Are you looking to revamp your kitchen cupboards and cabinets to avoid the expense of having to replace them all? Then you’re in the right place. In this article, we go through what types of paint you should be looking for, some common questions around painting your kitchen units, how to do it & most importantly our top product picks for completing the job with the best finish possible.
This article is a bit of a long one, with a lot of information, so you can use the below to navigate to the section that best suits your question:
- Best type of paint for kitchen cupboards
- Current best selling kitchen cupboard paints
- Can you paint over laminate kitchen cabinets?
- Is painting kitchen cupboards yourself a good idea?
- How to paint kitchen cabinets & cupboards
- Our top kitchen cupboard & cabinet paint picks
Or if you simply don’t want to read through the post & just want to know our top pick for the best kitchen cupboard paint, it’s 750ml Johnstones Revive Cupboard Paint Pale Grey
What is the best type of paint for kitchen cupboards?
Selecting the most appropriate paint finish is important, as it affects how your cabinets are going to look in the long term. Drawers and doors are subject to touching, pulling, slamming, while shelves have items and much more. These factors can make cabinets get chipped and scratched, by selecting the right paint finish for the kitchen you can reduce it significantly.
When painting kitchen cabinets paint with some sheen can help be more durable and reflect light. This is a result of the fact that binders and resin are used in devising paint and semi-gloss or gloss finish options provide durability to the paint.
Painting kitchen cabinets using a flat or eggshell finish paint should be completely avoided, these particular types of paint aren’t washable.
In summary, semi-gloss or gloss paints are a much better option for a finish when painting in a room such as a kitchen which has humidity and moisture. The sheen will help to ward off stains and water spots.
Current best selling kitchen cupboard paints
In this post, I have handpicked what I consider to be some of the top kitchen cupboard paints further down, but that being said, there are new products coming to market all the time & preferences continually change so the best way to determine what the best type of paint for kitchen cupboards is by looking at some of the current best sellers. These three products highlighted below will change with popularity:
- Giving your kitchen a refresh has never been easier with Rust-Oleum Kitchen...
- Available in a Satin finish to add a touch of glamour, choose from 110...
- No primer or topcoat needed, this paint is hard-wearing, scrubbable and has...
- The highly pigmented formula is easy to apply by brush or roller for...
- Upcycle your kitchen cabinets at less cost to you and the environment with...
- CUPBOARD PAINT COCOA CREAM
- Quality product
- Item package quantity: 1
- Item package weight: 1.08 kilograms
- Giving your kitchen a refresh has never been easier with Rust-Oleum Kitchen...
- Available in a Satin finish to add a touch of glamour, choose from 110...
- No primer or topcoat needed, this paint is hard-wearing, scrubbable and has...
- The highly pigmented formula is easy to apply by brush or roller for...
- Upcycle your kitchen cabinets at less cost to you and the environment with...
Can you paint over laminate kitchen cabinets?
Laminate isn’t a perfect surface but it may be accomplished. You will likely be satisfied with the outcome if you take into account the paint project as a temporary solution until it is possible to invest in cabinetry entirely. Follow the following steps to receive the best ending possible.
HEAD OUR WARNING – DON’T PAINT OVER DAMAGED LAMINATE
When wood is cracked, peeling, or warped, this damage may interfere with the bonding of paint. Make sure that the laminate is in good condition and cleaned prior to applying paint.
Is painting kitchen cupboards yourself a good idea?
Among the fastest and simplest methods to liven up a tired kitchen would be always to paint your cabinets. Here are a couple of advantages of why painting kitchen cupboards is a great idea:
Price
Let us begin with the clearest advantage of painting over replacement – the price. Painting costs a whole lot less than purchasing new cabinets and installing them. Should you need a penny-pinching option then, painting is the thing to do.
Even when you’re not pressured into making a financial-based choice, painting remains an attractive alternative since it provides you with more cash to invest elsewhere. New cabinets installation can cost nearly half of a kitchens full cost. Cutting this costing will permit you to do much more items on your remodelling job, such as update your countertops or flooring or find the ones high-end appliances you truly want.
