Plain white melamine kitchen goes coastal

I have a plain white melamine kitchen. My kitchen is quite large with many cupboards and deep drawers. The doors and drawer fronts are plain without any design, and which has become boring since day two. Do you have any suggestions as to how I can change the doors to make it more interesting without actually replacing them?

 

"I have been planning to replace the doors only with an interesting design but never had the money for it. Any great ideas would be appreciated."

Today's board, paint and tools allow the average homeowner to pretty much do as they wish when it comes to updating or giving kitchen cabinet doors and drawer fronts a makeover. You have the option to simply paint melamine or laminate doors, add trim and moulding, or have SupaWood cut to size for painting and detailing as you wish. A trip to your local Builders Warehouse will kit you out with everything you need, from cut SupaWood board, to new handles and knobs.

Dressing doors and drawer fronts

Choosing a design

Over and above painting, this is the easiest way to give plain kitchen cabinets a new look. While your local Builders Warehouse only stocks 16mm SupaWood, you will be able to source various other thicknesses from a local timber and board supplier in your area.

For adding a frame to doors 6 or 9mm SupaWood is recommended, and working with this is far simpler than thicker boards. Ask your supplier to cut half a sheet into 40 or 50mm wide strips that you can then cut down to the lengths required for framing doors.

Working with SupaWood strips, moulding and trim, there are many design options that you can choose from, all depending on the finished look you want for your cabinet doors.

1. A simple 40mm-wide frame glued around the edge of the door is simple and elegant.

2. Another simple frame design, but with added circular dowel on the inside of the frame.

3. For a classic style incorporate a twisted trim and a simple frame moulding on the inside of the frame.

4. Adding moulding on top of the door allows you to customise this design into any style of kitchen.

Bead board is another option for dressing kitchen cabinet doors. If you know of a supplier in your area you can have bead board panels cut to size. Alternatively, use a Dremel Trio to make your own bead board panels using 3mm Masonite. Use 9mm SupaWood for the framing and cut the Masonite bead board panels to fit inside the frame.

Invest in a Bosch Mitre Saw for cutting board strips and trim to fit doors. Cutting 45-degree angles is done by setting the cutting table and ensure exact joins for your door frames.

Attaching the design

Before painting or adding a design onto doors or drawer fronts, take the time to sand down the surface with 180-grit sandpaper. This serves to de-gloss, or remove the glossy finish from melamine or laminate and allow for proper bonding.

Use Pattex No More Nails ultra interior adhesive to glue the frames and moulding onto the door. This non-runny formula has instant tack, allowing you to press down and leave until the glue sets hard. It also dries faster than conventional wood glue. Immediately wipe away any excess that oozes out with a slightly damp cloth.

If you are going to be doing a few cabinet doors and drawers fronts it's a good idea to use a caulking gun and product cartridge, as it makes application far easier. Do make sure to spread adhesive as close to the edges as possible.

"I live at the coast and so my house has a marine theme so I had an idea of attaching thin bead board on the outside of the doors with a very light mint wash but someone said it won’t work. What do you think of this idea?"

Painting cabinet doors

After adding frames and trim to your cabinet doors and drawer fronts the next step is painting to finish.

Not only doors and drawer fronts, you will also need to paint the cabinet frames and kickplates. All of these need to be sanded down with 180-grit sandpaper to de-gloss the finish before painting. Wipe clean to remove all traces of dust before you continue.

As an alternative to sanding down, scrub down with sugar soap, rinse and then apply Plascon Tile and Melamine Primer to the doors and drawer fronts. This primer provides a bond between melamine and paint.

There are various options for painting your cabinet doors, and we discuss these in our Kitchen section.

If you are hand painting the doors you will need a selection of paintbrushes and foam paint rollers in small, medium and large. Use a paintbrush for getting into corners and any detailing / moulding on the doors before smoothing with a foam roller. Use the foam roller for painting flat surfaces. 

Don't be afraid to experiment before you take on a major painting and makeover project. If you are unsure of the finished look you want, or are scared to take the first step, have some board and trim cut to practice on before you take that leap. Make up different door styles and then paint these to give you an idea of the direction you want to take.

It's much cheaper to make a mistake on a scrap board than have to re-do your entire kitchen!