Kitchen Cabinets – Do Over!

Another friend of mine was moving to a new home and wanted to update her new digs with some color… She picked a great Alegro Blue for the kitchen.  The color was hip and modern but her cabinets were anything but!  So, she decided to buy all new cabinet doors and paint the cabinets white.  Well, to me this was throwing good money away.  Especially since the cabinet doors there were solid wood!  So, I suggested that I take on the refinishing project and sand, prime and paint the doors that she already had.  Just look at the difference!

       

Tools needed:  Small cutting in brush, Small paint roller w/ foam roller, Palm Sander, 150 grit sand paper, tack cloth, bent nose pliers, wood chisel, putty spatula, primer/ sealer and semi-gloss finishing paint in the color of your choice.

First, I took the oh-so-70’s center panel off using the chisel and bent nose pliers to remove the staples.  Then I used the palm sander and 150 grit paper to give a good sanding to all sides of the doors.  This removed the smooth sheen so the primer would stick.  Then, I used wood putty to fill in the nicks, dings and holes with the putty spatula.  It is very important to sand again to make the putty nice and smooth and ready for paint. 

For painting I wanted to use a small brush to get into the small crevices and the small smooth foam roller to keep the finish smooth (no brush strokes).  Armed with these tools I applied 2 coats of primer/ sealer which blocked any of the stain from seeping through.  Plus, going from dark to light is harder and therefore 2 coats was a must.  Then 2 coats of a semi-gloss finishing paint. 

I am happy with the results and I hope she will be!                   

~ by Babs on April 12, 2008.