Repainting Kitchen Cabinets | Koontz Hardware

Have your kitchen cabinets seen better days? If you're ready to upgrade your kitchen but don't have the budget to replace your cabinets, take a look at what you need to know about repainting kitchen cabinetry.

The first step in the remodeling process is to choose and buy the materials. If you don't already have an electric or battery-powered drill, you will need one for this project. While you could use a screwdriver to remove doors and hardware from your kitchen cabinets, this manual method will take more time and energy.

Along with the tools that you'll need for this job, you will also need a cleaner or degreaser. Never paint dirty or grease-streaked cabinetry. Leftover food debris or oily streaks will make it difficult for the paint to evenly coat the cabinets or stick to the surfaces. A gentle dishwashing liquid and water or a degreaser can remove stuck-on messes. These cleaning products won't help to clear old paint or varnishes. You will need to buy sandpaper or a sanding sponge to smooth each cabinet's surface.

After you buy the prep materials, you will need to focus on the items that will help you to paint the surfaces of the cabinets. These include paint rollers, brushes, paint trays, painter's tape, a drop cloth, a high-quality primer, and paint.

You want to create a clean, smooth finish. But you're not sure which type of paint can help you to achieve this goal. Make sure that the paint is made for wooden surfaces, and choose the best sheen for your kitchen. An eggshell or satin latex paint sheen provides a moderately shiny or glossy look. These sheens are also easy to clean. If you prefer a more reflective type of surface, consider a high-gloss paint.

Some homeowners prefer a natural wood aesthetic or a neutral palette, while others choose bright, bold, or dramatically dark shades. If the cabinets are already a darker color, you may need more paint (and more primer) to cover the original hue. But if the cabinets are a light wood or light color, you can select almost any option without the need for more than a few coats.

The cabinet color doesn't need to match the rest of your kitchen accents — but it can. You could pick up pops of color in specific areas and coordinate the cabinets with the countertops, shelving units, or backsplash. If this idea doesn't appeal to you, consider a monochromatic aesthetic that weaves shades of one color throughout the kitchen, or take the opposite approach and paint the cabinets with a stand-out color.

You've removed the doors, painted the cabinets, and let your work dry. Now that you're ready to replace the freshly painted doors, you're not sure whether you should reuse the existing hardware or buy new pieces.

Replace rusted, corroded, or broken hardware. You may also want to replace hardware that looks dated or doesn't match your kitchen's new aesthetic. But if the old hardware is in good condition and works well with the upgraded design, you can save money by reusing these items. This eco-friendly approach provides you with a way to upcycle almost everything from your old kitchen cabinets.

Do you need help choosing your kitchen cabinet paint project materials? Contact Koontz Hardware for more information on our paint and supplies. We can help you get everything that you need to repaint your kitchen cabinets.