Your kitchen sets the tone for the rest of your home. It truly is the heart of family time, social gatherings, good food and so much more.
Like the majority of us do, you probably have a whole board tucked away on Pinterest packed full of stunning photos of dream kitchens. Are you constantly searching for your next big design project? Your kitchen should reflect your personality and your own personal style. Be careful though—as convenient and cheap the DIY methods sound for stunning kitchen makeover, there are common mistakes you don’t want to make when it comes to selecting your new cabinet color and painting your kitchen cabinets.
Check and Double Check the Color You Choose
We all want to make a statement and be the proud owners of a unique kitchen. However, picking trendy or bright colors for kitchen cabinets can be a common mistake many people make.
Rather than trying to match exactly what you see on Pinterest, take into consideration the kind of wood your cabinets are made of and how they will react with the paint color you have chosen. Select a versatile, marketable color that never goes out of style and that can be a good base to the ever-changing fads. N-Hance of Northern New Jersey suggests a neutral color like white or a natural wood stain.
You may not ever plan to leave your home but in the small chance you do have to relocate, home buyers always look at the kitchen first. It is one of the most impressionable rooms in a home. Painting your cabinets a color that could turn them off could be a real deal breaker.
Related: Cabinet Color Change: Before And After Photos
Designers have said time and time again that a neutral color scheme- like white, grey, or beige- not only increases the resale value of your home but sets the tone for the kind of environment you would want to offer guests when they come to visit.
Of course, we aren’t saying that all pops of color are bad. Choosing a good base color as a solid foundation is great and then comes the fun. By using your neutral cabinet color as a canvas, you can then add pops of color with bright dishes, barstools, hardware, rugs and even curtains. This is where your Pinterest boards will be a huge help. Gathering design style is so fun and helps you come up with ideas of your own so that you can put a fun twist on your kitchen.
These non-permanent touches are perfect because they can be swapped out with the seasons or as your personal style evolves over time and again on the rare case you have to move, your kitchen will become a clean slate for the next homeowner.
Consider the Size of the Space
When deciding on the perfect cabinet paint color, don’t forget to think about the size of your kitchen. When using dark colors this can make your space appear much smaller and more enclosed. Choosing lighter, brighter colors can help open up space. Consider using more neutral colors for backsplashes, countertops, and walls as well.
Check Your Expectations
If you look on the internet there are hundreds of “simple and easy” DIY guides to painting your kitchen cabinets. You must consider the negative outcomes to these processes. If you plan to paint your cabinets yourself, be ready for a time commitment of at least a week and larger interruptions to your busy schedule. Painting cabinets requires a lot of time and can easily go wrong if haven’t researched the right kind of paint and the correct methods to painting so as to prevent streaking or dripping on the cabinets.
Having a professional do the work for you can save you time and prevents missing important steps that impact the quality of your project. At N-Hance of Northern New Jersey, we always use high-grade paint and equipment, like Lightspeed® Nano Instant Cure Wood Refinishing to ensure that your cabinet color will last for years to come and will be able withstand daily wear and tear.
Failure to Properly Prep the Wood
We consider preparation in the cabinet painting process absolutely crucial. Grease, oils and dirt that build up on your cabinets can keep paint from being applied properly or lasting for a long time. Do-it-yourself-ers and even some professional painters don’t always take the proper time to clean cabinets prior to painting.
It’s wise to consider choosing professionals who specialize in cabinet painting. They have special proprietary cleaning solutions that thoroughly remove contaminants from your cabinets that cause paint to peel and can ensure that the job will be done correctly.
Using The Wrong Paint And Primer
Remember: always prime your cabinets prior to painting. Most painters use wall primer on your cabinets, but our team of cabinet painting specialists at N-Hance will use a cabinet primer that stops bleed-through and blocks stains.
Now, for the fun part—your new cabinet color. Use an acrylic-polyurethane blend that resists chipping and peeling.
Most painters use latex paint, which is made for walls and not durable enough for cabinets. They also brush it on, leaving behind unwanted brush strokes and paint drips. Cabinet painting specialists at N-Hance always use proper primer and paint, and add an industrial strength top coat that is cured instantly with UV light, leaving a smooth, factory-like finish instantly, leaving you with little downtime or family disruptions.
Leave It To The Professionals
Your life is busy, and your time with family is important. So when it comes to taking on a project like painting your kitchen cabinets, why not leave the elbow-grease to the professionals? Choose a color that’s best for your space, then let us take it from here.
Are you ready for a fresh start with a kitchen cabinet color change? Get your free in-home estimate today!
Your friends at N-Hance of Northern New Jersey are here to help. Take the first step to a new kitchen you’ll love and contact us today!