How to Paint Kitchen Cupboards

As the heart of your home, the kitchen is often the place you spend most of your time, so it’s important that you’re happy with the way it looks.

When it comes to kitchen makeovers, painting kitchen cupboards is an easy and affordable way to switch up your colour scheme or simply spruce up your space. Whether you’re restoring some life to old cupboards or injecting some bright colour into your space, a lick of cupboard paint can transform your kitchen.

Here’s our step-by-step guide to giving your kitchen the makeover it deserves with kitchen cupboard paint.

What You’ll Need

1. Order your kitchen cupboard paints

The first step is to decide on your colour scheme and order your kitchen cupboard paints. Whether you fancy a rich charcoal grey paint or a calming sage green paint, always consider the rest of your kitchen décor and furniture when deciding on colours.

At Homebase, we have a wide range of kitchen cupboard paint colours, shades and finishes, so you can find the best paint for your kitchen cupboards. You can perfect how to paint kitchen cupboards that are laminate, wood, melamine and other materials.

2. Set up your space

One of the most challenging parts of painting kitchen cupboards is working in a space that’s usually crowded with lots of other furniture.

Before you start doing anything, it’s always a good idea to lay a dust sheet on your floor or counters to protect them from spillages. You can also stick masking tape along the edges of the cupboards you’re painting. This will help you get a clean line and don’t get any paint transfer on bordering surfaces.

3. Prep your cupboards

Using a screwdriver, remove any handles or knobs you have on the kitchen cupboard doors you’re painting and put them to one side. Don’t forget to empty everything from inside your drawers or cupboards. When you’re painting kitchen cupboards, you may also want to cover any hinges with masking tape to protect them.

4. Clean your cupboards

Next, give your cupboards a quick clean using detergent and a damp cloth to remove all dirt and grease, creating a smooth surface for painting. Once they’re clean and dry, sand your cupboards down with sandpaper. Sanding isn’t necessary if your cupboards are melamine or high gloss finish; you can skip this and get straight into the painting.

5. Get painting

Once your cupboards are clean, sanded and free of handles, it’s time to get painting.

Open and mix your kitchen cupboard paint, then pour the desired amount into a paint tray. It’s a good idea to start with a paintbrush to get into all the corners and edges, then use your paint roller for the large surfaces. If you prefer, you can also use a paint sprayer to apply your paint, which is particularly useful for large surfaces.

Apply one full coat and then wait for it to fully touch dry – this can take up to 8 hours – before applying the second coat. Once your final coat is dry to the touch, you can remove the masking tape and put the knobs and handles back on, being careful not to scuff the paint.

Now it’s time to step back and admire your beautifully painted cupboards and enjoy your freshly spruced up kitchen. Remember to share your kitchen cupboard transformation with us at @Homebase_UK and explore our Ideas and Advice Hub for more redecoration inspiration.