Real Estate & Home | Renovations

A fresh coat of paint is often touted as the quickest and least expensive way to improve a room, but new paint doesn’t have to be limited to the walls. Painted cabinets and furniture pieces provide an instant facelift for any room and can create a beautiful focal point.

Often the choice to paint cabinets or a piece of furniture occurs when an item is worn, yet has the potential to be restored to its original condition or ingeniously refinished to perfectly complement a space. Professional cabinet and furniture painting goes well beyond just solid colors and introduces intricate details and beautiful artistry. Layer upon layer of paint or glaze, followed by light or heavy distressing and highlighting creates cabinetry or furniture that is literally one of a kind. Relief or raised stenciling with stone or metallic materials can be applied for sophisticated patterning, or decorative composite pieces can be applied prior to painting to create the effect of custom carving.

Professionally painted cabinets add a custom touch to any kitchen, and it’s a green alternative to cabinet replacement. Painters who specialize in cabinets should have a portfolio of work with samples of the finishes, textures and unique effects they can create. This is essential for providing ideas and inspiration, and it allows you to examine a painter’s work and technique. Experienced painters will be able to accurately estimate the time required to complete your cabinets and they will explain that you may not have easy access to cabinet contents during the process. A good finisher will remove the hardware and doors, and tape inside the cabinet frames. He or she may take the doors to their own shop to finish, since drying doors between coats and layers requires a lot of space (the average kitchen has more than 20 door and drawer fronts).

After nearly five years sharing advice and experience with you about home improvement projects, I’ll be retiring this column with this article. I hope that over the years you’ve picked up some tips and inspiration for your home renovation projects and I wish you the best on all your future projects.