For a while now the laminate on our kitchen cabinets has been peeling off. Years ago I attempted to peel the laminate on a drawer and painted it. It turned out ok, but I was ready to try it on a bigger scale this time and I had learned some new methods that I wanted to try.
So I took the affected kitchen doors and drawers off and peeled them all down to the bare MDF surface.
Peeling and Painting Laminate Kitchen Cabinets
It’s called Cabinet Coat and I bought it online (click HERE). I really love this paint. It levels out perfectly and gives a nice smooth finish that matches my remaining doors and drawers which I didn’t have to peel yet.
I used a roller and brush to apply the paint. I would have loved to try my new sprayer for this one but it was too cold outside in the garage. And the roller worked really well because the paint levels perfectly and doesn’t show any roller or brush marks.
Again here is your complete supply list for this kitchen update:
This part only needs one more coat.
I also bought a kitchen island post/leg that I need to attach to the other side of the cabinet yet. I’ve had it for month but just never got it done. {update: you can read more about what I did with the kitchen post by clicking HERE}
You can see the leg unattached on the right side. It also needs molding on the bottom and top.
So here is what my painted doors and cabinets look like so far. Do you notice something else? I added new golden knobs from Ikea. What I like about them is that they aren’t bright gold but a subtle champagne-gold.
You can’t tell the difference, right? Some are painted and some are still laminate!
I still have to add molding to where the cabinet meets the quartz. I have also since attached the post on the cover which you can see in this post HERE.
My favorite painting tips and tricks HERE
Since this post some things have changed. I added a new backsplash and painted the walls white. Click HERE to read and see more!
That’s it for today.
Tschüß
(Youleeya)
Jane says
November 20, 2013 at 1:56 pmWow, I never would have even thought to peel and paint an entire cabinet!! But it looks great. And I bet your kitchen feels fresh and renewed too!
Gretchen says
November 20, 2013 at 2:16 pmWow–I totally can’t tell the difference–good work! And love the new knobs….such a fun, easy way to give the whole kitchen a new look 🙂
Katja @ Shift Ctrl Art says
November 20, 2013 at 2:33 pmWhat a fabulous update. Your doors look so good now. Love your new knobs. I am excited about all the products you used. I will have to remember all those 🙂 Pinned!
Julia Konya says
November 20, 2013 at 2:45 pmThanks so much Katja!
pam {simple details} says
November 20, 2013 at 2:35 pmIt looks awesome, love your pretty new knobs! Ikea is one of my favorite sources for reasonable knobs. Can you believe I’ve never tried spray primer?
Gabbi @ Retro Ranch Reno says
November 20, 2013 at 2:52 pmYou did an awesome job on them!! And I love the new gold knobs. I’ve been itching to paint my lower cabinets a dark gray and make the grout in our subway tile gray…and spray our handles gold. I doubt I’ll ever get around to it, but I think the dark gray would help to hide how in-the-hurt our cabinets are.
House Envy says
November 20, 2013 at 3:29 pmIt looks great!! I’m impressed! Love the brushed gold with white. So much more striking than silver! Great work! Never heard of that paint!
Krim Sharma says
November 20, 2013 at 3:35 pmIts impressive. Looks so much pretty. Kitchen Cabinets Design
Kim @ NewlyWoodwards says
November 20, 2013 at 3:50 pmColor me surprised! I didn’t even know you could pull off the laminate to repaint. YOu are so stinkin’ smart and the finish looks great. I’m also loving those new gold knobs and can’t wait to see your holiday decor. I am itching to get started, too!
Jennifer BNHblog says
November 20, 2013 at 3:59 pmThanks for sharing! I’ve yet to successfully paint furniture. Love those new knobs, too!
Stephanie says
November 20, 2013 at 4:05 pmWow Julia I can’t tell a difference! What a bummer that your cabinets started doing that, but it looks so nice! Love the knob addition, can’t beat Ikea!
[email protected] says
November 20, 2013 at 4:35 pmthis is a lot of work Julia, peeling the laminate off; good idea & then paint them; they look very nice and love those knobs too, I saw them before and really like them! 🙂 just saw your Christmas décor in your dining room too; looking nice 🙂
Kenz @ Interiors by Kenz says
November 20, 2013 at 4:48 pmLooks so bright and fresh! You did great!
Cassie @ Primitive & Proper says
November 20, 2013 at 8:17 pmwow what a tedious task but so worth it! they look great! love the new brass knobs!
anu says
November 21, 2013 at 1:30 amWow it wouldn’t even occur to me to peel back the laminate! The cupboards look great and I love the gold knobs.
