There’s no better way of transforming the look and feel of a kitchen as a whole than by updating its cabinets. Swapping the matter entirely for new cabinets is an option, but can nonetheless attach a hefty price.

A cost-effective alternative is to stick with the cabinets you already have, and to treat them to a new coat of paint. Or, if preferred, strip them down to the bare wood and apply a coat of stain.

But which of the two is better, in terms of revamping the entire space at an affordable price?  If both options are available, should you go with stain or varnish?

The Cabinet Repainting process, in Brief

Whichever way you go, the basics of the cabinet repainting process will always be fairly similar.

Albeit an extremely condensed summary, these are the steps you’ll need to take to refresh your cabinet doors with a new coating:

1. Take everything out of your cabinets and give them a quick wipe.
2. Remove all the hardware and set it aside in a safe place.
3. Remove the cabinet doors and drawers, along with all hinges and mechanisms.
4. If you plan on staining your cabinets, you’ll need to sand away the current coat of paint or stain right down to the bare wood.
5. If you’ll be painting your cabinets, it may not be necessary to fully sand away the current coats of paint – if they are in reasonably good condition.
6. Use fine grit sandpaper to create a slightly rough surface for the subsequent pain/primer/stain to adhere to.
7. Fill any gaps or cracks in the wood and ensure all necessary repairs are taken care of.
8. Carefully paint a layer of primer over the surface of the wood, if you are planning on painting your kitchen cabinets.
9. Paint or stain the surface slowly and carefully, adding two or three coats is necessary to achieve a flawless finish.

• Allow plenty of time to dry before carefully reassembling your kitchen cabinets.

All of which sounds like quite the endeavor on paper, but is actually the kind of job that can be tackled within a single free weekend. Either way, you’ll be saving huge sums of money on swapping out your cabinets entirety, which can turn into an even more disruptive and time-consuming task.

Cabinet Paint or Stain?

Choosing between the two options is as much about personal preference as anything else.  They can both look equally fantastic, with the potential to transform the dynamic of the entire space at an affordable price.

For the most part, it depends entirely on the type of look/theme you are going for. For contemporary kitchens with a modern or minimalist look, nothing looks better than pristine painted cabinets.  You can go as bold or subtler as you like with your colour choice, but there really is nothing like the glossy sheen of a fresh coat of paint.

With stain, a finish that allows the natural beauty of the wood to shine through is just the thing for achieving that modern farmhouse look at home. Wood has a traditional rustic charm that’s great for complementing a more classical cottage feel.  That said, darker stains can also look fantastic in many types of contemporary kitchens, replicating a dark mahogany look without breaking the bank.

DIY or Pro Painters?

Last up, it’s entirely up to you whether you tackle the job yourself, or hire help.  In both instances, care and precision hold the key to producing a flawless result.

As with all types of interior painting, planning and prepping accounts for at least 90% of the final product. Stripping cabinets back to the bare wood and staining them is a more difficult and time-consuming process than painting cabinet doors. However, applying stain in a way that creates a completely flawless finish can sometimes be easier than applying several coats of paint with pinpoint precision.

Irrespective of the look you would like to achieve, getting a quotation from a pro painting team before getting started is advisable.  Depending on your requirements and your access to equipment, it could actually work out cheaper to have the experts update your kitchen cabinets on your behalf.

At Homm CPS, we provide a comprehensive range of interior painting services at competitive prices.

For more information on the services we provide or to discuss your requirements in more detail, contact a member of the team at Homm CPS today.