skip to main content

Advice on Painting Kitchen Units

4 years ago

Hello lovely people! We are tidying up our kitchen as a temporary fix until it is replaced in a couple of years or so. We don’t have the budget to do anything more at this stage. We are looking to paint the shaker style units, which have solid beech doors and melamine carcasses/panels & trim. We want it to look pretty professional, and have good painting skills but not done a kitchen before.

Three questions, your pearls of wisdom gratefully received:

What paint would you recommend for a matt or low sheen, finish without brush marks? What brand/technique? Torn between using traditional brands or Frenchic, Fusion mineral paints.
What colours would you suggest for a contemporary look in a north-facing kitchen? The floor is hickory and the worktops will be budget friendly light grey concrete effect Ekbacken from Ikea until we get a new kitchen.
Cup handles and knobs or bar handles? I can’t decide ...

Thanks in advance for your help!

Featured Answer

Sonia

4 years ago

All lovely shades, but do note that in a north facing room the colours will be a lot deeper and greyer than in a brighter room. I love green and I think my next kitchen in 100 years time will be green! If you keep the walls light and bright then I think it could work. I’ve tried to find images of kitchens painted in those colours but struggled, so here’s my meagre offering

FRENCH GREY

SAGE GREENS

Comments (24)

Sonia
4 years ago
last modified: 4 years ago
Hi Francis, could you share a picture of the kitchen as it is? It will help everyone to envisage ideas. Would you consider having the doors professionally sprayed at all, it’s just such a lot of time consuming work, and it will give a streak free finish? Just an idea.
PRO
OnePlan
4 years ago
I tried painting my kitchen cabinets - soon got my pro ( lovely Steve ) in to rectify the mess and do the job properly ! It’s one job I’d say is 99% of the time, is better left to the professionals ! (Pics of my kitchen are in my pro page if you want to see !)
Related Discussions
Flooring advice
Q
Comments (1)
Use similar flooring for open concept spaces.
...See More
Need more colour advice to tie living room and kitchen.
Q
Comments (2)
The protruding wall around the fireplace needs to be wallpapered or painted with dense motifs or tiled with stone/brick textured tiles or ply. Re-doing your fireplace will drastically change the look of your living room. See photos below. Consider painting the frames of your doors and sliding doors in the living room and kitchen a dark brown to match the floating shelf over the fireplace. Do not decide what you want to do in poor lighting as you have provided in the photos. Wine is a good color to consider. Also think of darker colors like plum and have different shades on each wall (from the same color family). So maybe think of wine- plum- magenta or wine - oxblood-blood red, etc. whichever suits your taste.
...See More
Need help choosing paint colour for my pine kitchen units - dark room.
Q
Comments (0)
Hi I want to brighten up a kitchen. I am on a tight budget. I am considering painting the pine kitchen units and perhaps replacing the black laminate counter-top. Any ideas on colours - the room is north/ north-east facing?
...See More
Advice on re-design of Kitchen/Diner/Living Room?
Q
Comments (4)
Hi minnie101, Thanks so much for your detailed reply. Great to know what colour that grey is. It may be a little dark with our floor. We will definitely update the handles - I hate the current ones. We'll probably go with wood to keep within budget. Your non-tiles pic is lovely. We'll probably keep some tiles and try to keep the kitchen a little more modern than country kitchen, which might be a challenge with wood. The room faces south. I like your idea of dividing it with paint. We probably will go with white in the kitchen and then 1/2 slightly darker tones in the tv-couch area. The 'other' entrance into the dining area is narrowed by a non-structural wall, so we should remove this to open it properly or like you say, close it off. Maybe not close it off entirely as we'd lose a lot of light, but maybe put in a counter or breakfast bar if space allowed. I love your pendant light suggestions over the dining table. Details like this and a rug in the couch area will really help divide the room as at the moment it is one big cavernous space. I really can't decide yet what way the couches should face - into a tv in the corner, or out into the room like you suggest. We'll have to draw out some chalk outlines on the floor and see how much space there actually is. Colour-wise we like the idea of keeping walls and cabinets quite stark, the wood counter will add a bit of warmth, and then adding colour with couches, rugs and possibly dining chairs. I've attached a couple of pieces of furniture I like. Some may not work, but we'll figure it out.
...See More
Frances C
Original Author
4 years ago
Thanks for the comments but we simply don’t have the budget to get someone in as we have had some difficult times recently that have also knocked us for six financially. We are very proficient DIYers and have OCD, so whilst it won’t be perfect, we are confident we can make a good crack at it ... and all things being equal we are not stuck with it for more than a couple of years or so.
minnie101
4 years ago
It would be really good to see pics of the kitchen and floor, especially the floor!

