How to Update an Old Kitchen by Yourself: Detailed Masterclass

You're ready to renovate because your kitchen no longer fits into a modern interior? Don't rush — decorator Sasha Mershiev will show you how beautifully cabinet doors can look if they're simply repainted.

Sasha Mershiev — interior design expert, decorator, and owner of the MERSHYHOME workshop

You'll need:

• Old kitchen cabinet set.
  
• Screwdriver.
  
• Cleaning agent + sponge.
  
• De-greaser «White Spirit».
  
• Masking tape.
  
• Protective film.
  

• Rubber gloves.
  
• Brushes (size: 40–60 mm), three pieces.
  
• Emery paper (grit: 100–180).
  
• Alkyd primer, 0.9 liters.
  
• Matte paint, 2–2.5 liters.
  
• Polycrylic or acrylic matte varnish, 0.9–1 liter.
  

Where to start?
Any coating can be repainted, but first you need to test its strength, especially if it's film or veneer. Everything that peels off or bubbles must be removed.

I recommend painting the cabinet doors and leaving the internal structure as is. Choose a color that suits your kitchen and begin working. For a visual example, I used cabinet doors from another kitchen.

Remove hardware

Take off cabinet doors and hardware, and cover adjacent surfaces with masking tape for delicate areas.

Wash and dry with a towel

Be careful: cabinet doors should not have dust, dirt, or grease.

Wipe clean surfaces

To de-grease the surface, I use «White Spirit». You can substitute it with alcohol. Always check that there are no remaining contaminants.

Mask elements not involved in repainting

Also, protect the surface you're painting as well as walls and countertops with protective film.

By the way, protect not only your kitchen but also your hands from paint — use gloves. I recommend vinyl ones, which are sold in pharmacies.

Apply alkyd primer

Necessary in two coats. I always use white, but you can color it to match the desired kitchen color.

Level the surface between coats with emery paper

Buff after each layer of primer, paint, and varnish — except the final one. Adjust the intensity yourself based on the desired result. Light buffing gives a textured surface, and vice versa.

Apply paint in two coats

I use chalk paint — it's ultra-matte, durable, and has good coverage. Never use glossy paint.

Paint consumption is usually indicated by the manufacturer, but for a small kitchen 2–2.5 liters should suffice. One more tip from me: if you use a natural bristle brush, the surface will be more textured.

Apply matte varnish — also in two coats

I use a brush with synthetic bristles, and then go over between coats with emery paper.

Acrylic varnish can be used if you don’t cook often and there are no pets in the apartment. For a more practical surface, choose a polycrylic matte varnish.

Let the paint dry and reinstall cabinet doors

Drying time for each coat is usually indicated on the paint or varnish packaging. But I recommend leaving the final coat to dry overnight and only then reinstall everything.

Now everything is ready — enjoy the result!