Painted Kitchen Cabinets - Kitchen Cabinet Prep

Re-invent Your Kitchen

If you’re a true DIYer and looking for a fun project to tackle indoors, your kitchen is a great place to start! One of the best things about the kitchen is that you can give it an entirely new look simply by adding fresh paint. We recommend focusing on one of the focal points of your kitchen – the cabinets. Think about it, you and your family see and use them every day, so shouldn’t they help your kitchen’s look come together? A great way to accomplish this is to add two-toned painted cabinetry to your kitchen – whether by painting it yourself or choosing from Wellborn Forest Cabinetry’s extensive line of finishes.

What Are the Benefits of Two-Tone Painted Kitchen Cabinets?

Two-tone painted cabinets can fit any design style out there, which makes it a snap for you to craft the kitchen of your dreams in just a few steps. Plus, the color mixing options are endless, so you have even more design options available. Having two-toned cabinets can also improve your kitchen’s aesthetic, increase your home value, and can create an illusion of more space in a smaller home. So, no matter if you’re staying or selling, two-toned kitchen cabinets are the perfect choice for improving your home!

Choose Your Colors

Painting your kitchen cabinets isn’t the same as painting the walls of your home, so you’ll want to use the right paint for the job. Most household paints are prone to chipping and cracking on surfaces like cabinetry. Instead, look for enamel paints, which will look better over time and can withstand wear and tear. Trusted brands like Benjamin Moore have entire lines of special alkyd enamel paints, like their ADVANCE Paints. These even feature a special self-leveling formula, so when you apply your paint, it will leave a smoother finish!

Additionally, WF Cabinetry can match paint colors from Benjamin Moore. You can even have a sample door made so you can see how your preferred color will look in your kitchen.

Why Are Complementary Colors the Best Choice?

The colors you pick are just as important as the type of paint you use. Whatever color you decide on, make sure it complements your kitchen and appliances. If you have a lot of black appliances in your kitchen, try a rich dark brown to create a flowing, uniform look. Whereas, if you have an abundance of almond appliances, painting the cabinets a similar light sand color will work perfectly. Stainless steel appliances are even more versatile in terms of complementary color options, and the only limit is your imagination!

Stock Up on Supplies

Your painting project will go much smoother if you have a few other essential supplies and tools. Disposable paint trays are a great investment, as you can place your “real” tray in one for a firm roll, then simply throw out the plastic tray when you’re done! Purchasing extra brushes and rollers can help make your clean up easier as well, especially if you use any oil-based paints that can gum up the bristles. Perhaps the most important tool of all is the canvas drop cloth. We advise using at least two that you can move around the room as needed just in case any drops make their way to the floor.

Prep Your Kitchen

With all your paint and tools assembled, now’s a good time to get any moveable hardware or appliances out of the way. Then, remove any hardware from your kitchen cabinets, including knobs, hinges, and screws. It’s helpful to keep all this cabinet hardware organized while you’re painting. Try labeling each door by number underneath the spot that the hinge goes in the frame. Then, label a plastic baggie filled with that specific door’s hardware with the same number. You can place a piece of painter’s tape over the number on the door, so when the painting is finished, you can remove the tape and see the number.

Paint Away

Now we get to the best part – painting those cabinets! When painting, we recommend starting with the cabinet bases and the backsides of the doors first. This gives them more time to dry and really set, as they’ll be seeing the most action from the opening and closing of the doors. As with many other paint projects, it’s best to use light coats of paint to avoid drips. Don’t forget to add a topcoat of polyurethane either. This can help add an extra layer of protection and seal the finished look in beautifully.

Ready to add some color to your kitchen? Stop into Greenville and Windham to see the huge selection of colors that are available.