Kitchens in our homes today have become the gathering point for our friends and family. Spending many hours in your kitchen is very common. Decorating your kitchen has not always been given much importance. Painting your kitchen is one change that you can complete to give your kitchen a unique look and make it your own.
A kitchen should fill you with high spirits every time you enter it and should soothe your senses too. This can be done if you are ready to paint your kitchen using various kitchen painting ideas.
Prep your kitchen before you start to paint. Tape off all of the window trim, door trim, and base trim. Cover the flooring, countertop, and cabinets with painters plastic.
Also, check for any scratches or holes in your walls and fix them by filling and sanding them before you apply the paint. If there is presence of mold on your walls, use bleach and water solution, or any other anti-fungus cleanser to remove them completely. Be sure to allow time for your walls to dry completely before you prime and paint.
If your existing paint is oil-based, then you need to apply a latex primer over the latex paint. Applying the latex primer will create an adhesion on the wall for the latex paint to adhere to. With all the advancements in paint technology today, there really is no need to go for oil-based paints in your kitchen. I encourage everyone to choose washable latex paints.
Kitchens are subjected to a lot of grease and dirt. The paint that you choose needs to be waterproof and resistant to stains. For kitchens, semi-gloss and gloss paints are the best choice for your kitchen walls. Semi-gloss and gloss paints provide a better water tight seal and cleans easier than other sheens.
If you want your paint-job to last a long period of time, it is absolutely essential to prime the painting areas before applying your paint. Start by cleaning all the surfaces and then sand them lightly to guarantee good adhesion. Choose the primer that is suitable for your walls; all primers are not the same. Super-adherent primers that mitigate covering of previous enamels or varnishes are worth checking out.
If there are too many stains on your existing paint, then you can look into stain-blocking primers which cover up the existing stains. Primers are also available which cover iron or steel, which possess certain special anti-rust features.
When you are choosing your paint colors for your kitchen, you should consider those which create a cheerful atmosphere or which stimulate the appetite. Colors like light yellow, lemon green, peach, or even brownish-red are the ideal choices.
If you want to give your kitchen a complete makeover, you should consider painting not only the walls, but also the cabinets. Being creative and thinking outside the box can really give your kitchen a whole new look!
Painting your cabinets, as with all home projects you complete, comes down to the preparation. You need a good latex paint, sandable primer, wood putty, tack cloths, sandpaper, and most important, patience.
Start by removing all the doors, drawers, and hardware, including hinges, from the cabinets. Make sure to protect countertops, flooring, and appliances to prevent incidental damage. After everything is removed, wipe down all of the cabinet faces, doors, and drawers with a good heavy duty degreaser. Depending on the condition of the cabinets, you might have to clean the cabinets a few times.
After the cleaning is complete, it is time to start sanding the cabinets. I recommend 100 grit sandpaper to sand the cabinets. After the initial sanding is complete, use wood putty to fill in any dings and dents. After the wood putty has dried, sand smooth. You may have to apply the wood putty twice with sanding each time, depending on the extent of the damage to the cabinets.
After the sanding is complete, it is time to prime the cabinets. To prime the cabinets, use a 2 ½-inch to 4-inch paint brush and use a quality primer that can be sanded. Primer that can be sanded can be purchased at a local paint supply store. Lay the drawer fronts and doors on a flat surface. Start on the backside of the doors and drawers working from the inside center, then work your way to the outside. When painting the cabinet stiles, start on the inside and work to the outside.
When applying the first coat of primer, go against the grain first and then with the grain. After the primer has dried to the touch, flip the doors and drawers over to paint the front side. After all the priming is complete on both sides of the doors and door fronts, and your stiles are painted, it is time to sand the cabinets.
Make sure the primer has completely dried; this may take up to 24 hours. Use an orbital sander and 220-grit sandpaper to smooth away brush strokes and to remove any high ridges on the cabinetry.
Use a sanding sponge to sand any corners, crevices and detailing that cannot get sanded with the orbital sander. Be careful not to round off any corners. Use a tack cloth and vacuum to clean the cabinetry of any debris. Look over the cabinets for any areas that need to be fixed. I recommend priming the cabinets the second time, with the sanding, and cleaning. Follow the same procedure as before, working from the inside to the outside.
It’s now time to paint your cabinetry. Start with a new brush. The same as priming, start in the back of the doors and the drawer fronts; starting on the inside and working your way to the outside. Paint with the grain and apply a thin coat to prevent drips and runs.
After both sides of the cabinets are painted, sand down with 400 to 600 grit sandpaper. Clean the cabinets and apply another coat of paint. Always sand in between coats of paint to smooth away brush marks that might have been left behind from painting.
Now is the time you will see that all of your hard work has paid off! It is now time to enjoy your beautiful new looking kitchen!
