Refurbishing kitchen cabinets means bringing old, worn cabinets back to life, making them look new without fully replacing them. This process involves cleaning, repairing, sanding, painting, or staining your existing cabinets to give your kitchen an affordable kitchen cabinet makeover.
The desire to update a kitchen often clashes with budget limitations. Fully replacing cabinets is costly and messy. That is where cabinet refurbishment shines. It lets homeowners transform the look of their space efficiently. Whether you have solid wood, veneer, or laminate cabinets, there are proven cabinet refinishing techniques to achieve stunning results. This guide breaks down the entire kitchen cabinet restoration process into simple, manageable steps.
Why Refurbish Cabinets Instead of Replacing Them?
Many homeowners ask if refurbishment is worth the effort. The answer is almost always yes, given the right starting conditions.
Cost Savings
Replacing kitchen cabinets is one of the biggest expenses in a remodel. Refurbishing costs a fraction of that. You pay mostly for supplies like paint, sandpaper, and cleaners. This massive saving keeps more money in your pocket.
Environmental Friendliness
Throwing away old cabinets creates a lot of waste. Refurbishing keeps materials out of landfills. This is a greener choice for updating your home.
Speed and Convenience
A full cabinet replacement can take weeks, leaving your kitchen unusable. Refurbishment, while detailed, is often done over a few weekends. You get your kitchen back much faster.
Customization Potential
When you paint or stain, you choose the exact color or finish. You are not limited to standard factory options. This allows for deep personalization that truly reflects your taste.
Phase 1: Planning and Preparation – The Foundation of Success
Good planning saves headaches later. This initial phase is crucial for a lasting, professional-looking finish. Skipping steps here leads to peeling paint or uneven stains down the road.
Assessing Your Cabinets
First, look closely at what you have. Different materials need different prep work.
- Solid Wood: These are ideal for painting or staining. They handle sanding well.
- Wood Veneer: Be gentle when sanding. Too much pressure will sand through the thin veneer layer.
- Laminate/Melamine: These slick surfaces require special primers. They cannot be easily stained.
Gathering Your Tools and Supplies
Having everything ready makes the job smooth. Think about the whole job, from cleaning to finishing.
| Tool/Supply | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Screwdriver set | Removing doors and hardware |
| Degreaser/TSP substitute | Heavy-duty cleaning |
| Sandpaper (various grits) | Smoothing surfaces |
| Tack cloth | Removing dust after sanding |
| High-quality primer | Ensuring paint sticks well |
| Best paint for cabinet refinishing | The top coat color |
| Brushes and Rollers | Applying paint or finish |
| Drop cloths and Plastic sheeting | Protecting floors and countertops |
Removing Doors, Drawers, and Hardware
This is where the physical work begins. Do not skip taking things apart. Painting doors while they are still attached is nearly impossible to do well.
- Label Everything: Use painter’s tape and a marker. Label the back of each door and drawer front (e.g., “Top Left,” “Bottom Center”). Do the same for the cabinet boxes. This prevents confusion during reassembly.
- Remove Doors and Drawers: Use a screwdriver to remove hinges from the cabinet frame. Place doors and drawers on a flat surface, like sawhorses covered with drop cloths. Keep all screws organized, perhaps in labeled zip-top bags.
- Remove Cabinet Hardware Replacement Parts: Take off all knobs and pulls. You can reuse your old hardware or install new pieces later.
Phase 2: Deep Cleaning and Repairing Damage
Paint adheres best to surfaces that are clean and smooth. This step removes grease, grime, and oils that prevent paint from sticking.
Deep Cleaning Cabinets
Kitchen grease is sticky and invisible. It must go.
- Use a strong degreaser. Many pros use TSP (Trisodium Phosphate), but safer substitutes are widely available.
- Mix your cleaner according to the label.
- Wipe down every surface—doors, drawer fronts, and cabinet boxes—thoroughly. Use a sponge or rag.
- Rinse the surfaces with clean water.
- Let everything dry completely. Do not rush this part.
Repairing Imperfections
Now, look for chips, deep scratches, or dents. Fixing these now makes the final finish flawless.
- Fill Holes and Cracks: Use wood filler or spackle for small damage on wood cabinets. For laminate, use a specialized filler meant for slick surfaces. Press the filler firmly into the void.
- Level the Filler: Once the filler dries (check the product instructions), sand the patched area until it is perfectly flush with the surrounding cabinet surface.
Phase 3: Surface Preparation – Crucial for Durability
This stage determines if your finish lasts one year or ten. Proper preparation is key to successful DIY cabinet resurfacing.
Sanding: The Essential Step
Sanding creates a “tooth”—a slightly rough texture that the primer and paint can grip onto.
