Q&A: What paint should I pick for kitchen walls and cabinets? 

What would be a good paint choice for my kitchen walls and to freshen up my faux-wood laminate cabinets?

What would be a good paint choice for my kitchen walls and to freshen up my dodgy faux-wood laminate cabinets?

ANSWER

Most major brands offer multiple paint options with the key characteristics needed in the humid, busy atmosphere of a kitchen, where food can be splashed up the walls several times a week. 

My top pick would be Dulux Easycare Kitchens in matt emulsion as it comes in that lovely low-glow finish, we all long for, but can be wiped off and even given a light scrub. 

Like all dedicated kitchen paint, it will slough off stains and grease marks with a soft soapy cloth. In terms of prep, the company advises: “Where necessary, wash the surface to remove dirt, grease and powdery or dusty residues. Rinse with clean water and allow to dry. 

"Seal surfaces that remain powdery after thorough preparation with an appropriate plaster sealer.”

There is a range of 30 colours, with a coverage of 16 sq m per litre (allow for two coats); €52 for 2.5l tin. 

Another ultra-matt finish, Rustoleum’s Cupboard Paint has superb pigment-rich chalky colour, and with the exception of metal surfacing, it doesn’t require any sanding or priming over that dreadful brown. Just give the doors and drawer fronts a clean with sugar soap or any good de-greaser before you start. 

This paint also works on melamine, but keep in mind that application to a factory finish even with a foam roller is very hard to achieve with glossy kitchen cabinets. 

You can dilute it with water for spraying but experiment on scrap wood to get the right mix. There are 110 colours, with coverage of 14 sq m per litre; €32 for 750ml.

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