How many coats to hand-paint kitchen cabinets
This is related to the services offered on the main page Hand-painted kitchens.
How many coats to upgrade a wooden kitchen?
My standard specification is to prepare and apply 4 coats of paint, sanding between coats. This is suitable for:
Clear lacquered oak or pine doors
Foil wrap laminate or melamine
* B – If you have a new un-primed kitchen from a budget “factory-prices” online custom kitchen company, then I would tend to apply 2 coats of high performance oil primer undercoat plus 2 finishing coats of oil eggshell, or one or two primers plus 3 coats of water-based paint. Again, 4 is the sweet spot for the number of coats for a high quality & durable finish.
If you have a new pre-primed kitchen, then I would tend to apply 1 coat of high performance oil primer undercoat plus 2 finishing coats of oil eggshell, or one primer undercoat plus 2 coats of water-based paint. This is the absolute minimum for a high quality & durable finish.
* C – If your kitchen has already been professionally hand-painted and it is still in good condition preparation plus 2 finishing coats may be realistic option if you want a colour change rather than a refurbishment.
But in general, I would say 3 coats is the starting point for a top hand-painted kitchen job.
*D – Superior paint option whereby I apply an additional 2 coats to the above standard options. ie 2 primers and 4 top coats.
Each coat of paint is thinner than for the above, so you end up with more of a lacquered satin finish. This is how some of the industry benchmark hand-made kitchens are painted. Obviously that is not a 5-minute job!
*E - Specialist paint effects can be applied once your kitchen has been painted with any of the above approaches. If you are interested in something really special, please contact the superlative Nicky Hancock.
The above options B and C provide the same high quality end result, but require a little less work than a refurb or unprimed kitchen. Option D is a premium finish, not for everyone, and Option E will take your kitchen to a whole new level.
These are good paints for kitchen cabinets
If you are looking to skimp on coats or just freshen up a kitchen with a cheap coat of paint, please don’t ask me. It isn’t fair on anyone. It is a waste of your money, and stores up a problem for the near future.
There are other options for refurbishing a kitchen.
If you are in Cheshire looking to have your property decorated to a really high standard with minimal fuss and disruption, or...
Looking for ideas or costings to refurbish a tired kitchen or hand-paint a new one? Please contact me via the form below.
If I can't help, I'll know another specialist decorator in the UK who can.
Contact Andy Crichton
