How to Update a Kitchen With Paint

Preparation

• 1

  Wash the walls, ceilings and woodwork with warm soapy water and a large sponge. Since most kitchens tend to see a lot of cooking activity, cleaning the walls and ceiling near the cooking area will help keep your kitchen looking fresh.

• 2

  Rinse the walls with cold clear water. It's not a good idea to leave the soapy residue on any wall or ceiling surface, especially if you plan to paint in the near future.

• 3

  Step back and examine the visual layout of your kitchen, for now is the time to plan what areas can best be updated with fresh paint. You may be surprised as to how well a good scrubbing will change the look of the kitchen space.

Update Strategy

• 4

  Paint the ceiling with a semi-gloss paint, for a heavily used kitchen will probably need a tough, durable painted surface on the ceiling. Choose a paint with a dull luster, to minimize glare from lighting.

• 5

  Begin by cutting in the perimeter of the ceiling area with a 3-inch trim brush. Follow with a 9-inch roller and paint pad attached to an extension arm. Apply the paint smoothly, making sure not to leave any bare spots or paint buildups.

• 6

  Prep the walls for repainting. Remove all hooks, nails and screws, then fill these areas with spackling paste. Once the plaster-like material dries, it must be sanded and primed.

• 7

  Prime the wall area with an acrylic-latex or shellac-based sealer-primer. Each section of wall must be neatly edged in with a trim brush before applying a solid coat of primer-sealer with a roller pad. This paint should be applied in the same manner as the ceiling paint.

• 8

  Let the paint dry, wash all brushes and roller pads, then apply the top coat of finish paint. Choose your color carefully and use a semi-gloss paint with a medium shine.

• 9

  Choose a high-gloss trim paint. This paint can be either alkyd-based (oil) or latex enamel, but it should match the composition of the existing paint. Pick a color that accents the woodwork, and use a 3-inch trim brush to apply the paint.

• 10

  Sand the cabinets for painting. Sanding cabinets that are treated with a stain or clear finish takes many hours and demands multiple sanding, plus the removal of all hardware, doors and shelves.

• 11

  Apply the sealer-primer (shellac-base is recommended) with a wide brush and paint roller to all parts of the cabinets. Be very careful not to leave any drips.

• 12

  Cover the adjacent areas with newspapers held up with masking tape to prevent drifting of paint spray.

• 13

  Spray the cabinets, doors and shelves with a latex enamel paint.