Can you paint bathroom vanity

If you need to sand your cabinets regardless, you do not need to degloss before painting bathroom cabinets. Test the new color by priming and painting the back of a cabinet door before you coat the whole thing. This gives you a chance to make sure that you like the color and, more importantly, that the paint finish you've chosen will adhere to the cabinetry and your prep steps will yield a smooth finish.

If you are not pleased with the finish, consult your local paint shop for advice on painting bathroom cabinets.

Use painters tape to protect the wall or mirror from paint drips or messes while painting the vanity. Cover the floor with a drop cloth. Use a roller or paintbrush to prime the faces of cabinet boxes and drawers and both sides of doors. If your cabinets have a lot of detailing, it will be easier to use a tapered brush.

A roller works well on larger flat surfaces and flat doors. Paint cabinets with one light coat of primer; let dry. Paint stores recommend using your paint within 24 hours of having it mixed to ensure even coverage. Regardless, always make sure to stir your paint well, then pour it into a paint tray. Load a roller or brush with paint. Start with cabinet doors, which will take longer to paint because you'll need to allow dry time before you turn them over to paint the opposite side.

If your shelves are adjustable and the insides of your cabinets need a fresh coat of paint, now is the time to start painting those, too.

If they have never been painted, this isn't necessary. Paint cabinets with light coats. Painting thinner coats means fewer drips for a high-quality paint job.

Be prepared to apply at least two coats per side when painting bathroom cabinets. Paint the front of each drawer but not the drawer sides or glide hardware. Use painters tape to protect the rest of the drawer from errant brushstrokes. Set cabinet drawers on their ends; they should balance easily in this position.

Paint cabinets with light coats using a brush, allowing paint to dry completely between each coat. This was a perfect spot to take a small risk like that. I recommend always buying the best primer your budget allows, as this plays an important factor in how durable your paint will be.

This is not where you cut corners to save a few bucks! Afterall, a coat of primer means using less paint! But even more importantly, in the long haul, a good quality primer will be worth years of your cabinets looking their best. Ask to have the primer tinted to the color of the paint you are using, unless they already are similar. If you are painting bathroom cabinets that are unfinished, as in unfished wood that is not painted or stained, you will want to use a primer that blocks wood tannis the visible knots and the color of the wood!

Zinsser Smart Prime is a great example of a primer you could use. I asked my paint store contact what he recommended as a high quality primer for a prepainted vanity. Whatever brand you buy, paints have various tiers of quality. My paint store buddy also asked if I would be going with Benjamin Moore Advanced Satin Latex Paint for the cabinet paint because it is an alkyd based paint. Yes, actually, that was my choice too! The best paint to use on bathroom cabinets is an alkyd based paint.

This cures to a super hard finish similar to oil based paints! We want the hard finish of alkyd based paint in a bathroom. There are other alkyd based paints Behr, for instance. For the best bathroom cabinet paint, I recommend using a water based, alkyd paint. Oil based paints are going out of favor. These days, latex paints are made just as well and are much easier to work with! Less clean up, faster dry time and less chemical smell make latex paints the ideal paint for bathroom cabinets.

Go with a satin or semi-gloss sheen, as it is easy to wipe down! I used satin. No, it is not shiny. But it is washable. It did not leave brush strokes easily. As far as paint colors, make swatches on paper of your favorite colors and tape them up to the bathroom cabinet to help yourself envision the final look! If you are considering a blue or navy paint too, you HAVE to read this post on why Hale Navy literally goes with everything!

Two coats of paint are often enough to get an even finish, but you may need three or four coats, especially if you are painting your cabinets white. You do not always have to protect painted cabinets with a sealer or topcoat, but I am a big fan of using a good topcoat to protect your paint finish.

Some paints, like Benjamin Moore Advance, do not require a topcoat at all. Other paints, like the General Finishes Milk Paint I used, do not require a topcoat but do recommend you use one for pieces that are going to get a lot of daily use. I considered saving myself and skipping the topcoat on my bathroom vanity.

So to be safe, I decided sealing is the right thing to do. This is my favorite sealer; I use it on furniture all the time. A lot of other sealers can be difficult to work with, but I always have good luck with General Finishes without having to be super finicky about how I apply it.

