct prep work. "Clean," "scuff" and "dry" are the words to remember when you paint over lacquer. A clean surface is critical because paint will not adhere to dirt, dust or grease.

If you don't want to sand before you prime, use some mineral spirits and a rough sponge to clean and lightly rough up the cabinet area you're painting. This doesn't open up the wood cabinet material as much as sanding but does get you some additional grippy area for the primer to adhere to.

Purchase your paint and supplies

I recommend using the Benjamin Moore “ADVANCE” paint and primer. This paint is a water-born Alkyd that dries like oil paint but can be clean with soap and water.

The risk you run with not sanding is that your new paint job will chip almost immediately after it's dried. For most experts, like Dan McRorie of Fitzwater Interiors, creating a smooth, even surface is the single most important part of the project—even if you're going from a stain to a color.

You probably don't need a primer. If the current wall is smooth, clean and covered with the same type of paint (both are oil-based for example), you can head straight for the paint. You need to fill holes, spackle and sand*, maybe even cut a new piece of drywall in to the existing wall.

On the fronts and backs of drawers and doors, you can use a roller. This will apply the paint in a more smooth and even manner and is much faster than only using a paint brush. Then, use a brush for touching up small areas or for hard-to-reach spots.

Can I paint my kitchen cabinets without taking them down? ›

You don't have to remove the cabinet doors to repaint them, so leave them on their hinges if you're not going to replace them. However, it is easier to paint the cabinet's façade with the doors off. You can paint the hinges to match the cabinets or mask them with painter's tape to keep them as they are.

Can you just paint over cabinets or should you strip them? When the existing finish is a clear coat, the best course of action is to strip the finish down to the bare wood before painting. This eliminates a potential adhesion problem between the old finish and the new paint.

Painting over existing paint can make the new cabinet doors too thick, which can cause issues with closing and opening. And if you don't clean the original cabinets, the oils can botch the new paint job. That mean's you'll need to remove all hardware, take cabinet doors off of their hinges, sand, prime, and then paint.

To keep your white cupboards looking bright and fresh, create a cleaning solution with one cup of vinegar, one tablespoon of baking soda, and two cups of warm water. Dip a rag in this solution, wring out the access liquid, then wipe down your cupboards. Do this at least once a month.

You should sand cabinets before beginning your how to paint kitchen cabinet project to give the new paint a good surface to grip. But you don't need to sand to bare wood. If your cabinets have a factory finish, sand lightly with 120-grit sandpaper or a sanding sponge.

Magnolia Home by Joanna Gaines Cabinet Paint is a water-based acrylic product designed for surfaces such as kitchen and bathroom cabinets, trim, window frames and doors. It offers the hardness of a traditional oil-based paint in an acrylic formula.

When painting kitchen cabinets you should always use a primer first. Primer will help protect your cabinets, and it will also create a smooth base to help you get better adhesion and truer color from your paint.

DecoArt Satin Enamel Cabinet Paint

In the past, if you wanted to paint cabinets or furniture, you had to strip, sand and generally kill yourself getting a good surface ready to paint on. Now, with DecoArt's Satin Enamel paints, you don't need to do any of that.

For a contemporary kitchen, paint your cabinets in a frosty white paint color (a white with grayish undertones) and use an abundance of silver and cool grays around the space. You can install chrome light fixtures or add nickel cabinet pulls and stainless steel appliances. And don't forget the countertops.

Warm Gray and Greige. Shades of gray and greige (gray + beige) continue to be popular choices for kitchens with white cabinets because they are neutral colors that don't compete for attention. Whether you have warm or cool toned white cabinets, a warmer gray in particular is an excellent choice.

How do you whiten yellowed white cabinets? ›

Writer Lorna Hordos suggests removing a yellow tinge this way: Wash your cupboards with a fizzy mixture of 1 cup vinegar, 2 cups warm water and 1 tablespoon baking soda. To keep cabinets white, give them a monthly “bath” with a solution of warm water and a grease-busting dish soap.

Whether you're using a paint sprayer or brush, start with the doors and drawers; they take the longest because you need to paint both sides and let them fully dry in between the two top coats. Beginning with the back sides, apply one coat, wait 24 hours and then move on to the second coat.

