How to Redo Bathroom Cabinets

Bathroom cabinets can get ugly fast. The funny thing is that anything you do to your bathroom to make it look nicer makes the cabinets stick out even more. But you don't need to replace the cabinets in order for them to keep up with the rest of the improvements you're making to your bathroom.

Things You'll Need

• Phillips and flathead screwdrivers
• Household cleaner
• 100- and 150-grit sand paper
• Drop cloth
• Painting tape
• Primer
• Paint brush
• White paint
• Hinges
• Door and drawer hardware

Instructions

1. Pick your supplies. This is perhaps the most important step in the whole process. If you're going to replace and modernize old drawer and door hardware and hinges, make sure that the parts you pick match up with what you have so you don't leave old holes in the cabinets. This is especially important when sizing the hinges. Make sure that the holes that are currently in your cabinet and doors from the old hinges match up with the holes in the new hinges or that the new hinges cover those holes.

2. Pull off the doors and the drawers out of the cabinets. Pulling off the doors will make it easier to paint them because you can do this wherever you like and not be hampered by hinges and tight confines.

3. Remove all the door and drawer hardware using a Phillips or flathead screwdriver.

4. Empty out the contents of the cabinets so you won't have to worry about getting paint on any items in them and so you can move around more freely.

5. Wipe down the cabinet facing, drawer fronts and doors with a household cleaner and a soft rag.

6. Lightly sand the cabinet facing, drawer fronts and doors. If the cabinets have previously been painted, you'll want to remove the old paint with a 100-grit piece of sand paper and then smooth them out with 150 grit. If there's just varnish covering the cabinetry, you can simply scuff up the surface with the 150 grit.

7. Wipe off the dust on all the surfaces with a wet rag and allow the surfaces to dry.

8. Tape off any walls and countertops that may be in contact with the cabinetry with painting tape.

9. Place a drop cloth on the floor around the cabinet to prevent paint stains on the flooring.

10. Prime the entire cabinet, the doors and the drawer fronts with a light-gray spray primer.

11. Paint your cabinetry using a paint brush. Allow the paint to dry for 2 hours before applying a second coat. White is a good color to use because it makes for a very clean look. But you can use other colors or accents to match your bathroom design scheme.

12. Install your new drawer and door hardware. The hardware should fit in the existing holes. Put in the screws with a Phillips or flathead screwdriver.

13. Install the new hinges to the cabinet. It's easier to install to the cabinet and then affix the hinges to the doors. You can do this with a Phillips or flathead screwdriver.

Tips & Warnings

• Use your painter tape to outline areas on the cabinet doors so you can do a two-tone.

References

• Cabinet Information