Hand-painted pine kitchen: Here I explain how we went about transforming an orange pine kitchen into a Hand-painted pine kitchen.  The key to professional kitchen painting is preparation. We cleaned this pine kitchen with krud Kutter before sanding, priming with Isofix and finishing with 3 coats of oil based eggshell in a Dulux colour.

This is before painting work commenced:

And this is the end result of 8 days solid cleaning, priming, sanding and hand painting a pine kitchen.

There is is a logical approach to kitchen painting, but no set system works every time, because each kitchen has different challenges. The units were cleaned with Krud Kutter Original, then sanded to provide a key.

With the preparation completed, the primer was applied.

Isofix is shellac based, not very user-friendly, but is tried and tested and sticks, to provide a solid base for topcoats. One trick I have is to shake the Isofix first, which keeps it loosened up for the day. Isofix cleans off in methylated spirit.

The Isofix primed surface will accept any oil based or water-based paints.We specialize in oil-based eggshell finishes,also waterborne. To get a tough mid sheen finish, three coats of eggshell with a drop of Owatrol were applied. The more you apply the better.

Oil paint takes up to 30 days to cure throughout its thickness, to achieve maximum durability. When first applied the eggshell is quite high sheen. Then again, given time, the sheen will settle down to the eggshell finish that nature intended!

Here is a close-up picture of the cornice, it was painted the same as the rest of the kitchen and then a dragged paint effect applied, and sealed.

Is painting kitchen easy for someone keen on DIY?

I have advised many keen homeowners on the steps and tools required to hand-paint a kitchen, and it is an achievable project. However, please don’t underestimate the size of the task, nor the skills required to get a high class professional finish. Whilst anyone can apply themselves to painting a kitchen, there are many small problems to think about and decisions to take:

First decision: do I have 120+ concentrated hours to refurbish a biggish kitchen.

Do I know how to deal with removable integrated panels on dishwashers etc.

What is the best way to tackle wine racks.

How do I reach nooks and crannies to ensure every visible square inch is painted so there is absolutely no evidence that the kitchen was ever natural pine.

Sounds like a lot doesn’t it?

How do I keep dust to an absolute minimum.

Do I have the brush skills and the patience required to get a flawless finish.

Do I know how to work with drying times of paint, so I can work quickly and efficiently without rushing or jeopardizing the integrity of the paint.

And the one element that separates us, and other independent specialist kitchen painters from the rest is attention to detail. Are you a fussy, picky, sharp-eyed painter who is happy to paint and prep the same doors, 4 times over?

You have that innate drive to deal with the details, you don’t have a “that’ll do” mindset, and year after year, you are always trying to do the next job better, smarter, cleaner than the last one.

There is a saying that professionals make jobs look easy. Whilst I would never say it is easy, I certainly know how to make sure a kitchen painting project goes smoothly.

This is the end result of eight days hard work:

A beautiful hand-painted pine kitchen,finished in a beautiful eggshell finish.

I’ve been painting kitchens and furniture since 1993, trading as JS Decor; and I also write regular tips for the Lancashire Magazine.