If you are considering painting your cabinets, then you have questions. Painting your cabinets can be overwhelming and confusing. We are here to help you with your questions about cabinet painting. Today, it is a question from Darin from last week as we are working on this project in Barrington, IL: “Should I paint the inside of my cabinets?
Hello!!! My name is David, and I own Dfranco Painting and Wallpaper in Huntley, IL. Let’s dive into this question and see if we can help you with your decision on cabinet painting.
Painting Cabinets
As we are doing estimates for cabinet painting, there are several common questions that almost every homeowner asks.
- What colors can I paint my cabinets? (video)
- Popular cabinet colors blog post
- Can I add new handles? (video)
- Can the drawer hardware be changed to soft-close slides?
- Is it possible to change my hinges? (video)
- Do you paint all sides of the doors?
- Should I paint the insides of my cabinets? (video)
Today, we focus on the last one. For the other questions, we posted links for either articles we have written or videos we have made.
Typically, we say no. But today, we are gonna show why we said yes
Not painting the inside of cabinets
95% of all kitchen cabinets we see are about 10-20 years old, are oak, and are pretty basic in construction and installation. The interiors of these cabinets are typically the same color or a lighter color than the stained wood of the cabinet doors or drawers. These same interior cabinets are typically in very good condition. This is a preference or budget item. (blog article – to paint cabinets).
The inside of the cabinets is usually sheltered, and there is not a lot of wear and tear. Most of the time, the shelves have some type of shelf liner that protects them from wear and tear. We are from the if it’s not broken- don’t try and fix it!
Top reasons to paint the insides of cabinets
OK- let’s do the down and dirty- show why you should paint them.
- if you have glass doors- then YES, paint the inside of the doors or drawers. This would be a preference more than practice.
- Older plywood cabinets- previously painted- Then do it! The cabinets in our house were all made with MDF plywood. Dark black stain- and NASTY!! PLUS, someone took a brush and roller to paint the cabinets.
- The cabinets have damage. There are people who have never used or even heard of shelf liners. When the interior of the cabinets is stained or has a veneer application- those surfaces wear off and are easily damaged by water or wear and tear.
- If your cabinets are already painted (YouTube short)- and you are changing colors- it is not a great look to have old yellowed dark cabinets on the inside where your glasses or dishes sit yet have bright and clean paint/color on the outside doors/drawers, etc.
So.. are you ready?
This is a quick highlight of why you can, should, or should not paint the insides of cabinets. Sometimes, the answer is very clear and straightforward. Sometimes, it comes down to preference. Either way- we hope we helped. If you have a question- please let us know; we are here to assist with arguably the most popular room in your house!