Like-New Appearance
You might take a look over your old cupboards and think that it would require a miracle to make them look better but you will be surprised at what a lick of paint may do for you! When done properly, painted cupboards will appear like new. You are going to be amazed by the results, and friends and family will not believe you once you say they have been painted, not substituted.
How to paint kitchen cabinets & cupboards
- First, take off all knobs and handles (in addition to the contents of your cabinets and drawers of course!) Use masking tape to protect glass and hinges, and place dust sheets down to protect different areas that are essential.
- Clean your cabinets with sugar soap or even a stronger detergent solution. This will eliminate dirt and generate a smooth canvas.
- If the cupboards are dry, sand with good paper. Fill imperfections that have a fantastic quality ready mixed filler and sand.
- Apply a wood or melamine primer based upon the surface. You may want to use a small roller on doorways to get a smooth end. The end is going to be a subtle sheen that is simple to wash and touch-up – precisely what you will need in case you’ve got a couple of enthusiastic little cooks in your home. When using a brush be sure it’s synthetic bristles to prevent those brush marks!
- Apply two coats of your preferred colour. After the first coat is totally dry, sand with a nice paper to guarantee a smooth, professional finish.
- If the second coat is totally dry, carefully remove the masking tape, then place the knobs and grips back, then you should have sparkly “newish” cabinets. If you’d like more of an alteration, blend your hardware up and replace your older knobs and handles using fresh cheerful and distinctive designs to pep up your cabinets and drawers.
Our top kitchen cupboard & cabinet paint picks
The section that you’ve been waiting for, well we hope! We’ve done the research for you, picked out our top choice products that are more than suitable for painting your kitchen cabinets. We looked at the product price, description, reviews & answers to their frequently asked questions in order to find the best products we can for you, so you don’t have to.
So without further ado:
The Johnstones Revive range is intended to assist you in making your kitchen cabinet recovery easier and as least stressful as possible. This item gives a fast and effortless way to transform your kitchen in just 1 day. Refresh the entire room or put in a pop of colour to individual cabinets, whether Melamine or MDF. The innovative water-based formula dries to a smooth satin finish and can be applied directly on cabinet surfaces without a demand for another primer or undercoat.
It’s low odour so there is minimal disturbance to your property. Touch dry within 1 hour, re-coatable after 5 hours, although I would usually leave it a little longer than that if I’m going, to be honest.
It’s an excellent paint at a low price which will make your cabinets look as good as new in no time at all.
Main features
- It’s capable of transforming your whole kitchen with just a single tin
- Theres little to no odour, so you shouldn’t be getting a headache
- It doesn’t require an undercoat
- Easy to buy
- Reliable brand, Johnstone are well known for their paint products
Why we’ve chosen it?
This paint is made by a well-known brand, is at a great price point, has fantastic reviews and is purpose made for painting furniture and cupboards, it’s the best pick in our list for all these reasons and will definitely leave you impressed. It’s available in lots of different colours too, including white, black & even apple.
Read the reviews:
Before buying a product, particularly a paint, you should always read all the reviews you can because it’s alright them saying something in the description but the best way to tell if it actually follows through is by reading all the reviews you can both positive and negative.
If you would like to upgrade your kitchen at a fraction price of obtaining a brand new one, this One Coat Cupboard Paint by Ronseal is exactly what you want. It covers cabinets, drawers, doors, and furniture in only 1 coat.
It will not leave brush marks and can be tough enough to endure to scuffs and scratches. It won’t scratch or scuff and in a single coat it won’t leave brush marks
Touch Dry in two hours Coverage: 8 M2 COVERED PER LITRE
Convenient for: Cupboards, drawers, shelving, skirting boards, inside doors and bedrooms.
Main features
- It only needs a single coat
- Won’t be scuffed or scratched easily, so will last the duration!
- It doesn’t leave brush marks
- It dries extremely quickly in 2 hours
- It’s great for painting drawers, shelving, skirting boards & more, as well as kitchen cupboards of course
Why we’ve chosen it?
Ronseal is another reputable brand in the list, and we’ve chosen this one because of how easy it looks to use, with only having to apply a single coat and not leaving any brush marks. These two features are the downfall of a lot of similar products.
