The Pros and Cons of Painting Kitchen Cabinets
Painting your kitchen cabinets are a great way to give your kitchen a facelift. We painted our ugly cabinets white over 10 years ago and are still happy with them, and I repainted the bottom cabinets green last year. There are several pros and cons of painting kitchen cabinets. I also touch on cabinet refacing in the pros and cons below since that’s a another option for changing your cabinets on a budget.
Generally, you can paint any kind of cabinet with the right paint, but wood cabinets tend to have the best result. In fact, with the right paint, you can paint anything including granite countertops.
Read More: DIY granite countertops painted to look like marble
Some of the pros of painting wood cabinets.
– Paint is an inexpensive fix and can be changed multiple times
– Cabinets can easily be made a custom color
– Painted cabinets can change the look of an entire room by lightening or darkening it
-Painting cabinets can also change the feel of a room by making fell more modern or traditional.
– Cabinet refacing is a more expensive but more durable option since it uses more materials and labor. Will normally cost between $3,000-$10,000 depending on cabinet door amount. Painting if DIY around $150-$300, if contracted out $3,000-$7,000
See this example: A kitchen remodel with cabinet refacing
Cons against painting kitchen cabinets
– Cabinets can chip over time and need to be repainted or touched up
– Wood grain from the underlying cabinets can show through
-Cabinet door style can’t be changed to update such as when you reface cabinets
– Is a more expensive option since it uses more materials and labor. Will normally cost between $3,000-$10,000 depending on cabinet door amount.
– Cabinet boxes may still need to be painted
-If DIY can be labor intensive
– May develop an orange peel finish or the darker color may bleed through if not prepped properly
I’ve worked with clients that have picked both options, so neither answer is wrong. It just depends on both the look and desired outcome.
DIY Painting is definitely the most budget-friendly option, but cabinet refacing is the most durable. And if you want a cabinet door style change, then refacing is the best option when it comes to the pros and cons of painting your kitchen cabinets.
