Kitchen cabinet painting with natural paint. A guide for period homes

There’s something deeply satisfying about giving your home a fresh new look. But let’s be honest, when it comes to updating your kitchen, it can seem daunting knowing where to start.

Repainting your kitchen cabinets is one of the most rewarding, but high-impact DIY jobs you can tackle. That said, this isn’t a quick job. The secret? Preparation. It is crucial to prepare well before prising the lid off the paint pot.

If you’re ready to roll up your sleeves and give your cabinets a refresh, follow our step-by-step flow chart to help you make the right decisions.

Once you have decided on the correct process for your cabinets, we recommend you follow the instructions as listed in the flow chart. For further explanation on each instruction, see below.

CLEANING SURFACES

THOROUGHLY degrease all the surfaces. Use a spray degreaser and follow manufacturer instructions. After degreasing, wipe clean and dry surfaces thoroughly.

SANDING

Sand well with sander (preferably), or sandpaper using P80 Grit. Vacuum off the dust and wipe with a tack cloth. Sand again with a P120 Grit. Remove dust and wipe with a tack cloth again.

PRIMING AND FILLING

Apply our water based eggshell primer. Fill any cracks and then sand to create even surface. Spot paint the filled areas with top coat.

FIRST TOP COAT

Apply first top coat and leave to dry overnight. Do not expect to sand and recoat in a day as dust will stick to the surface and the finish will not have hardened sufficiently.

SAND

Sand using P240 Grit.

SECOND TOP COAT

Apply second top coat and leave to dry. Water based paints will take 2 weeks to cure properly but the surface is sufficiently dry for usage after 24 hours.

TIPS

For best results, remove cupboard and repaint in a workshop to avoid excess dust sticking to newly prepared surfaces and for ease of sanding.

Use suitable undercoat before priming on new wood to cover knots.

Some beautiful kitchens showcasing our natural paint colours in all their glory to inspire with your colour choices, from our strong Etruscan Brown to calmer Flaxen Grey. Discover more about our colours Persian, Invisible Green and Garter Blue by clicking on the links.

If you need any help or advice, our brilliant team are on hand to advise about colours and which products you might need and look forward to discussing your requirements.