All kitchens get so much use, and you have probably noticed wear and tear on your wood cabinets. You are probably contemplating restoring your cabinets and giving them a fresh coat of paint.
Sometimes the simplest remedies are what you need really, and it will save you some coins while at it. If your cabinets need a new facelift, you can go all minimalistic with what you have or invest a bit more on tools.
It all depends on what exactly you want to do. You might probably also want to build some more cabinets. We will look at all that!
Building And Painting Kitchen Cabinets
Let’s say you want to build yourself some cabinets, and you may be feeling intimidated by all the required work. It is quite a handful, but you can always get the hang of it.
If you feel you need help, don’t shy away from asking for it.
Building Kitchen Cabinets
- First, you will have to measure the cabinets’ wall space and sketch a plan for the cabinets dependent on those walls’ measurements. This is the most crucial part of the steps and will save you extra work of resizing because you didn’t know the wall measurements in the first place.
- Next, you will have to research a lot about the lumber you need because there is a lot of wood to choose from. At this point, you may even consider buying already made cabinet doors/drawers if you feel that your carpentry skills are limited.
- After that, you will want to take stock of the various parts you have and label them according to where they will go to avoid confusion when you start constructing. Begin to assemble the cabinet base using heavy wood glue or screws. When the base is put together, resembling the simple box, you will then lay the base on its back, place your cabinet door on top, and measure and mark where the hinges will be attached. The hinges can then be screwed into place and the cabinet door can be attached. Check to make sure that the cabinet door opens effortlessly and that it rests evenly on the base before moving on.
- Fix the decorative components of the cabinet, including handles and drawer pulls. The cabinet knobs are placed opposite the door hinges. Let’s assume you have base cabinets; they will be placed 2 ½” to 3” from the upper corner of the door. If you have a pullout cabinet, they will be placed at the center of the drawer front or even on the upper part, preferably.
Painting Kitchen Cabinets
After building the kitchen cabinets, painting is another job in itself but a fun one. In all truth, any material that you can scratch up with sandpaper is viable for painting.
Laminates are not the best choice at making cabinets because you can’t really paint them, and if you do, it won’t last long. If your cabinets are stained wood or glossy, then you will have to de-gloss them.
Planning is also essential before starting a paint job. Make sure the cabinets are clean and empty. Remove the handles or knobs and check the hinges.
Label the drawers so you know where each belongs (You could do that with a pencil). For the paint job, you could decide to go with spray paint or regular paint or both.
The Kind Of Spray Paint To Use On Kitchen Cabinets
Most people are very skeptical about spray painting kitchen cabinets because they feel it isn’t long-lasting. Factoring indoor slams, drawer bangs, and even make up spills. Many people just spray paint the doors for that smooth painted finish, but you could go all the way and do the drawers.
It will give you that professional painting kind of look! Spray painting requires prepping too, and is actually the most time-consuming step. You will have to remove the doors and drawers and label them as we talked about above.
The more sections of the cabinet you remove, the better the result. It is quite challenging to control the paint mist no matter how good you try to sheet off the kitchen so, take them to your work area and spread them out.
You could use your ladder to place them over to give you a surface to set the doors on. Stick the tape on the hinges and knobs to keep off the paint. Sanding is also required her so that the primer forms a good bond with the surface.
Apply a stain-killing primer with a paintbrush not missing any crevices. Priming is essential because it avoids the risk of paint peeling.
To paint a whole kitchen’s worth of cabinets will need you a paint sprayer because it will be cheaper than using spray cans. Turn on a fan if you are in the garage for your sake.
After the prime coat is dry, spray down your first color coating and go lightly on it. Estimate 0 minutes to spray down cabinet doors and drawers. Repeat at least one more time leaving 4 hours or even more between coats.
For the cabinet boxes, give them a first light coating then add a second coat after a few hours.
Let everything dry and avoid touching them since you do not want fingerprint marks on the not-so-dry paint. After they are fully dry, replace the hinges and the knob.