I would use Little Greene or Paints & Paper, intelligent eggshell (water) or their oil if you want even more hard wearing. I'd use zinsser for the melamine as a primer and use a small roller for the doors.

I will say now I'm not good at colour... however the worktop (shown in pic) appears to have a pinky slightly purple undertone? I don't know what you think of burgundŷ (or now it's on trend referred to as "Bordeaux" or something along those lines 😂) with a shade of mink (maybe lighter than shown) for walls/wall cabinets. I personally like cup handles and knobs for a shaker kitchen
minnie101
4 years ago
I forgot to say I cropped the "mink" colour from this image of Farrow and ball dimity which I assume is receiving cool light on the window walls
sarh123
4 years ago
I painted my kitchen and then a couple of friends did theirs as it went so well! I’d experiment first with an area not too visible -I was painting an already hand painted whereas you will have the additional stage of preparing/priming the melamine. I’ve also painted Ikea melamine type finish cupboards. In that case I lightly sanded the surface to be painted and then used a very good specialist primer. I usually go into a good decorating supplies specialist and tell them what I’m trying to achieve. Then use a good (eg Dulux trade) oil based paint -I just don’t think water based last in the kitchen. As to colour, try a couple of testers on pieces of lining paper and put them on your doors for a couple of days. I would stress though to test the process on an area of door which isn’t visible to make sure it works on your particular kitchen without destroying it! Also choose a time when you can allow for drying.
Frances C
Original Author
4 years ago
last modified: 4 years ago
Thanks Minnie :) I am away for the weekend but will post some photos when I get back. Here’s the flooring in the meantime. Zinsser, Little Greene sounds like a good option. I will pop to a Brewers for a colour chart. The worktop is definitely a warm grey, no pinkness. I think I am swaying toward cups and knobs in brushed nickel. What do you think of these?
Frances C
Original Author
4 years ago
That sounds like good advice. Thank you.
Sonia
4 years ago
Wooden kitchens are becoming trendy again, but if you definitely want to paint the units, then I’ve used Little Greene eggshell paints and they give a low sheen but not too matt finish. I painted 2 large pine bookcases. Not difficult but time consuming. I hand sanded them, washed them down, then painted 2 coats of primer and 2 top coats in water based eggshell. Make sure you let it dry thoroughly between coats. They do look lovely and the brush strokes are not obvious. I don’t think the water based eggshell will be tough enough for a kitchen, so I would use the oil based one. The colour I used was Slaked Lime which is a bright neutral and my room is North-East facing. I’m sorry I’m not familiar with the paint brands you mentioned. Below is a picture of one of my painted bookcases, a kitchen painted in Slaked Lime, and then a natural wood shaker kitchen.
Frances C
Original Author
4 years ago
Ohh, I am liking Slaked Lime!
minnie101
4 years ago
Hi Frances. The floor pic didn't load. Just to add my kitchen is in the LG water based eggshell and has lasted 6 years, I have 2 tiny chips on the cabinets which recently appeared but more on my plinths which are like skirting boards that protrude from the cabinets so I bash them with the hoover! (The cabinets are 25 years old btw). Their oil in theory would be harder wearing though but I wouldn't discount the water based eggshell as it's recommended for cabinets if you'd prefer to work with that. I wouldn't recommend the F&B equivalent though.

oh, I just took an image of the worktop from the net! What colour undertone would you say it has then as that will help people with colours?

Yes I like the handles and knobs. Enjoy your weekend away 🙂
Sonia
4 years ago
@Frances I love those knobs and handles which would really suit a shaker kitchen. It would give it a more country look rather like my second pic of a Slaked Lime painted kitchen. Slaked Lime comes in about, I think, three shades and I used the lightest one. Brewers do all their paints and you need to grab a paint chart - you will be beguiled! 😊
Frances C
Original Author
4 years ago
Spent a lovely half hour in Brewers fawning over their paint samples, and have about 8 colours in contention, but Ulla is probably top of the list. Here are what are in contention, lots of pieces of paper to paint to pin up! Oh and sorry, here’s the floor :)
minnie101
4 years ago
Slaked lime get some my vote but do try Ulla too. I may be wrong but think french grey looks quite blue in north facing rooms and aquamarine and Pearl look as if they'll be quite cool?
minnie101
4 years ago
Sonia, that last pic is a Neptune kitchen and one of my favourites 😊 when I was hoping to do my kitchen I spent absolutely ages looking for those handles to no avail 😂
Juliet Docherty
4 years ago
Slaked Lime gets my vote too, it's a brilliant colour.
rachelmidlands
4 years ago
Would be good to see a photo the kitchen units and doors but as a general rule of thumb when painting kitchen cabinets is not to skip on the prep. Thoroughly clean and degrease the surfaces with sugar soap first then rinse off with lint free cloth and warm water. If the doors are wood are they waxed? unlikely in a kitchen but you can test by scraping with your fingernail, if so then they’ll need a rub with methylated spirits in the direction of the grain to fetch the wax off then rinse with wet cloth. Wooden doors can be sanded but I don’t think melamine and foil veneers can in which case I’d use a special primer. Zinsser bullseye 123 is water based and good all rounder but for bare or sanded wood I’d go for a shellac primer such as Zinsser BIN. Use a good quality synthetic brush and microfibre roller for water based paints and natural bristle brush and foam roller for oil based paints.

