Even the highest quality paint job can t revive cheap cabinets that have grown frail with age.
Can you paint your old kitchen cabinets.
If your hardware simply needs cleaning see refinishing and cleaning kitchen cabinets for instructions.
You might even get away with one.
Painting over a dark finish with a light color is tougher and could require three coats.
If these are the issues you re dealing with you d actually be better off replacing your kitchen cabinets.
You re finally ready to paint.
If you re using roughly the same shade as the existing color two coats ought to do the job.
Thin veneers peel or delaminate particleboard cabinet bottoms or shelves sag or break and hanging rails come loose.
With an inexpensive paint sprayer and a few gallons of paint you can transform your kitchen in a weekend.
Paint the cabinet boxes.
If you re using your old hardware you can clean it or refinish it with spray paint for a new look.
Painting your kitchen cabinets is the single most transformative thing you can do to your kitchen without a gut renovation.
Break out a new brush for each coat.
Then fill holes with the wood filler.
And if you do it yourself it can also be one of the least expensive ways to overhaul the space just the cost of materials and of course your time.
If you plan on using new hardware that is a different size than the original you will have to fill the old hardware holes before painting.
If you want to replace your hardware instead see our cabinet hardware buying guide for options.
If your cabinets have any holes or gouges you will need to fill them.