Painting kitchen cabinets can completely change the look of your kitchen area. It’s a quick way to update one of the most used rooms in your home. It’s also an economical way to update your kitchen that can be done over a weekend.
Using the right paint for the type of cabinets you have is important, as you’d likely expect. If you’re going to do the job, then do it correctly and be done with it – using the wrong paint can end up costing you more time and more money to fix your mistake.
Acrylic latex paints can be used on most types of kitchen cabinets. Stain can be used on wood cabinets. Melamine kitchen cabinets can also be painted. Proper preparation is required so the paint will adhere to the cabinets.
In this article, I’ll go over the paints you can use for different cabinet types as well as how to prepare and get the job done right. So, if you’re ready to get started and learn how easy this job really is, then please keep reading…
What Kind of Paint to Use on Kitchen Cabinets?
The finish you select will determine the durability of the paint job. To add to that, using an acrylic latex paint on most kitchen cabinets will be fine.
It’s the preparation that makes the biggest difference in how the job will look when completed. Because kitchen cabinets are such a big focal point in a home, you want to make sure to take your time during the preparation phase and the painting finishing phase.
For wood cabinets, use an acrylic latex paint that has a primer mixed into the final colour or use a primer separately. Recommended finishes for acrylic latex on wood cabinets are satin, semi-gloss, and gloss. Don’t use a matte finish for this application as matte is hard to clean, will show smudges and look terrible wherever they’re being touched.
For melamine cabinets, you’ll want to use a satin or semi-gloss finish. An acrylic latex can be used on melamine however, I’d highly recommend you prime separately, unless you’re a professional painter. Chances are if you’re reading this article, you’re not a professional.
If your preparation is not 100%, you can still end up with an excellent looking finished product if you prime separately. The adhesion from the primer and the extra coat of paint will all help the final product look that much better.
Can You Use Stain on Kitchen Cabinets?
If you have cabinets with a wood finish, you can stain them. In fact, sometimes wood looks much better stained than painted. That said, there are some instances where painting might be the better finish. It all depends on the wood type.
If your cabinets have a dark mahogany finish, you might opt for painting instead of staining as a stain probably won’t show as well on a darker wood. There are some lighter types of mahogany, but my guess is if you have a lighter variety of this wood, you don’t want to cover it. If that’s the case, you can always give them a light sanding and refinish with a clear acrylic coating to bring out the wood grain.
The best wood cabinets to stain in my experience have always been a yellow/golden oak. These cabinets were popular in the 1980’s and 1990’s and will usually stand the test of time.
They do tend to look outdated if left alone. I have successfully sanded and stained yellow oak cabinets with an espresso stain then clear coated to really make them pop. They look incredible when stained. It updates them and changes the whole appearance of the kitchen.
Can You Paint Melamine Kitchen Cabinets?
Melamine cabinets can be painted with some caution. Because of their finish, these cabinets will need some light sanding with a high grit count of sandpaper.
You can purchase melamine paint which is specifically made for painting this material. If you don’t, I’d highly recommend using a primer first then lightly sanding to smooth the finish. Then use an acrylic latex as your finish coat.
A sprayer or at least a roller (with a thin matte) will be required to make painting melamine cabinets look like a professional painted them.
If you happen to use a brush, there’s a high chance you’ll end up having streaks in the finished paint job.
If you can afford to, use a paint made for melamine like these ones on Amazon. This product is made to spread flat after application, so you avoid the streaking. They also adhere to melamine much better than an acrylic latex.
Should You Brush or Spray Paint Your Kitchen Cabinets?
Spray painting kitchen cabinets will give you a more uniform and professional look. Brushing and rolling is okay, but chances are you’ll not have as good of a job as if you had used a sprayer.
If you’re staining the cabinets, then brushing, rolling, or wiping on with a rag is fine as the process is different than when using paint.
How Much Does It Cost to Paint Kitchen Cabinets?
The costs involved for painting your kitchen cabinets will be for paint and painting supplies.
The paint itself won’t cost you as much as you might think. One gallon will go a long way.
When you paint cabinets, most of the time, you can get away with just painting the drawer fronts and facing. The inside doesn’t need to be painted.
Usually, the inner cabinets are a white or lighter color that look just fine untouched. Even if you chose to paint the inner cabinets, the square footage you want to paint isn’t that much.
For paint alone, most small to medium sized kitchens will only require one to two gallons of paint. If you purchased an expensive paint for $50 to $85 a gallon, your total paint cost is under $200.
Then, add the cost of painting supplies like rollers, brushes, tape, plastic sheeting or drop cloths. For sandpaper, rags, and wood filler, add another $50 to $100.
Now I am being a bit conservative, but I would estimate the amount to paint your own kitchen cabinets will cost you between $300 and $400.
If you consider what a difference a paint job will makes and what it costs to hire someone else to do the job, $300 is cheap.
Is it Cheaper to Paint Kitchen Cabinets or Replace Them?
I wanted to add this section because the question came up online and I think the uneducated need to hear my thoughts.
If you can paint cabinets instead of replacing them, then do that. Yes, it’s cheaper to paint them than it is to replace them.
By painting, you’re also helping the environment by not creating more garbage for the landfill.
I’d even recommend replacing doors and drawer fronts before tearing out cabinets. You can even have the facing and sides of the cabinets recovered.
Now with some cheaper cabinets, of course, it’d be a waste of time (think of melamine) but if you have a solid wood cabinet (like oak) that only looks outdate and is still functionally sound, then no, don’t replace.
You can do so much with wood cabinets, paint, stain, resurface, etc. The bones of the wood cabinets allow you the luxury of saving some money and having a few different options on how to update them.
Final Thoughts
To conclude , I want to reiterate that using acrylic latex paint on most kitchen cabinets will work perfectly.
If you find the type of cabinets you have might not be conducive to painting, then possibly staining or replacing the doors and drawer fronts might be an option. Refacing the cabinets is also an option.
There isn’t much more to say on this topic, aside from good luck on your project.
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