Kitchen Cabinets – Should You Paint Them Or Stain Them?

“Diamonds are forever” according to DeBeers….but cabinets? Well, that’s another story. Cabinets can last a long time if they were put together well in the first place. Typically we tire of the way they look on the outside more so than the function they are providing. If you want to think green it’s best to give them a face lift rather than send them packing to the dump. This can be done in several ways but the simplest are painting or staining.

If you want to dramatically change the color (say from dark to light) paint is definitely your medium. It covers a lot of sins and allows you to completely reinvent the look. Be sure to let your paint professional know what you are intending to paint so he can steer you in the right direction with paint selection and sheen. From experience I can tell you although I love the look of a bright white kitchen they can be challenging to keep clean.

On the other hand if you just love the natural beauty of wood stick with a stain. There are some very cool gel stains out these days that go right over existing finishes and can change the tint. Obviously these do not work if you are trying to go from dark to light but work best if say you want to add a redder look or antique brown. Some of the grain will remain visible.

Whichever you decide to do my first recommendation is to prep it right! This will save you a lot of headaches down the road. Cabinets should be cleaned first with a good de-greaser. Next you want to remove all the doors and treat them separately from the face frames. (By the way, if you have frame-less cabinets the edge-banding may not be changeable so you might want to base your choices accordingly). Next a light sanding may or may not be necessary if painting, less so with stain. Finally use a good primer for painted and just follow directions for staining over existing finishes.

When you are all done, re-hang the doors and add some new hardware and Voila! Fresh new cabinets!

Remember that updating your cabinet faces can be very beneficial. If you have already installed an updated counter top for instance it would be a drag to have to rip it all out again. Think timeless when you make your color choices so the look will endure. diamond painting zubehör