Unique Painting Ideas for Kitchen Cabinets

Express Yourself with Bright Colors

• You can change the entire feel of your kitchen by infusing some strong color. Consider the background color of your walls as well as your flooring and select colors that complement or contrast. You want your new vibrant colors to go with your other kitchen colors, but you don't want people to get dizzy when they enter the room. Red is a very popular choice for kitchens. It creates a modern or retro mood and contrasts well with white walls and black furniture. Red cabinets blend well with earthy hues such as deep tan or sage green.

Glaze Cabinets

• Give your kitchen an old world charm by glazing your cabinets. This method works best on raised panel cabinetry rather than flat doors. Glaze with any colors you wish, but most people use a light color such as beige or tan for the base layer and then glaze using a deeper color such as deep brown or dark gray. The procedure is both simple and time consuming. Purchase paint and glaze from a paint or home improvement store. Once your base layer of paint is completely dry, apply the glaze liberally. Then immediately wipe excess glaze off flat panel areas with a clean rag, leaving areas of dark glaze in cracks and grooves of raised areas.

Stenciled Cabinets

• Give your kitchen a dash of whimsy or a touch of flair by stenciling your cabinets. Be as inventive for your base layer as you wish. Paint cabinets the same color or paint each door a different color depending on your personality and how daring you are. Then, when they are completely dry, stencil a top layer on each door. Stencil kits are available of fruit, flowers, animals and many other themes. Limited selections of stencil kits are available at hobby stores or shop online for a broader selection.

Considerations

• Before painting or refacing cabinets, go to a home-improvement center and consult a paint expert who will tell you the right kind of paint to use based on the type of cabinets in your home. They will also tell you the steps you need to take in order to achieve optimum results. For example, you need to know whether or not you need to strip, sand or wipe down cabinets with a specific cleaner.