You can put this topcoat on with a high quality paint brush, a foam brush, or a clean rag. I have used each of those methods with success. For this project, I chose to apply my topcoat with my blue sponge applicator. The blue sponge is sold by Dixie Belle paint company and it is my new favorite tool for applying topcoats to furniture, just because it is really easy to use and gives a perfectly smooth finish.

To apply the topcoat, get a little bit on your sponge and wipe it onto your cabinet, using long strokes, all going in one direction. Allow it to dry completely and then apply a second coat. I am so happy with how my bathroom vanity turned out! With a simple coat of paint and some new hardware, it looks completely fresh and updated. It is absolutely crazy how big a difference you can make with just a hundred dollars.

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases. I'd love for you to leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Pinterest! You entire bathroom turned out amazing Carrie. Love all of your painting tips for getting great results! I definitely could have, but for mow I like the dark wood of the antique mirror with the painted vanity. Beautiful job Carrie! What a difference! Thanks for going into the details for getting a great finish. I appreciate all the tips as I plan to do my bathroom vanity in the fall.

Oh my. It was a huge job for me. After many hours of work, I still see the woodgrain. I purchased everything you recommended. The paint looks ok, but the top coat is a hot mess. The doors are very streaked. I put two coats on and used the sponge you recommended and a small brush.

I watched numerous videos on how to add it. Beautiful home! I am redoing my bathroom, and wash room would love any input that you have to help me. Can you use chalk paint to paint old cabinets in your wash room. I am trying to give it that rustic look. We just bought a new house and have some vanities for paint.

When do you recommend to use chalk paint versus regular latex paint? Do both hold up equally well in high humidity? I need something super durable because I have two young boys.

Thank you! Thank you for the thorough instructions! I painting by bathroom vanity on Sunday! I went to put the doors on today and just touching the paint with my finger nail brought it up leaving a wood colored nick! Any ideas? Depending on what paint you used, the time to full cure can be a few days or even a few weeks so I would take extra care with them for several days. Kris, what a difference the paint made. It truly looks like a new bathroom.

Even the floor looks better up against the white vanity. One thought: the screws holding the hardware are too long. Afraid your daughter may catch a finger reaching in the drawers. You have a good eye and are so right! Or painting your floor tiles? Would make a big difference and would be a great post! Where did you get your vanity top? I really like your colors and I would like to try and do it in my master bathroom. How much paint did you need to cover the a cabinet that size?

Will one quart be sufficient or should i get a gallon? They look like totally different rooms now. We changed out everything from faucets to lighting to hardware to paint colors and linens. I used your guest bath and master bath photos for a ton of my inspiration!

Love your blog and your insta feed! Thanks for the details! Very helpful. Can you share what they look like and how they were used? So glad I saw your post! I picked Alabaster for the walls and cabinets and trim and making the travertine the color in the room with the bossy granite. This made my day today!! This such a wonderful improvement! I have a similar wooden vanity that I am looking to renovate and this inspired me.

Awesome to see how you got the girls involved in the project as well! This is so helpful! I did not see that you caulked the outside front of the doors where the molding meets the flat part of the door.

Yet the finish product has no gaps. Is it just a difference between the thickness of the paint layers? This looks amazing! How much paint did you use for your cabinets? Would a quart be enough? You gave me a push to go ahead and take on the project. I will hope mine is as nice as yours. LOVE it!! Exactly what I needed guidance on for my bathroom re-vamps, so thank you! You should check out trimming your mirrors with cheap trim.

Lots of ideas out there and can apply with hot glue or silicone caulk so they are removable! I have the same exact marble top on my handmade vanity made by previous owners! Hopefully I can paint it as smoothly and aesthetically pleasing as you got yours! That came out beautiful. Thank you for all the tips and especially about using correct brushes and rollers.

I bet your daughter loves her new bathroom. Did you make the tilt out under sink drawers or was the vanity already built that way? Such a cool utilization of normally unused space. It looks beautiful! If my bathroom cabinets are already white but I want to freshen them up with a brighter white, do I still need to sand and prime all that? Can I just roll on some fresh white paint?