When it comes to your house, the kitchen is where the action happens. Whether it’s cooking, baking, entertaining or working, we spend many moments of our day here. It’s no surprise then that kitchens are the most popular rooms to renovate in a house.
When it comes time to hire a real estate agency who can help you sell your home, having a freshly renovated kitchen helps get you a higher return of investment than almost any other home renovation.
But even modest kitchen renovations can be pricey, with one of the biggest culprits being your kitchen cabinets. Kitchen cabinets can eat up to a whopping 25% of your renovation budget.
If your kitchen cabinets are still in stable condition but could use a bit of cosmetic retouching, consider painting them instead – here’s how.
Assess and Prepare Your Cabinets
If your cabinets show no sign of wear and tear and simply need a refresh, paint away. But paint can’t simply be slapped on cabinets that show existing cracks, peels, and dents. Old, damaged paint needs first to be removed using stripping products and scrapers. Fill in any holes or chips with putty or other wood filler. The remaining paint and rough finishes should then be smoothed out with sandpaper. Be sure to remove any knobs and other hardware from your cabinets.
It’s Prime Time
Primer provides a good foundation for the paint to stick to and covers any minor imperfections leftover from sanding. This will help your paint look as clean and fresh as possible and make it last longer without any flakes. Don’t worry about making it look pretty; messy broad brushstrokes or paint rollers are perfectly fine to use, as the primer is just meant to cover the surface and will be hidden away under your final paint choice.
Paint Away!
Once your cabinets are stripped and primed, painting can begin. Use a brush for more precious areas like cabinet interior and corners while using a paint roller for the broad areas. Let your first coat completely dry and cure, and then apply a second coat. Second coats of paint seal and protect your cabinets – this makes it easier to clean, and minor bangs and scrapes are less likely to pierce the multiple layers.
Some people also choose to add a protective layer of polyurethane to add extra protection from water damage, but this can give cabinets a glossy finish, so it’s up to you to decide if you want to use it or not.
Update the Hardware
Changing out the hardware of your cabinets can completely revitalize their look and change the theme of your kitchen. More intricate and ornate fixtures can be chosen for a classic style, or sleek and simple pull bars and knobs can be chosen for a more modern look. As easy as it sounds, this can be quite the process, as hundreds of types of knobs and pulls exist in as many sizes and materials. Many even choose to combine hardware styles. Choosing something complimentary to your cabinets and avoiding a “too busy” look is key to keeping your kitchen looking great.
