How to paint kitchen cabinets – step by step guide to low-cost transformation

Whether you’re cooking up a storm on an evening, or gathering the family together for breakfast in the mornings, the kitchen is one of the main hubs of most homes. However, when the room starts to look tired and worn, saving up for a full kitchen refit can be a long process.

Remove the cabinet doors or cover hinges

If you can remove your kitchen cabinet doors, this may be the easiest way to paint them and will also mean you can move them to another room or outside for painting.

However, even if your cabinet doors are not easy to remove, you can simply cover hinges with masking tape.

Always remove handles; this can be easily done using a cordless screwdriver.

Put down newspaper to protect your floor, and cover the areas surrounding the cabinets with masking tape.

Prepare the surface of your kitchen cabinets

To prepare the surface of your kitchen cabinets, cleaning is essential.

This will remove any built-up dirt currently lurking on your cabinets, and ensure the surface is smooth before you begin painting.

You can do this by using your usual kitchen cleaner or detergent, and plenty of elbow grease.

Be sure to allow plenty of time to dry before you embark on painting.

Leave to dry before building layers

If you plan to build up layers of paint, IdealHome says it is best to “allow at least five to seven days” between thin coats.

Lightly sand back and wipe away the dust between coats.

They add: “Be patient and give a minimum of four hours drying time for primer, and 24 hours for all other coats.

“Expect to apply at least two coats of colour, or more if you’re going for a very solid finish.”

Ensure your paint is fully dry before refitting cabinet doors, handles or other fixtures.