Painting Cabinets for a Facelift

Does your kitchen or bathroom need a facelift? Let me tell you about my cabinets. They are originals from the 1970s. While they are made from solid wood that will stand the test of the time, the color was something that would either make you laugh or cry. I knew that I wanted to keep the cabinets themselves because they are sturdy and cabinets are expensive, so I set out to find a way to paint them.

My experience really wasn’t that bad. I’m not a professional painter by any stretch of the imagination, but I did have some fun with this project. If you are considering painting your cabinets, read below where I share the benefits of this project.

You’ll Save Money

I already said this once, but it’s worth repeating – new cabinets are expensive! It’s not just the cabinets themselves, but the installation. If you have any other renovation ideas for your kitchen, you will be hard-pressed to find the funds if you replace your cabinets, unless you won the lottery.

Honestly, painting my cabinets saved me thousands of dollars. After buying a few supplies and of course paint, the rest was physical labor, which when you do it yourself, doesn’t cost a cent.

You Can do it Yourself

If you are even the least bit handy, you can manage painting your cabinets yourself. While you’ll have to do a lot of dismantling of the cabinets and dealing with chaos of the mess of your cabinets everywhere, it’s well worth it.

You can choose to do the entire kitchen at once or break it down into phases. I highly recommend using this time to deep clean your cabinets. Get rid of the stuff you no longer need and organize your cabinets. There’s no better time to do that when you have to take everything out to paint.

Your Home’s Value May Increase

Honestly, I wasn’t even thinking of my home’s value when I decided to paint my cabinets. I just wanted a new look especially since I was renovating the entire house. I was pleasantly surprised when I had a realtor friend over that helped me value my home because I was thinking about selling it and she told me that changing my cabinets helped increase my home’s value.

It makes sense, though. What would you rather buy – a home with outdated cabinets that goes better with shag carpeting or updated cabinets that look modern and gorgeous?

You Can Change Nothing Else and Still Create a Different Look

Honestly, painting my cabinets was the first renovation I did in the kitchen. I could have stopped there because it looked like a completely different kitchen with this simple facelift. I did go on to do other things including replacing the appliances and painting the walls, but just changing out the cabinets made a dramatic difference. If you have a little time and extra money on your hands, I highly recommend it. You may find that you don’t need to do anything else and save even more money.

The Sky is the Limit

When you replace your cabinets, you are stuck with the types that are available. What if you have a completely different look in mind? When you paint your own cabinets, you can choose any look you desire. If you want a crazy color, go for it! Do you want specific hardware? Order it and install it. You create the combination and look that you want in your kitchen.

I do recommend that if you’ll sell the house soon, though, keep it neutral. Just because you love brightly colored cabinets doesn’t mean others will too. You want to appeal to the masses when selling your home. If you think you’ll stay in the home for the long-term, though, go for it! Just know that you may be painting your cabinets again in the future when you are ready to sell.

Painting my cabinets was a fun project and one that I can enjoy the fruits of my labor of every single day. If you love painting or just love doing your own projects, I recommend it. Yes, it will take time and you’ll need a lot of patience, but in the end, it’s worth every ounce of energy.