What Color Flooring Go With Dark Kitchen Cabinets
You are probably thinking of changing the color theme of your kitchen because dark kitchen cabinets do the most. The calmness and depth of dark colors work perfectly well for luxury-themed kitchens.
They also require the ability and care to pull it off, so seeking advice from an interior designer will help. Dark cabinets create a perfect match with the right colors and textures. A few tips for you finding that ideal laminate flooring if you choose to go with the dark cabinets:
· If the contrast is not as natural, it will clash. Also, doing the same color of the cabinets to the floor may be too much.
· Opt for light-colored laminate, which creates contrast and is appealing. The light floor will reflect more light in the room. It will show a lot of mess, but when clean, it will be a sight to behold.
· If the cabinets have a natural wood look, then try matching the laminate with one of those lighter tones of the wood.
· Do pay attention to the wall color, too, because together, all of them make the kitchen a masterpiece.
Updating and Restoring old kitchen cabinets
If you are looking to refurbish or redo your kitchen cabinets without doing the most, then the following could help.
· Reface kitchen cabinets: It is astonishing what a little veneer and some new doors can do to change the appearance and brighten your cabinets.
· Paint the kitchen cabinets: Your kitchen feels a bit off because probably your cabinets have sucked all the light out of the room. A fresh, bright coat of paint may be just what you need to bring life to the kitchen.
· A pullout Cabinet shelf: The shelf will resemble a shallow drawer that will slide out for easy access to your items.
· Undercabinet lighting: Good lighting is still quite a challenge for many American kitchens. Connect fixtures to a dimmer switch and they will give a beautiful touch to your cabinets.
· Add cabinet crown molding/Trim: The trim transforms your cabinets into a different design adding personality to any old cabinets. Mount mold on a hardwood frame that sits above the cabinets.
Below we will look at common questions people ask on updating kitchen cabinets:
How to update cherry kitchen cabinets
You may have just moved into a new house and found that it has cherry kitchen cabinets which are quite luxurious if you ask me, but they may be too dark for you. Many people also consider cherry cabinets traditional, and they want more of a modern kitchen. You could:
· Lighten up the kitchen by changing the wall paint. You could pick up the lightest color of your backsplash or use an off-white color.
· Check your lighting too. Cherry kitchen cabinets tend to darken the room, and probably all you need is good lighting. Get a lighting consultant to help you. On this note, make sure there is enough natural light coming in or also add undercabinet lighting.
· You could also paint the cabinet doors if you still do not want the cherry color. You can refer back up on painting kitchen cabinets.
· You could also change the floor color too to a lighter tone.
How to distress oak kitchen cabinets
Oak, as we all know, is a hardwood and can take a “beating” so distressing it wouldn’t be difficult, and the outcome would be beautiful. That is if you want them to go from a modern to ageless look. Don’t go distressing soft pine cabinets because they won’t hold up the process. You could do this distressing as a stress reliever as you beat on the wood. You will require a hammer, chisel, chain, sandpaper, paint stripper, glaze varnish, or a sealer of your choice. The step by step process is:
1. Remove all the hardware from the cabinets. Like the knobs and handles and clean them with just a damp cloth.
2. Take them down if they are hanging on the wall and dismantle their doors and drawers.
3. Hammer in hand, lightly hit the cabinet. Lightly is the word because you do not want to put a hole in the cabinet you are distressing. Kind of like just bruise it. Do not over hammer and make the hammer marks unnatural. You are not going for a wrecked look.
4. Sand the wood and make sure to use a lower, fine sandpaper grade to refinish.
5. Next paint or stain. Choose your color wisely, keeping in mind your floor and wall colors. You do not want to have to repeat that process.
6. Finish with a varnish or the sealant and let it sit for a while before you reassemble.
How to restore kitchen cabinets without stripping, sanding or vanishing
Sanding and vanishing may seem like a lot of work when renovating those kitchen cabinets. You could try to give them a fresh coat of paint but be thorough with it. You could also use a wood stain to add glaze to them.
