What is the best way to paint kitchen cabinets?

The most popular and easy way to renew a kitchen design, is to paint the kitchen cabinets. This type of renovation will allow you to save money and create a unique and original kitchen design in whichever colour and style you’d like.

Therefore, if you are keen on refreshing the design of your kitchen but don’t want to exchange the cabinets – this type of kitchen renovation where you freshen up fronts with a new colour is the perfect solution!

Full coverage or transparency?

Furniture paints are divided into collections depending on their coverage intensity. Full coverage paints are paints that completely mask the natural colour and grain pattern of the materials it’s applied to. Painting your timber cabinets with this type of paint will provide a completely new appearance in your kitchen and you can choose from a wider range of colours to make it reflect your personal style. Paints that allow for transparency are characterized by allowing the structure of the material it’s applied to, to shine through. This type of paint gives a more natural appearance as you can clearly see the decorative and natural pattern of the material underneath.

How to paint your kitchen cabinets and different types of paints

Water Enamel, Latex paint

Latex paint has been enjoying unflagging interest for many years. Latex Emulsions are great to achieve a new and fresh appearance for your kitchen cabinets as well as they are a great paint alternative if you’re looking to minimize your environmental footprint. Most Latex Enamel paints won’t release unpleasant and harmful fumes and smells, and it makes them considerate of our health. Latex paints are also environmentally friendly, and the configuration is non-toxic. Kitchen cabinets painted in Latex Enamel are smooth and easy to clean. This type of paint dries much faster than oil paint. This makes it a little bit more difficult to achieve an even and glossy finish. Using a paint sprayer will generate the most even result possible for this type of paint. But if you use a roller or a brush – you’ll notice that the paint generates a rougher finish for your kitchen cabinets.

Phthalic paint

A popular choice for people looking to paint their wooden, laminated or MDF furniture is Alkyd Enamel paints, also known as phthalic paints or acrylic enamels. This type of paint is an excellent alternative to classic oil paint. The paint is made on a base of linseed oil, which gives the paint exceptional coverage properties. Due to the use of alkyd resins, these paints are much more resistant to external force. Other advantages are, above all, easy distribution as well as resistance to temperature and moisture. Unfortunately, similarly to oil paints, this type of paint is also characterized by a strong and unpleasant smell. Due to the ingredients of the paint, they also have a negative effect on our health as they can cause headaches and dizziness. It also takes quite some time for the paint to dry.

Oil-based paint

The advantage of oil paints for furniture is, of course, that they offer very good coverage. Apart from that, oil paints also offer very good resistance to external pressure. Oil paints are, therefore, a perfect choice of paint, for cabinets that are exposed to a lot of wear. It is also easy to distribute. Because of this, oil paints are the preferred paints to use on timber materials. Unfortunately, oil paints also have their disadvantages. A massive disadvantage is that they exude harmful fumes, which can cause intense headaches and nausea when you’re exposed to them for a prolonged period. Oil paints also include harmful chemicals and have a limited assortment for colours. Removing oil paints is another headache as it requires a lot of work of manually and carefully scraping off the colour from the surface.

Hybrid Enamel Paint

Hybrid Enamel paint generates a beautiful, oil paint finish. If you have furniture made out of timber, hybrid enamel paint is a great choice and you can opt to paint with a sprayer, a brush or even a roll. Hybrid Enamel paints are also a great alternative to Alkyld Enamel paints, as they come with fewer VOCs (which are serious sources of air pollution and can cause allergic reactions). Hybrid Enamel paints are also far easier to remove from the painted surfaces than oil paints.

Chalk Paint

Recently, chalk paint has become a real success. It owes its popularity to, among others, matte finishes and pastel colours. All alternatives are often seen in interior design styles like shabby chic, rustic, vintage or retro. Chalk is an easy-to-use paint, because you won’t need any preparations. You can just pick a paint brush or a roller, your choice, and starts painting. Another advantage is that some chalk paints dry very quickly, even around 30 minutes. It is made of water, chalk, and many other natural ingredients. Chalky paints, therefore, lacks the unpleasant smell that other paints are associated with. Chalk paints are thus completely ecological and safe for children. A disadvantages of chalk paints is, however, that it wears quite easy. The finish can be damaged by scratches, as well as moisture and dirt. To extend the life of a piece of furniture painted with chalk, it is best to add an additional layer of clear lacquer or furniture wax.

Milk Paint

Furniture painted with milk paint generates a characteristic, distressed look. It is easy to prepare, since it consists of pigment and milk. It is worth knowing that it isn’t harmful. Another benefit of using milk paints is that it gives you the possibility of creating your own, unique colour. Milk paint, is therefore the perfect solution for a person with an artistic sense, who’d like to find an outlet for their creativity and create something original.

How to paint kitchen cabinets? – choose the colour!

We’ve covered different types of paints. Now, let’s consider the different colours. Of course, it all depends on your personal preference and style. However, we want to give you a few tips on what colour to choose and what handles to go with, to completely change the appearance of your kitchen and achieve the style you’ve only dreamt of before.

Timber combined with black or white kitchen cabinets

For modern kitchen designs, combining two materials is a popular choice. The combination of neutral colours and natural materials generates a timeless charm, and the contrast between timber and white creates a vibrance that’s very exciting.

Black may not be the first colour that comes to mind when it comes to painting your kitchen cabinets. However, black colour is associated with elegance and we want to tell you that combined with wooden elements, black doesn’t have to become overwhelming, as the natural timber will bring warmth and air to the interior. The combination of white and wooden cabinets is also a great design choice. When it comes to small kitchen ideas, white is preferable, as the light shades will optically enlarge the room and make it appear more spacious. However, the combination of black kitchen cabinets and timber elements, is perfect for larger kitchen spaces.

Gray kitchen cabinets

If you want to paint your kitchen cabinets but are unsure of what colour to choose, gray is a great choice! Why? Well, because of the contemporary look and versatility it brings. Gray kitchen cabinets work well with any décor or design style. Other subdued colours (like brown, white and other pastel colours), will obviously work as well. However, you should pay attention to the tone and temperature of the colour. Cabinets with a warmer shade should be combined with warm materials. For example, a warm gray in combination with gray-white or taupe floor tiles generates perfect harmony which will bring all your visitors to their knees.

Sage green kitchen cabinets

If you dream of a green kitchen, we suggest the colour Sage Green. Known as a truly organic colour, Sage Green has a calming effect and will work wonders in any kitchen. It is a very universal colour. You can, therefore, go for any design style and still be sure that the Sage Green will balance well with the selected furniture and appliances.

Eggshell kitchen cabinets

The creamy, off-white colour choice will give your kitchen a traditional charm. The eggshell-coloured cabinets work especially well in a country-styled kitchen. Combine with timber or metal decorative accessories and you have a winner.

Classic Blue

If you fancy a kitchen design which brings you back to country cottage dream, shades of blue are perfect for you. Blue is associated with the ocean and the beach. It adds character and tranquility to any room. Although blue is often associated with bathroom designs, it is also a beautiful colour choice for kitchen designs. Combine with marble, metal, white, or graphite to generate a perfect harmony and balance.

Warm Taupe

Taupe is a mixture of brown and gray. It will generate a warm and friendly atmosphere in the kitchen. To achieve an optimal effect of warmth, we suggest combining this type of coloured kitchen cabinets with brown handles.