Top 5 Reasons to Paint your Cabinets in 2023

Painted kitchen and bathroom cabinet has gained significant popularity in the last few years. Not only have paint products vastly improved, but modern cabinetry really lends itself to being painted. As natural wood continues to rise in price, MDF and other wood-composites have taken centre-stage in cabinet making. The smooth, featureless, colourless wood product makes durable and sturdy cabinet doors and boxes for kitchens, bathrooms, and built-in features. When sprayed with lacquer, MDF cabinetry looks flawless and modern. Even in older homes with beautiful natural wood features, sprayed lacquer is a fast and relatively easy way to modernize the interior look and protect the longevity of the wood underneath. Therefore, today, we will cover the top five reasons why sprayed lacquer cabinetry is so popular, and why you should consider it for your next home improvement project. 

1. Modern Lacquer Products Are Better Than Ever 

We aren’t talking about the same lacquers from decades ago that would peel, discolour, and were filled with toxic byproducts. Modern, professional lacquer paint is verified low-VOC and compliant with the Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association. When sprayed using a professional spray booth and the proper procedures, a lacquer finish presents a luxurious and high-end surface coating that is resistant to typical kitchen wear and tear. Because of this, sprayed lacquer is an excellent alternative to outdated and discoloured stains, or laminate/thermofoil coatings that are peeling off.

2. Durability and Wood Protection 

Sprayed lacquer takes about one month to fully cure after being sprayed. Once cured, a lacquer surface is extremely durable and resistant to most types of  wear and tear. Not only that, but it protects and prolongs the lifespan of the wood underneath, preventing water damage or general wear and tear on the wood itself. Of course, lacquer is still paint and can chip or crack if put under the right stress. Spraying lacquer over wood features that are decades old is a great way to add a modern touch to your home’s interior while also protecting that original wood for years to come.

3. Modernize an Older Home 

Like we just mentioned, spraying lacquer in older homes with natural wood features like oak banisters and cabinetry is a great way to both modernize your interior, and protect the original wood. Natural woods with heavy surface grain look excellent when sprayed with lacquer, as the grain still shows through meaning you don’t completely lose the original design aspect of the wood. Many homes in Calgary feature oak trim and doors throughout; spraying some or all of that oak can drastically modernize the feel and vibe of your home while ensuring that the original oak is preserved and protected for years.

4. Brighten Up a Dark Space

We cannot count how many kitchens we have sprayed that were dark stained or dark painted wood. Many of our clients request a bright lighter tone or shade of white that will “open up” their kitchen or bathroom space, making it feel more lively and spacious. The results are truly fascinating; when taking into account how much light is absorbed by dark cabinetry, going from dark to an all-white kitchen or bathroom is truly transformative. Painting a dark stain banister to white can change the feel of an entire home. It cannot be understated how useful wall and cabinet painting can be to the feeling of brightness and spaciousness inside your home.

5. Make your Cabinets “New” at a Fraction of the Cost

If the prospect of a full renovation – and the price of it – is daunting, consider painting your cabinets as an effective way of making large scale changes at a fraction of the cost. The valuable aspect of the spraying process is that your doors are cleaned, sanded, filled, and resurfaced with multiple layers of paint. What you are left with is, essentially, a brand new door. A full kitchen renovation where you replace the cabinetry will easily cost you twenty thousand or more. For under ten thousand, you can keep the cabinetry you have, they get cleaned, filled, sanded and recoated, made to look virtually new, and will last for a years to come. The process for spraying lacquer is also quite a bit less invasive than renovating, and is finished and done with in a matter of days.