Professional Painter John Dee shows how to give good dark closets glossy, cabinets’ factory finish without ordering new doors
If your kitchen cabinets are solid but dated and dark, a new coat of paint can go a long way toward transforming the space without emptying your bank account. You can hire a professional to spray-paint for or over a thousand dollars, but there is a less expensive, and less messy alternative to consider: Use a brush and paint the cabinets yourself.
"It is not necessary to spray for a smooth finish," says the painting contractor John Dee, who has worked on several television projects This Old House. Often brush paints cabinets anyway, because it gives you more control and avoid the risk of spray paint to finish where he did not want. (Surface preparation is the same if you spray or brush.) Brushing is a long time, he warns, and could take up to a couple of weeks to complete. But the result is a durable finish, soft glass is the equal of anything from a spray gun. "You just use the best materials and taking the time to sand and brush do well," says Dee.
Before starting a paint job the kitchen cupboards and empty the counters clear and remove the independent apparatus. Tables and other furniture relocate to another room. Rosin paper tape on the counters and floors, and sheets of plastic tape on the back wall, windows, fixtures and interior doors (to protect the rest of the house dust and fumes). Mask the wall around the cabinets. Finally, establish a working group to paint the doors, drawers and shelves.
Pro Tip: In kitchens the key to a good paint job is the preparation of the surface. "Old cabinets are covered with everything from hand oils greasy smoke residue frozen sauce," says Dee. "You have to get everything out or painting does not remain."
If your kitchen cabinets are solid but dated and dark, a new coat of paint can go a long way toward transforming the space without emptying your bank account. You can hire a professional to spray-paint for or over a thousand dollars, but there is a less expensive, and less messy alternative to consider: Use a brush and paint the cabinets yourself.
"It is not necessary to spray for a smooth finish," says the painting contractor John Dee, who has worked on several television projects This Old House. Often brush paints cabinets anyway, because it gives you more control and avoid the risk of spray paint to finish where he did not want. (Surface preparation is the same if you spray or brush.) Brushing is a long time, he warns, and could take up to a couple of weeks to complete. But the result is a durable finish, soft glass is the equal of anything from a spray gun. "You just use the best materials and taking the time to sand and brush do well," says Dee.
Before starting a paint job the kitchen cupboards and empty the counters clear and remove the independent apparatus. Tables and other furniture relocate to another room. Rosin paper tape on the counters and floors, and sheets of plastic tape on the back wall, windows, fixtures and interior doors (to protect the rest of the house dust and fumes). Mask the wall around the cabinets. Finally, establish a working group to paint the doors, drawers and shelves.
Pro Tip: In kitchens the key to a good paint job is the preparation of the surface. "Old cabinets are covered with everything from hand oils greasy smoke residue frozen sauce," says Dee. "You have to get everything out or painting does not remain."
