But painting the kitchen cabinets isn’t like painting the walls. Before you start, filling holes and cracks in walls is a relatively easy fix. But if the wood of your kitchen cabinets is cracked, warped or badly chipped, it may need to be replaced.

Choosing Colours for Painting Your Kitchen Cabinets

At least as much as any room, you have lots of leeway for paint colours in the kitchen. While most kitchens tend to stay lighter and brighter, the recent trend to two-tone kitchens offers the option of using colour combinations too. Houzz recommends Benjamin Moore’s North Sea for lower cabinets and their Meadow Mist for uppers.

How to Paint Your Kitchen Cabinets

1. Protect the kitchen

Cover floors, furniture, and appliances with drop cloths, paper and/or cardboard so paint doesn’t get on them.

2. Take apart cabinets and drawers

Take the facings off drawers and remove cabinet doors. Remove the hardware, including handles, pulls, hinges, latches and knobs. Mark where the doors and drawers came from on inside surfaces of each and keep the hardware organized.

3. Clean all the surfaces to be painted

Kitchen cabinets take a beating from spills and grease. This job deserves a proper cleaner (dish detergent would do) and a strong sponge.

4. Sand

Use a fine grit paper to sand all the surfaces to be painted. Make sure to thoroughly wipe the surfaces clean after sanding. You’re just trying to prepare the finish for the coats of paint, so no need to sand it clean to the bare wood.

5. Prime the surfaces

Apply a coat of paint primer to the painting surfaces. An oil-based or shellac-based primer will help stop the old surface from showing through.

6. Sand between coats

Lightly sand the surfaces with a fine grit paper between coats of primer and paint.

7. Apply a top coat

This is your kitchen. Like we said, kitchen surfaces are exposed to more than their fair share of dirt, grease, steam and spaghetti sauce. If you will ever use a premium paint, like Benjamin Moore Advance, now’s the time.

8. Apply a second coat

The second coat will ensure consistent paint colour and offer added protection for your cabinets and drawers.

9. Install your ‘new’ cabinet doors and drawers!

After the paint has dried thoroughly, replace the handles and knobs, and reinstall the doors and drawers. If you want to make your mini-reno look even more like a full one, look for new cabinet hardware. It’s amazing the difference a different style of knobs and handles will make.

For more advice on painting kitchen cabinets, drop into your nearest The Paint People location.

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Cabinet Craze

Changing the look of the cabinets will have the biggest impact on your kitchen’s overall look and feel. Grech suggests repainting existing cabinets and swapping hardware. “These are relatively affordable fixes that can make a world of difference. I recommend using a splatter resistant and washable paint in the kitchen. One of my favourites is Benjamin Moore ADVANCE – it is ideal for cabinetry and trim and offers the application and performance of traditional oil paint in a waterborne formula, making it easy to clean all those household messes.” You may also use Insl-X Cabinet Coat by Benjamin Moore. Cabinet Coat is the ultimate finish for refurbishing kitchen and bathroom cabinets, shelving, furniture, trim, and crown moulding. Delivers an ultra-smooth, factory-like finish with long-lasting beauty. Adheres to “hard-to-stick” surfaces, including polyurethane and varnish, without a primer.

Look on the Bright Side

AF-680 Wish

2114-40 Wet Concrete

Lighting has a huge impact on the look and feel of a space, helping to open things up while aiding functionality. Fortunately, you don’t need huge floor-to-ceiling windows or skylights to achieve a fresh and airy look. “A classic white kitchen can work wonders to create that airy feel we all crave,” says Grech. “Try cabinets painted with a neutral white like Wish AF-680,  combined with a rich wall colour like my current favourite Wet Concrete 2114-40,  which has just the right amount of a purple undertone to add some drama with a good amount of grey to keep it feeling sophisticated. This combination pairs beautifully for both modern and traditional styled kitchens.

Add a Pop of Colour

One of the simplest ways to update your kitchen is to add high-contrast colour with fun accents and accessories. “Dare to be bold with a uniquely coloured or patterned backsplash,” says Grech. If that seems too much of an investment, then accent with colour in cozy carpets; patterned fabric accents; fresh flowers or fruit; or colourful appliances such as mixers, blenders and toasters.

“The kitchen really is the heart of the home,” says Grech. “These days, it’s so much more than just a space where we cook – it’s a space where we gather to entertain friends and family which is why having a kitchen that you love is essential.”

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