Sanding for Staining vs. Sanding for Painting
If you plan to stain, you need to sand down to bare wood. If you are painting, you only need to dull the existing finish.
- Stripping Old Cabinet Finish (If Necessary): If the existing finish is thick, peeling, or heavily damaged, you might need to stripping old cabinet finish using a chemical stripper or heavy sanding. Follow all safety instructions when using chemical strippers (gloves, ventilation).
- Dulling Glossy Surfaces: If the cabinets are currently glossy (even after cleaning), use medium-grit sandpaper (around 120-grit) to scuff the entire surface lightly. You are not trying to remove all the color, just remove the shine.
Step-by-Step Sanding Guide:
- Start Medium: Use 120-grit sandpaper on an orbital sander for large flat areas like doors. Hand-sand edges and detailed profiles.
- Smooth It Out: Switch to a finer grit, like 180 or 220-grit, to smooth the surface further. This removes the scratches left by the coarser paper.
- Cleaning Up: After sanding every piece, you must remove all dust. Use a shop vacuum first. Then, wipe everything down with a tack cloth. A tack cloth picks up the finest dust particles that vacuuming misses. Dust left behind ruins the final look.
Choosing Between Cabinet Reglazing vs. Painting
Before priming, decide on your final look. Cabinet reglazing vs painting is a major decision.
- Painting: Involves applying primer and opaque topcoats. It covers imperfections well and offers the widest color choice.
- Glazing/Staining: This changes the color but allows wood grain to show through. It is much harder to do on laminate or surfaces already painted white. Reglazing often refers to applying a specific clear, durable epoxy finish, which is a niche process usually best left to professionals. For the average DIYer, painting is the standard refurbishment route.
Priming for Adhesion
Primer is non-negotiable, especially when how to repaint kitchen cabinets. It seals the wood, blocks stains, and ensures the topcoat sticks firmly.
- Best Primer Choice: Use an oil-based or a high-adhesion bonding primer specifically made for slick surfaces if you are working with laminate or melamine. For bare wood, a quality shellac-based primer is excellent for blocking wood tannins (which can bleed through paint).
- Application: Apply primer thinly and evenly, using a high-quality synthetic brush for corners and a foam roller for flat surfaces.
- Second Coat: Often, two thin coats of primer are better than one thick coat. Lightly sand with 220-grit paper between primer coats if the surface feels rough. Clean dust with a tack cloth again.
Phase 4: Applying the Topcoat – The Color Transformation
This is the fun part—seeing your vision come to life. The best paint for cabinet refinishing is usually a high-quality, durable enamel.
Selecting the Right Paint
Standard wall paint will chip and fail quickly in a kitchen environment. Cabinets face high traffic, moisture, and cleaning chemicals.
- Alkyd (Oil-Based) Enamel: Dries extremely hard and durable. It offers a smooth finish but has strong fumes and longer drying times. Cleanup requires mineral spirits.
- Waterborne Alkyd (Acrylic-Alkyd Hybrid): These modern paints combine the durability of oil with easier soap-and-water cleanup. They are highly recommended for cabinet refinishing techniques. They level out well, minimizing brush strokes.
- 100% Acrylic Latex: Good quality acrylics designed for cabinetry are durable, fast-drying, and low-VOC (fumes). Ensure they are labeled “cabinet and trim” paint.
Painting Technique: Doors and Drawer Fronts
Always paint doors horizontally (lying flat) on sawhorses. This allows the paint to settle evenly without drips running down the sides.
- Thin Coats are Key: Apply thin, even coats. Thick paint sags and shows brush marks. Work quickly but methodically.
- Start with Edges: Use a high-quality angled brush to “cut in” around the edges and panels.
- Roll the Flats: Immediately follow with a high-density foam or microfiber roller designed for smooth finishes. Roll in one direction to ensure a uniform texture.
- Wait for Dry Time: Follow the manufacturer’s instructions precisely for recoating. Most paints require several hours to be dry enough for the next coat. Rushing leads to peeling.
Painting the Cabinet Boxes
The boxes are often easier as they are mostly flat. Use the same brush and roller technique. Pay special attention to the inside corners where the brush needs to reach well.
Applying Multiple Coats
A durable finish requires at least two, often three, coats of topcoat paint.
- Inter-Coat Sanding: Between color coats, lightly scuff the surface using very fine sandpaper (320-grit or higher) or fine sanding sponges. This is gentle abrasion that helps the next coat bond even better. Wipe dust clean with a tack cloth.
Phase 5: Reassembly and Finishing Touches
The refurbishment is nearly done. Now, put it all back together and add the final flair.
