When (and How) to Paint Your Kitchen
A time will come when your new kitchen feels a bit samey and a bit old.
It’s not tired so to speak, but you want to make a change.
Now, as we’ve laid out in earlier blog posts, you can make superficial changes with the seasons and with your moods, but a time will come when you consider changing colour. This does not mean a major overhaul of the kitchen – you’ve already paid for that and our kitchens remain stylish for decades, but a little change in shade.
What Simple Changes You Can Make?
Re-painting your kitchen can lead to a raft of other design choices. For example, a new colour means that old wall tiles, wall paint, drapes, curtains, cushions, and so on no longer fit the aesthetic. If you don’t want to replace them or cannot afford to, their colours may limit your choice of paint. Furthermore, you can look at other design choices. Some might find it controversial, but you could consider wall papering the walls for example or changing the flooring. Mostly though, you’ll look for small changes to complement the new colours such as new curtains. It’s good to consider these ideas when you are deciding what colours to go for.
What to Paint
Of course, the big question is what is it ok to paint? The most obvious answer is the kitchen cabinets. It is up to you what you paint. For example, you may wish to paint the walls a new colour to bring a fresh look to the cabinets or vice versa. It is possible to change or pain the tiles though painting tiles is also a little controversial and has to be well done. As wood is easy to paint, some may consider also painting other pieces of wooden furniture, but again, as with tiles it’s easy for it to look a bit amateur. You can also paint your kitchen island. This is pretty simple and the best option for painting it is to choose a colour which contrasts your cabinets so both stand out more.
What Colour to Paint
As you are looking to refresh your kitchen rather than renovate or change, then you need to balance your colours against the fixtures which will not be changed. This mostly means complementing the worksurfaces and the floor. Other elements like the ceiling and walls can easily be painted too if need be. Before making a decision, look at how colours – even samples, change as the light of the day and your house lights at night change. Move samples around the kitchen to get a good idea of how it looks in all lights before making a decision.
Don’t Forget these Key Tips for Painting your Cabinets
Naturally, it’s most likely that you’ll paint your cabinets. Therefore, it’s a good idea to keep these basic points in mind:
Step 1 – Plan ahead
Step 2 – Choose your colours wisely
Step 3 – Buy the equipment you need
Step 4 – Remove and label doors, drawers, and hardware
Step 5 – Prepare the surfaces
Step 6 – Sand all the wooden surfaces down
Step 7 – Paint it like a Pro
Step 8 – Let it dry – possibly give a second coat
Step 9 – Reassemble