[email protected] Chronicles of Home says
November 21, 2013 at 3:31 amThis looks like hard-core work! I’m really loving the gold hardware against white cabinets lately…can’t decide if that’s the way I want to go in the new house but I really love the way yours looks!
Jennifer @ Dimples and Tangles says
November 21, 2013 at 4:11 amWow, I would have never, ever known you could peel laminate off like that. Great job, Julia!
Miss Charming says
November 21, 2013 at 6:51 amLove the new gold knobs, Julia! It’s like jewelry for your kitchen. And great job on the cabinets. (Kilz primer is one of my favorites, too!)
Anonymous says
November 21, 2013 at 11:05 amCabinet Coat is the best stuff! That’s what is going on my cabinets after the holidays. (I got mine through our local Benjamin Moore store) I’m relatively new to your blog and just love all your projects!
Julia Konya says
November 21, 2013 at 11:42 amThanks so much! I bought the cabinet coat at ACE for the first time years ago when I peeled the first drawer and painted the kitchen cabinet frame. Then they stopped selling it everywhere and I don’t have a Benjamin Moore store close to me.
[email protected] says
November 21, 2013 at 1:29 pmI’m going to have to research that paint! I was just getting ready to pull the trigger on Benjamin Moore Advance for our bathroom cabinets (also for the kitchen when we start on it early next year). Also, love the new faucet!
Bethany DeVore says
November 21, 2013 at 9:25 pmI love the new hardware! Thanks for the tips on painting cabinets, I might try that one of these days!
Amber Wills says
November 23, 2013 at 5:33 amWow. I never thought about how you could peel off laminate. Great idea and such a smooth paint job. Love the gold hardware too!
Sheryll And Critters. says
December 4, 2013 at 10:03 amOh my heavens above!!!! You have given me hope!!! I have thought about trying to peel off my veneer on my kitchen cabinets and was terrified I would make a disaster. I despise that stuff. I did not live in this house long before I found out my coffee maker’s steam melted the bottom edge of one of my cabinets, then the other cabinet on the opposite side did the same from my table top rotisserie oven……. GRRRR!!! I don’t have an island (no room), tiny very narrow and short, galley type kitchen, so I just don’t have extra space for a simple coffee maker. Oh well. Thanks to you, there is now light at my narrow, dark, tunnel of a kitchen. And I love the new gold cabinet knobs. I love gold, but have chrome and can’t afford to replace anything now a days.
YIPPEE!!!
Monica Kroos says
February 5, 2014 at 7:28 pmThis comment has been removed by the author.
Monica Kroos says
February 5, 2014 at 7:29 pmPainting your own cabinets to give them a fresh look is a good idea but if you really need to update your kitchen then you can buy cabinets online and you’ll be able to find a good deal.
Anonymous says
February 28, 2014 at 2:00 pmwe have laminate cabinets, some are peeling but some are not. How hard is it to peel the laminate off the cabinets that are not peeling? Any tools that you used or any ideas to peel off the laminate easier?
Julia Konya says
February 28, 2014 at 2:13 pmHi, I used a spackle knife to scrape and peel the laminate off and it worked really fast on my cabinets.
Good luck!
Anonymous says
February 28, 2014 at 3:11 pmThanks, I am really excited to see this post. I absolutely hate my cabinets but don’t have money to buy all new cabinets. One more question, was it just like particle board, or cheap wood under the laminate? That is what is under mine. I just want to make sure that it will still look as nice as your pictures
Sarah Kendall says
March 6, 2014 at 4:02 pmDid you have real wood under your laminate? I can’t tell. I don’t have nice wood underneath. I am not even sure what it is. Something cheap. I just want to know before I start scraping away
Julia Konya says
March 7, 2014 at 11:00 amHi and sorry for my lately response.
I don’t have nice wood rather just cheap MDF which was pretty smooth but I still lightly sanded it. Good luck!
asima khan says
March 24, 2014 at 8:58 amThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Millie Dougherty says
June 14, 2014 at 2:14 amI ordered the same cabinet paint from Home Depot but when it came in the paint department at Home Depot aid that they didn’t have the cabinet paint in their system and would have to use trial and error to match my cabinets. Was Home
Depot able to match your cabinets?
Julia Konya says
June 14, 2014 at 1:23 pmHi Millie, I’m sorry they gave you such a nonsense reply. There is no mixing necessary. I used the white it came in and if you are painting everything which is recommended anyways, then you don’t need to match the color.
nanisway says
July 11, 2014 at 1:59 amHey, Awesome job on the cabinets. Our cabinets are in the same state and they drive me crazy.. I was thinking about doing this but im not sure if our cabinets are wood and would do good with paint or if they are some cheap material (compressed wood, etc). Is there any way to tell?
