Refresh an old cabinet
Habitat bright ideas with Fleur Thorpe – DIY projects
Don’t throw away an old tired cabinet. Refresh it with a new paint finish that perfectly suits your room.
Wall painted in Resene Dark Knight, skirting board in Resene Half Rice Cake and plant pot in Resene Teal Blue and Resene Fire
You will need
- Wooden cabinet
- Sandpaper, fine and medium grit
- Rag/cloth
- Resene Quick Dry
- Small microfibre roller
- Resene Lustacryl semi-gloss waterborne enamel in your choice of colours, Fleur used:
- Painters tape
- Ruler/measuring tape
Instructions
How to refresh an old cabinet with a new colour palette:
Step 1
Start by removing the handles of the cabinet and give the cabinet a good sand with a medium grit sandpaper. Wipe away the dust with a rag or cloth.
Step 2
Use a small microfibre roller to apply one coat of Resene Quick Dry. Once this is dry, give it a light sand with a fine grit sandpaper and wipe away the dust with a cloth.
Step 3
For the main body of the cabinet, paint on two coats of Resene Rock Spray, allowing the first coat to dry before applying the second coat. For the top surface of the cabinet, apply two coats of Resene Strikemaster.
Step 4
Measure and use some painters tape to tape off sections for the third colour. Fleur ignored the lines of the trim and panelling of the cabinet and made rectangles with tape and painted them with two coats of Resene Roxy.
Step 5
To finish, use tape again to make a second, smaller rectangle shape and paint this with two coats of Resene Red Berry. Fleur extended this up on to the top of the cabinet.
Step 6: Leave the paint to cure overnight and reattach the handles.
Top tip: Remember to make the interior look as good as the exterior. Clean the interior then prime with Resene Quick Dry and paint in your chosen Resene paint colour. Use a semi-gloss finish like Resene Lustacryl for an easy to clean surface.
Styling and images by Fleur Thorpe. Jun 2022.