Out of interest I priced up the difference between one of the fancy furniture paints and others. So for example let’s say you need 2.5litre of your chosen colour and finish plus primer and prep.

Fusion mineral paints which I believe are very good but I’ve never tested them, recommend using there TSP for cleaning £10 approx, Ultra grip 500ml £18.95, and 2.5 litre of paint is a whopping £109.95. Total £138.90.

For oil based finish, sugar soap £1.99, Zinsser BIN 2.5lt £39.99, Little Greene eggshell 2.5lt £67.00. Total £108.98.

For water based (less smelly), sugar soap £1.99, Zinsser bullseye 123 2.5lt £27.99, Little Greene or F&B water based eggshell 2.5lt £64. Total £93.98

Of course there are different brands and a trade decorating centre can mix colours to whatever you want and recommend what paints and prep to use but hope this helps a little. X

P.S. don’t use chalk paint unless you’re after the shabby chic look. Unsure on colour advice but Slaked Lime gets my vote too👍.
Frances C
Original Author
4 years ago
Thank you everyone for all your sage or should I say slaked lime advice. I will post some photos when I am back home but I think I am getting a clearer picture with your direction. Some excellent recommendations, and thank you Sonia for the images. A great help. Rachelmidlands, your advice re:prep is spot on and I have my sugar soaps done Zinsser BIN at the ready. The wood surfaces seem lacquered rather than waxed, but do your fingernail test. I will also give a light sand to key.

The price comparisons are interesting. I have used Fusion and Frenchic on
Sonia
4 years ago
Reading Rachel’s post reminded me that I too did use small sponge rollers on my bookcase and just used a small brush in the awkward corners, so that must account for the smooth finish. Wrapping rollers and brushes with clingfilm will keep them moist if you are carrying on painting the next day. As I’m a tad lazy, I bought loads of spare sponge rollers to save rinsing them clean. Brewers sell them. I did try Wilkos much cheaper ones but they were rubbish and the sponges tended to fly off the roller at the most awkward of times! 😱 Good luck.
Frances C
Original Author
4 years ago
... Frenchic Al Fresco on furniture and it isn’t chalk paint like Annie Sloan. You seem to use a lot less than standard paint as you use a virtually dry brush to apply in very thin layers, it is quite a different technique. I think the TSP is fancy sugar soap, and you can use Zinsser instead of Ultragrip. I think one of the marketing ploys of these paints is to sell paint primarily to upcycling women who perhaps previously new to painting. Interestingly, when I was in Brewers, a number of women were coming in asking for advice on painting kitchens and furniture. Some off the staff who are used to dealing with mainly blokes in the trade seemed to struggle a little with a different client base!
HU-354207528
3 years ago
Hi, I’m about to start painting my bare wood handmade kitchen and wondered which paint you decided to use ?

I was thinking of using Frenchic but not sure if Eggshell is better ? Thanks
Marylee H
3 years ago
Benjamin Moore Scuff-X in eggshell. 🌈
dotladotla
3 years ago
I am between Frenchic and Little Green paint for my kitchen cabinet and maybe tiles. What did you end up using?

Sign Up to Comment

Sponsored

Reload the page to not see this specific ad anymore

More Discussions

basement level renovation would love ideas please

8

bathroom renovation advice

0

Interior Design Classes April to June 2024

0

Single story extension

1

Tiles for open plan space

1

Ireland

Tailor my experience with cookies

Houzz uses cookies and similar technologies to personalise my experience, serve me relevant content, and improve Houzz products and services. By clicking ‘Accept’ I agree to this, as further described in the Houzz Cookie Policy. I can reject non-essential cookies by clicking ‘Manage Preferences’.