Thanks
Julia Konya says
July 16, 2014 at 1:25 pmSorry for the delayed response but I was away. They are actually wood composite but easy to paint.
Clint says
July 19, 2014 at 4:15 pmWe’re all your cab doors peeling? I want to do this but I’m wondering how difficult it might be to get the laminate off the fronts that aren’t peeling. Thanks, Clint
Julia Konya says
July 19, 2014 at 4:23 pmIt worked great with a spackling knife for those parts. I didn’t have any problem
sas grinfo says
September 27, 2014 at 8:57 amThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
shannon says
September 28, 2014 at 4:50 amYour countertops are gorgeous! Do you know what brand/color they are? Are you laminate cabinets from Ikea? Peeling really worries me when considering an ikea kitchen.
Julia Konya says
September 28, 2014 at 1:05 pmThanks Shannon, the countertop is from Quartzmaster called galaxies:
http://www.quartzmasters.com/index.php/products/our-colors
My cabinets are cheap builder grade cabinets that came with the house, so I’m not sure where they are from.
Ali says
December 1, 2014 at 7:34 pmExactly what I was looking for! My cabinets are cheap made but are still structurally sound. I hated the idea of spending tons of $ especially with growing, rambunctious boys in the home 🙂 I’m going to experiment with it first on the guest bathroom 🙂
Julia says
December 3, 2014 at 6:21 amThank you and good luck.
Rouxna James says
March 13, 2015 at 10:57 pmI’m in the process of doing exactly this with my very ugly green kitchen cabinets, but underneath the “wrap” remains a horrible sticky layer of glue which won’t just sand off. It’s taking me HOURS to remove with glue remover. Any ideas from more experienced DIYers?
Julia says
March 14, 2015 at 3:11 pmOh my gosh, I have no clue. Mine wasn’t like that at all. I’m sorry!
Carin says
April 7, 2015 at 7:38 pmThis is so great! I just have a questiom. How did you get the glue off the wood after removing the laminate front? We just bought our home and I don’t like the cabinets and would like to rredo them.
Carin says
April 7, 2015 at 7:40 pmOops…I guses you ready answered that. Sorry!
Julia says
April 8, 2015 at 5:20 amThat’s ok, I hope it works out for you Carin.
Kimberly Seale says
May 12, 2015 at 10:05 pmI tried using kilz primer and it didn’t adhere to the cabinet. You can scrape it right off. What did I do wrong?
Julia says
May 13, 2015 at 5:43 amThat’s strange Kimberly. Has never happened to me before. DO you maybe have a certain adhesive on your cabinets from the laminate? Maybe it should be sanded and cleaned better?
sophie says
June 27, 2015 at 6:14 pmHi, I am impressed with the work you done…and wish to do it in ky kitchen only question for you to answer what did youdone wih side panel and kickboard which are completely fixed cajt be removed how did you paint that areas?
thanks
Julia says
June 30, 2015 at 5:48 amHi Sophie, I just cleaned that area, taped it and then primed and painted it.
Jeannine Lenehan says
September 28, 2015 at 11:28 amI am planning on painting my kitchen cabinets, but would like to try and avoid all of the brush strokes and any unevenness that come with it. Do you have any suggestions?
Julia says
September 28, 2015 at 11:58 amHi Jeannine, I like using a foam roller to minimize any brush strokes and texture. Hope that helps.
Denise says
January 2, 2016 at 9:08 pmCan you also peel the laminate off of cabinet boxes. I have some that are peeling near the bottom .
Julia says
January 5, 2016 at 8:13 amHi Denise, I’m not sure why you couldn’t. It’s probably the same process especially since it’s starting to peel already. Good luck!
Charly says
February 1, 2016 at 9:12 amHello
I was just wondering if you peeled the backs of your cabinet doors and if so how?
Julia says
February 1, 2016 at 2:41 pmHi Charly, I actually didn’t need to peel the back off the cabinets because they were in very good shape and you can’t even tell. Good luck!
Paula Anstett says
June 7, 2016 at 6:37 amHi Julia, Like many others, I too have peeling cabinets and am grateful for what you have shared. My questions is what about the area in between the doors? Did you paint it as well? Wondering how the paint adheres to it. Thanks for being daring and patient enough to attempt this project!
nancy says
August 31, 2016 at 1:17 pmDid you also peel and paint the cabinet dividers between the doors??
I am worried that if I don’t do this that the painted doors will not match the
base dividers.
If you did do them as well did the laminate here peel off as easy as the doors ???