Depending on what kind of primer you're using and the state of the cabinets, you will need 1-2 coats of primer. For many cabinets, one coat is plenty, but if you're uncertain, a second coat won't hurt as long as it's not applied too thick. When it comes to the actual paint, you will need at least two coats.

Chalk paint is the best way to paint practically anything without sanding. It offers a gorgeous matte finish and no need to prepare the surface. Annie Sloan's Chalk Paint was the cornerstone of the painted furniture industry as we know it.

What happens if you don't prime bare wood is not pretty. Similar to new drywall, raw wood soaks up paint like a sponge. As a result, your surface will look blotchy since pores in the woodwork unevenly absorb the paint. More importantly, the painted wood will likely peel in two or three years without primer.

You will want to use 2-3 coats of primer to ensure there is a good bond between the new paint and the wall, and also to cover up any previous colors, especially if they are red, orange, or a strange outdated color. In short, you will typically need 2 coats of primer for most painting projects.

Consider Subtle Kitchen Colors

Punchy brights and rich jewel tones are impactful, but muted colors can be just as eye-catching in a white kitchen for a pop of color. Soft pastels, used in paint colors or on a tile backsplash, maintain the elegant feel of a white kitchen while adding subtle interest.

Use lighter colors. A light color on the walls and cabinets instantly brightens a space making it look larger and in turn, more expensive. Light colors reflect light and hide a multitude of sins, including those scratches, dings and dents in your old cabinets.

Refresh old cabinets that look tired and dated with a slick of latex paint to completely change the look and feel of the kitchen. Kitchen cabinets that are already painted with latex can be prepped and painted over with new paint.

Can you resurface painted cabinets? ›

You can almost always reface cabinets that have already been refaced. The process is relatively the same.

You don't have to remove the cabinet doors to repaint them, so leave them on their hinges if you're not going to replace them. However, it is easier to paint the cabinet's façade with the doors off. You can paint the hinges to match the cabinets or mask them with painter's tape to keep them as they are.

It's always less expensive if you apply new paint instead of replacing or resurfacing. Let's look at some of the reasons you might consider repainting your kitchen cabinets. Typically homeowners consider repainting cabinets because they are outdated and ready for a new look.

Either way, both choices give you a less expensive option in lieu of doing a full replacement, which is great for any homeowner on a budget. While painting tends to be the cheaper of the two, painted cabinets build up grease and dust more easily than refaced cabinets, so they'll require more maintenance.

Stain is also easier to touch up than paint. If you need to touch up one cabinet, for example, the stain will blend better with existing stain than paint will with existing paint.

Refacing a cabinet involves removing the cabinet doors entirely, purchasing new cabinet doors, and attaching them. Cabinet refinishing is a process where you sand down the existing cabinet doors and refresh them with new stain or paint and lacquer to get them looking like new again.

Apply two light coats of paint, letting the first coat dry completely before applying the second coat. If you see any ridges or drips in the first coat after it is dry, go over them with the sanding block to smooth. Use a tack cloth to clean off the grit before applying the second coat of paint.

The risk you run with not sanding is that your new paint job will chip almost immediately after it's dried. For most experts, like Dan McRorie of Fitzwater Interiors, creating a smooth, even surface is the single most important part of the project—even if you're going from a stain to a color.

Your freshly-painted cabinets won't stay fresh very long without proper prep work. Paint is more likely to chip, crack or peel much faster than if pre-work is completed correctly. Cleaning and degreasing are a significant part of this prep work.

Stripping is Faster and Often Safer. We may receive a commission when you use our affiliate links.

Can I just spray paint my cabinets? ›

For an extra smooth and professional-looking finish, many paint experts recommend spray painting kitchen cabinets. This method can be easier than working with a paintbrush and roller, but it takes some time and practice to really get the hang of it.

On the fronts and backs of drawers and doors, you can use a roller. This will apply the paint in a more smooth and even manner and is much faster than only using a paint brush. Then, use a brush for touching up small areas or for hard-to-reach spots.