A newly painted cabinet gives a new look to any cabinet in an inexpensive and swift way. Dark and dingy cabinets can be brightened up with bold, vivid colours. But every type of cabinet cannot be painted. Cabinets made from plastic and its varieties cannot be painted as paint will not adhere to their surface. On the other hand, wooden and metal cabinets can be easily painted.

To start with, there are three basic equipments required for painting cabinets namely a roller, a spray gun and a brush. For larger surfaces, rolling is the best option as sprayers are very expensive and messy and brush would leave its marks. Rolling can be done quickly and is economical for faceframes and wider doors.

The choice of paint is the toughest decision. One can choose from either acrylic paint or oil based paint. Both have their own advantages and disadvantages. Acrylic paint can be cleaned easily but it does not have a shiny look and does not last long. On the other hand, oil based paints are tougher. The best paint which should be used is satin enamel as it can be easily cleaned and looks good.

The first step in painting cabinets is to empty all the drawers and remove all screws, knobs, pulls and hinges. All the drawers and doors should be pulled out and numbered so that they can be easily replaced. This way painting is more convenient.

The next step is to wash the entire cabinet with trisodium phosphate (TSP) and water and then let it dry. Then to remove further dust, use sandpaper and vacuum cleaner. Then cover all the nearby surfaces for protection from paint.

Then painting should be started by first painting the faceframes and then the inside of the doors. After the paint is dry, the front of the doors should be painted. Similarly, the drawers can also be painted. Before applying the next coat, thorough vacuuming is required. Then when all is dry, the drawers and doors should be replaced carefully.