Kitchen transformation using Behr’s acrylic-alkyd paint and some elbow grease!
I spent this past summer helping my parents update and renovate their first home turned rental property. The last time we renovated this home was 20 years ago so it needed some major love!
I BEGGED my mom to let me update the kitchen but she was dead set on keeping it in its original 1950s look. Let’s be real though, that lacquered wood was rough and the hardware was even more rough.
But she compromised. I could repaint the cabinets and reconstruct some of them, as long as they remained the same style and we kept the original hardware. AND that we kept it under a $300 budget. Now this was a challenge I felt confident I could do.
I have been so excited for the moment to be able to paint some cabinets. I’d seen other people online do it and I wanted to try it for myself.
So I got to work. We removed all of the cabinet doors and hardware. First, cleaning the hardware and brining them back to their original copper glory. I can’t take credit for this. I would’ve scrapped these grimey things. But my sister wanted to save them. So she scrubbed and scrubbed and brought them back to life. And wow!
Now this kitchen existed before modern appliances did. So the spacing of cabinets around the appliances was off. I wanted to reconstruct some of the cabinets to sit tight against the new appliances. I ripped out what I knew had to go but I saved the material so that we could reuse it and save some coin. Then it came time to figure out the new dimensions. When in doubt, tape it out! Once we were all happy with the fit, I got to reconstructing.
The time was finally here! Paint time! Let me start off by saying, I did this in the thick of summer time in Southern California. You know the paint temperature windows that are given in the directions on the back of your paint cans? Pay attention to those! Painting outside of those temperature restrictions will affect the curing of your paint. So for me, that meant waiting till 5pm every day to start painting the cabinet fronts.
The thing about painting cabinets is, its not easy (but its also not brain surgery). It’s mainly just time consuming and finicky. Order of operations is everything! I found people on the internet had quite a lot to say on the matter. But here’s what I gathered and I found what worked for me:
PREP! It really is as important as everyone says it is. Scuff up all your surfaces with at least a 220 grit sandpaper, fill any holes, tape off what you need to and label all your doors/fronts so you know where they belong when it comes time to reattach them.
Primer. Some paints will claim not to need a primer for cabinets. DON’T LISTEN TO THEM! Primer is so important! It blocks out the old color, gives you a new texture and really does help the paint stick better. By and far, I read that the Zinsser BIN Primer was the way to go. And I would have to agree. It was easy to work with. It wasn’t sticky. It leveled itself out well. Blocked out the old wood color. Dried fast. And really did grab onto the paint so well.
Paint time! I used Behr Acrylic-Alkyd Paint and she was truly THAT bitch. She’s low VOC, interior or exterior, quick dry and can be used with a roller or paint sprayer. Personally, I had read so many horror stories online of people having roller streaks in their oil based paints or peeling of their enamel paints, so I was STRESSED. But I did not find that to be the case at all with this paint. I used a roller and had no streaks. It self leveled so well. And after 24 hours, the paint dried HARD.
Once everything was cured, all doors and fronts were put back in their original locations. And once everything was back up, it was time for those finishing touches. Caulking the seams between the cabinets and the walls, moving in the appliances and reattaching all the handles and latches. Here she is!
This kitchen was really brought into modern times with just some paint. It still kept that 1950s charm but is much more fresh.
But it’s not over yet. Those countertops and backsplash are next!