Stripping won’t even be necessary if your wood cabinets are still in good shape. They may actually look new once again. All you need to do is choose your refurbishing style. Would you want to update the current finishing of the cabinets with a clear topcoat or paint them with latex paint or even milk paint?
You will need:
- Silver spray paint
- Some Liquid deglosser
- A Screwdriver
- A Scrubbing sponge
- Grease-cutting cleaner
- Paint roller
- White cabinet enamel
- Painter’s tape
- Thumbtacks
1. Before you begin, clean the cabinets with a scrubbing sponge wiping down each cabinet, and if it has grease, use the grease-cutting cleaner. You do have to clean them thoroughly because any grime will interfere with the finish.
2. Apply liquid deglosser instead of sanding. This, of course, saves time and lots of energy. Wipe down the cabinet in circular motions.
3. As we said earlier, remove hardware and label them before painting. You could remove all hinges using a screwdriver or drill.
4. Paint the cabinet doors flat out with the backside facing up and then apply white cabinet enamel with a roller making thin coats.
5. Insert thumbtacks into each corner of the door and flip it over so the backside can dry while you paint the front.
6. Paint the molding and the front side and the shelves.
7. Finish and reassemble.
How to repair water damaged kitchen cabinets
Water is an enemy on a cabinet’s outer shell because it destroys the finish adhesion and blackens it. It causes structural damage and compromises its use. The cabinets under the sink in the kitchen get this a lot. They may suffer warping, which is a severe case, and replacement is the only option.
If it hasn’t warped, you could try work on that by evaluating where the water is coming from. Take care of the source of the moisture and allow it to dry out.
You could some carpenter’s glue screws and clamps. If you find part of the drawers weakened, you could knock them down and reset them or even replace them.
For the blackened parts, you could use oxalic acid, which removes it, but you will have to sand the finish. For the parts that are already sagged and waterlogged, you will have to replace them.
How to make a kitchen island out of base cabinets
This is a free-standing cabinet that can either suit the other cabinets or complement them. You may have replaced your kitchen cabinets and you don’t know how to use the old one.
The base cabinets could be refurbished and made into a kitchen island, that is, if you have enough kitchen space. Get your measurements right so that it does not interfere with the movement in the kitchen.
Where To Buy Blue Kitchen Cabinets
When blue as color is used inside the kitchen, it creates feelings of tranquility, space and even luxury.Moreover, it is also a well-known stress reliever, helping to slow down your heartbeat and lower blood pressure.
It will make your kitchen appear bigger, seem cooler and feel more relaxing, and isn’t that the motive for every kitchen?
You could basically buy kitchen cabinets at your nearest retailer. Alternatively you could have your kitchen cabinets repainted if the already have an existing color. Additionally you could paint them if the kitchen cabinets have no predominant color.
How Much Does It Cost To Have Kitchen Cabinets Painted?
Painting your already paint less cabinets may cost $3 to $10 per square foot or $30 to $60 per linear foot for all supplies, materials and labor. Sometimes contractors will charge $100 per door, $25 per drawer or $75 to $150 per cabin.
Spray painting costs the same as using a brush or roller at a total average of $400 to $1,000. Spray paint gun rentals run $40 to $120 per day. While it provides a smooth, even coat, it requires removing the doors and drawers as mentioned earlier.
Repainting costs run an average of $900 for a 150 to 250 square foot kitchen. You can end up paying an additional $600 to $1,500 to remove any existing finish. It will not adhere properly without removing old finishes. If you don’t want to sand or scrape away the old paint, use a deglossing or chemical stripping agent.
In conclusion, replacing or refurbishing kitchen cabinets is a task, and you need to be ready for it. It is quite a handsy task, but asking for help isn’t a bad option either though you will need to be there so that what you want is what you get.
