3. Paint and New Hardware for Kitchen Cabinets
Replacing cabinets costs thousands. Repainting them costs a fraction of that and changes the entire feel of a kitchen.
Remove all doors and drawers, then label each one with a piece of painter’s tape so you know exactly where it goes back. Clean every surface with a degreaser — kitchen cabinets collect a stubborn layer of cooking residue that will ruin adhesion. Lightly sand, then apply a bonding primer designed for glossy surfaces.
Use a foam roller for the flat panels and a brush for the recessed details and edges. Two thin coats of a cabinet-grade paint in a satin or semi-gloss finish will hold up to wiping far better than flat wall paint. While the doors dry on a covered surface, fill any old hardware holes with wood filler and drill new ones if your new pulls have a different spacing.
Time: two to three days with dry time. Difficulty: intermediate. Switching from knobs to bar pulls, or moving from outdated brass to matte black, does as much visual work as the paint itself. Budget alternative: paint only the lower cabinets and leave the uppers as they are for a two-tone look.