Curing Time
This is the hardest part: waiting. While the paint might feel dry to the touch in 24 hours, it needs time to fully “cure” (harden completely). This can take 7 to 30 days, depending on the paint type. Avoid aggressively cleaning or slamming doors during this period.
Installing New Hardware
If you opted for cabinet hardware replacement, now is the time.
- Template Use: If the new knobs or pulls are in the same spot as the old ones, you are set. If you are changing the style, use a template or careful measuring to mark the new hole locations accurately.
- Drilling: If drilling new holes, drill from the inside out. This prevents the drill bit from chipping the finish on the attractive outside face of the door.
- Attaching: Secure the new hardware. Tighten screws firmly, but do not overtighten, especially on wooden doors, as this can crack the wood.
Reinstalling Doors and Drawers
Refer to your initial labeling system. Attach the hinges back onto the cabinet frame and then attach the doors.
Adjusting Hinges
New doors rarely hang perfectly straight the first time. Modern cabinet hinges are adjustable. You will need to manipulate three small screws on each hinge to adjust the door position:
- In/Out (Depth): Moves the door closer or further from the frame.
- Up/Down (Height): Moves the door up or down relative to adjacent doors.
- Left/Right (Side-to-Side): Aligns the gap between doors evenly.
Take your time adjusting until all gaps are even and doors swing smoothly without rubbing.
Deciphering Cabinet Refinishing Methods Beyond Paint
While painting is the most common path to an affordable kitchen cabinet makeover, other methods exist depending on the material and desired look.
When to Choose Staining (For Wood Cabinets Only)
Staining is used when you want the beauty of the natural wood grain to show through. This requires stripping all previous finishes completely, down to raw wood.
| Staining Step | Detail |
|---|---|
| Stripping | Remove all existing paint, varnish, or oil completely. |
| Conditioning | Apply wood conditioner to blotchy woods (like pine) to ensure even stain absorption. |
| Application | Apply stain evenly with a rag or brush, wiping off excess quickly. |
| Sealing | Follow up with several coats of clear topcoat (polyurethane or lacquer) for protection. |
The Option of Refacing (Not True Refurbishment)
Refacing is sometimes confused with refurbishment. Refacing involves gluing a new thin layer of wood veneer or laminate over the existing cabinet boxes and doors. While it looks like new, it is more costly and complex than DIY cabinet resurfacing. Refurbishment focuses on renewing the existing surface.
Maintaining Your Newly Refurbished Cabinets
Your hard work deserves proper care. The finish is durable, but harsh treatment will degrade it quickly.
Cleaning Routine
Avoid abrasive scrubbers or steel wool.
- Use a soft cloth and mild dish soap diluted in water for daily grime.
- For tougher spots, use a cleaner recommended for painted surfaces. Avoid ammonia-based cleaners if you used a semi-gloss or high-gloss enamel finish, as they can dull the sheen over time.
Protecting High-Wear Areas
Areas around the handles and drawer pulls get the most friction. If you notice wear starting in these spots after a few years, you can apply a touch-up coat of clear topcoat sealant directly to those areas without refinishing the whole cabinet again.
Frequently Asked Questions About Cabinet Refurbishment
Q: How long does it take to refurbish kitchen cabinets?
A: For an average-sized kitchen (15-20 doors/drawers), expect the active working time to span 5 to 7 days, spread over two weekends. The total time, including necessary curing and drying periods between coats, usually takes about 10 to 14 days.
Q: Can I paint laminate cabinets successfully?
A: Yes, you can paint laminate cabinets, but the preparation is the most critical part. You must use a degreaser, sand thoroughly to de-gloss the surface, and use a specialized bonding primer designed for slick, non-porous surfaces. If you skip the bonding primer, the paint will peel quickly.
Q: What is the most durable finish for kitchen cabinets?
A: High-quality oil-based alkyd enamels or the newer waterborne alkyd hybrids offer the best durability against scratches and moisture compared to standard latex paints. Ensure the paint is specifically labeled for cabinetry or trim, as these formulations are harder.
Q: Should I remove the doors or paint them on the hinges?
A: Always remove the doors and drawers. Painting them off the hinges allows you to paint the top, bottom, and sides evenly, prevents drips, and ensures you can properly prime and finish the edges that face outward when closed.
Q: Is cabinet reglazing better than painting?
A: Cabinet reglazing usually refers to applying a thick, clear epoxy coating often used on tiles or tubs to create a glass-like, durable surface. While incredibly durable, it is technically complex, requires excellent ventilation, and is less common for DIYers than high-quality painting. Painting offers a wider aesthetic choice at a lower cost and complexity.