Question from Bonnie Johnson
Hi Debra,
In an effort to cut costs while remodeling moms old kitchen I thought the cabinets could be painted and I could get new hardware. They are solid wood and not in bad shape with a stain on them. My contractor seems to think they will not stay painted or take the paint if a oil based paint is not used. I have talked to some of the people at AFM Safecoat and also Mystic Paints about primers etc and they seem to feel it would be ok with a water based paint. I even looked on DIY and they talk about oil based paint doing the best job.
Do you or any readers have experience with this type of project. I just don’t feel like it is necessary to reface or get new cabinets when these are still good.
Thanks Bonnie Johnson
Debra’s Answer
I just painted some old plywood cabinets a few months ago with Aura paint by Benjamin Moore. The paint is zero VOCs and I painted them myself with no ill effects.
The paint went on very smooth and “heals” itself so there are no brush marks.
You have to sand the cabinets first and not paint over old paint in order for it to stick.
We added new hardware and it looks great!