Read the reviews:
Interested in buying this Ronseal product? Then you should always make sure that you read all the reviews beforehand to substantiate the claims from people who have bought it previously.
This paint generally has great reviews.
We couldn’t make a list of paints without including the most popular paint brand, Dulux.
Dulux Quick Dry Satinwood produces a mid-sheen satin finish, offering a subtle, appealing alternate to gloss. It’s self-undercoating, wipeable, non-yellowing and appropriate for use on interior wood and metal, such as radiators or even kitchen cupboards. As a result of the Quick Dry, very low odour formula, it’s equally convenient and agreeable to use.
No undercoat required at all. Quick-drying in as little as 6 hours. Water-based. For interior metal and wood. You’ll need to do two coats to get a quality finish
Main features
- Available in a variety of different colours
- Product has a low odour
- It dries quickly (6 Hours)
- No undercoat required – so a bit of saving can be made there
- It’s very easy to apply
Why we’ve chosen it?
Like we mentioned, we couldn’t make a list of paints without including Dulux. They are a well-known brand in the industry, and their products are always quality and reliable, you can’t go wrong with Dulux, although they are slightly more expensive than their competitors usually.
Read the reviews:
Interested in buying this Dulux paint? Before doing so we always advise that you should read the reviews both positive and negative to ensure you know it’s full capabilities and limitations.
You may not have heard of the brand Rust-Oleum so we’ll explain a little bit about them. At the beginning, the creator, sea captain Robert Fergusson, did not especially care for the paint. He only wanted to keep his boat intact. When he discovered an accidental splash of fish oil had ceased the constant spread of rust on his rusty metal deck, so he instantly recognized it for what it was: A beneficial remedy. Welcome to Rust-Oleum, residence of reliable quality–and strong solutions–and they’ve been going ever since 1921, constantly working on improving their product.
Renovate and change furniture using Rust-Oleum Chalky End Furniture Paint, it’s perfect for your kitchen cabinets. Having a timeless, smooth signature, matt finish, it brings a fresh lease of life into an exhausted kitchen.
The paint may be used directly on timber (painted or bare), brick, stone, plaster or some other appropriately primed inflexible surface (metal, plastic etc.) so as you can see there are several uses for it.
Water-based with almost no odour. Outstanding coverage in only 1 coat.
Main features
- Little to no odour
- Only takes a single coat
- Perfect for all types of furniture
- You don’t have to sand according to the description, but we’d still advise it
- Only suitable for using inside
Why we’ve chosen it?
So it’s clear we haven’t chosen this for the brand, I didn’t know the brand before researching I’ll be honest. However, after reading through the product description and reviews colour me impressed. This looks like a fantastic cupboard and it’s available in a wide range of different colours.
Read the reviews:
Unsure whether this is for you? Yeah I would be too, with a brand name I’d never heard of. That being said, the reviews for this product are excellent and I urge you to read them before buying.
Fantastic for up-cycling your worn and old furniture in your property, including your kitchen cabinets. It’ll brighten up your much-loved but tired kitchen together with your personal style. A multi-level paint, it’s acceptable for many different uses.
The vivid colour range offers many innovative decoration alternatives to renovate your failed furniture.
V33 Easy Furniture is a selection of simple to use paints which offers an extremely attractive looking finish. It’s durable and easy to keep being washable and stain-resistant.
Offered in a wide selection of 25 bright colours both in satin and gloss finishes using V33 Furniture Paint you can be as imaginative as you want to transform your kitchen!
Main features
- It’s a paint suitable for multi-surfaces, so you can use it for more than just your kitchen cabients
- It’s extremely impact and stain resistant – a must for your kitchen
- It’s a quick drying product
- There are lots of colours available, so you can make your kitchen into what you want!
Why we’ve chosen it?
Again a lesser-known brand, but it appears like a fantastic product with hundreds of great reviews, it’s a quality in-depth product description and great features that make it more than suitable for your kitchen cabinets.
Read the reviews:
If you want to buy this product we strongly recommend as always to read the reviews, especially with it being a lesser-known brand. We’ve read them and they are mostly great quality.