How to Paint Kitchen Cabinets Easily with Kitchen Paint Colors Secrets

Tired of your old outdated kitchen cabinets? Then learn how to paint kitchen cabinets without the headache and expense of a huge kitchen remodel.  Roll up your sleeves and read on to learn how to paint kitchen cabinets that will create a fabulous look for less.

Not only do home decorating trends change, but so do our personal tastes... flash back to your grandmother's blue stove and white Formica countertops. That's why if your kitchen cabinets have good bones, it makes sense to learn how to paint kitchen cabinets. With a quick lesson on kitchen paint colors and some time and elbow grease, you'll soon be sitting pretty in your new kitchen.

Room Color Scheme: Benjamin Moore
525 Savannah Shade, Black, 1224 Coyote Trail, 1145 Creamy Custard, AF-310 Subtle

Steps for How to Paint Kitchen Cabinets

1. Some like it hot!

Get excited! It's time to decide on your kitchen paint colors. What look and feel are you going for in your kitchen?  Is it modern or traditional? Classic or country? Sweet or Spicy? Ok, now I'm getting hungry. What ever your taste, however, look at your floor and wall colors. Consider the furniture and decor you'll be using. All these elements will help you select the right kitchen paint colors. But if you're still having trouble, Martha Stewart Paint has a "Colors Collection" of 350 different choices, available at Lowe's stores. Martha Stewart Paint offers paint cards with three coordinating colors. Working from these palettes you can easily decide which color to paint your cabinets, walls, ceiling, and accent pieces.

2. What's your handle baby?

In learning how to paint kitchen cabinets, you must also consider your cabinet's jewelry.  The "bling" is in the hardware, and now is the time to decide what you are going to use.  If you plan to reuse your old hardware, remove and store along with the screws in a labeled container.  If you're purchasing new hardware and changing from a handle to a knob, you will have to fill holes on the cabinets. This is easily done with wood putty, so don't let that deter you from trying something new.

3. Get Preppy!

Clean -
After the hardware is removed, label the doors so you know where they will be rehung.  Next, remove the cabinet doors and drawers. Using a cloth, thoroughly clean with a mild soap and water solution and set them to dry.

Sand -
Fill any unwanted holes with wood filler and let dry. Now it's time to sand. With a fine-grit sand paper, lightly sand over the entire door. It's necessary to remove all the dust from sanding so it doesn't show up in the paint. 

Prime -

Priming is important so that the paint will adhere to the cabinet, especially if your cabinets were stained. If your working with painted cabinets, you should be able to skip the primer. The type of primer you use depends on the type of kitchen paint colors you selected. Oil-based paints need oil-based primers.  Latex paints need latex or shellac primers. Most carry a strong odor and you'll want to make sure you are working in a well ventilated area, preferably outside. 

4. To Spray or to Brush?

If you are in a hurry, then you can save time by renting a pneumatic paint sprayer from a rental store. Otherwise, you can achieve great results with a high quality paintbrush. When learning how to paint kitchen cabinets go slow and take your time. Thin even coats are key, making sure to allow cabinets to dry between each coat. Two coats should do it, unless you have heavy wood doors, like oak, which could take three coats. Once everything has dried completely, replace doors and install hardware. If you have glass door cabinets, consider painting the interior a coordinating color. The same goes for your kitchen island. Or try the new trend with a lighter paint color on the top cabinets and darker color on the bottom. See Martha Stewart paint cards for help with the complementary colors. If you want to achieve a Tuscan or French Country look consider glazing your painted cabinets. It will give you a subtle antique look.

Now you've learned how to paint kitchen cabinets like a pro, but for much less than it would cost to pay one. No doubt that giving your kitchen cabinets a face-lift will involve time and energy, but the proof will be in the pudding! Which you'll be happily serving up in your great new kitchen! Enjoy!

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