DIY Cabinet Refreshing

If you have an older kitchen with cabinets that are looking a bit worse for the wear, the cheapest and easiest fix is a simple refreshing. Painting kitchen cabinets will give them an entirely new look without having to sand them down and restain them -- or worse, replace them. There are a few tricks that you can use to make sure that the job comes out perfectly. This project will take about a weekend to complete.

Sandpaper
Tack cloth
Screwdriver
Drop cloths
Primer
Paint

Instructions

- 1
  Remove the cabinet doors. Unscrew the doors from the hinges, and place the hardware in a plastic bag to keep it together.
- 2
  Place drop cloths underneath your work area to protect your flooring.
- 3
  Sand down the doors and the cabinet frames. Use a medium grade sandpaper first to get through any finish on the wood. Follow this with a fine grade of sandpaper to create a smooth surface. Wipe away any dust with a tack cloth.
- 4
  Prime the doors and frames. Use an oil-based primer to penetrate into the surface of the wood. Use a small brush for edges followed by a roller for larger areas. A small roller will help smooth out any brush strokes. Let the primer dry for at least four hours.
- 5
  Paint the doors and frames. Use an oil-based latex paint. Apply the first coat, using both brushes and rollers as you did with the primer. Let this coat dry completely, and then gently rough up the surface with fine sandpaper. Apply a second coat and let it dry.
- 6
  Reattach the doors. Once the paint is completely dry, rehang the doors on their hinges.

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