Anyone painted kitchen doors before?

Lopéz · 23 Sep 2013 at 19:50

My house has a reasonably new kitchen, but the doors (shaker style) are beech effect which I'm none too keen on. I'm considering painting it white, has anybody painted their units before?

LiGhTfasT · 23 Sep 2013 at 20:25

My mate spray painted some one from white to black just to see if he could get a few more years out of it and they looked pretty damn good even kept the wood grain effect somehow.

Merlin5 · 23 Sep 2013 at 20:33

I'd imagine that unless it's done carefully, as LiGhTfasT's mate seems to have done, it might look amateurish and spoil the rest of the kitchen. Probably need to really take your time with thin and very even coats, building it up.

Participant · 23 Sep 2013 at 21:04

I've painted a bedroom door. Sanded it with an orbital sander, then lightly by hand, then a couple of coats of gloss and it came up really well and retained the wood grain. Primer might be an idea but I didn't bother and it looks good to my eyes.

Shimmyhill · 23 Sep 2013 at 21:06

I am making some floating shelves and am at the stage of painting - its MDF and i have done the priming.

If you want a modern high gloss finish then you need to spay, wet sand and polish - several coats of primer and finish colour with lots of sanding in between!

Now there are loads of other options depending on finish and a mate of mine painted his by hand with some kitchen cupboard paint - they actually look really decent but not sure what brand it was but it was one or two coats.

Participant · 23 Sep 2013 at 21:09

Shimmyhill said:
If you want a modern high gloss finish then you need to spay, wet sand and polish - several coats of primer and finish colour with lots of sanding in between!

******** to that

. All that labour time and you might as well buy a new door.

pitchfork · 24 Sep 2013 at 07:37

The process you'll want to follow is roughly:
Wipe down with meths/ prepaint
Zinsser 123+ primer
2 coats acrylic undercoat, sanding between coats
2 coats acrylic gloss sanding between coats (johnnos aqua with a little floetrol, or Sikkens)

Apply with a mohair roller and lay off with a quality synthetic brush (wooster silvertip is good for acrylics).

As has been said, wet and dry will be the only way to get a really high end finish, but this will get you somewhere in the ballpark.