DIY: Painting Melamine Kitchen Cabinet Doors

Melamine kitchen cabinets are often found in inexpensive homes, where they are made to look like real wood or are a solid color. Melamine is not the best candidate for painting, but if you are willing to put in some work, you can paint the kitchen cabinets yourself. Keep in mind that melamine is a non-porous surface, but it should not be scuff sanded in case you accidentally expose the particleboard underneath the slick melamine.

Step 1: Remove all of the hardware on the kitchen cabinet doors. Label the hardware for each door so you can reinstall it after the kitchen cabinet doors have been painted.

TIP: Now is a good time to clean the hardware carefully. A baking soda paste and an old toothbrush will remove even the toughest stains on metal decorative hardware.

Step 2: Clean each door using a commercial degreaser applied to a rag. This will prevent any water damage to the melamine, which could also cause the surface to separate from the rest of the door. Wipe the doors dry with a clean rag.

Step 3: Coat the kitchen cabinet door with a bonding primer applied with a small foam roller. Be sure the bonding primer you use is appropriate to use on melamine. Let the primer dry completely before continuing.

TIP: For tight spots, you can use a foam brush to apply the primer. Try to minimize any directional marks when applying the primer on the melamine.

Step 4: Apply a coat of paint to the surface of the kitchen cabinet door. Oil based paints, or acrylic paints are both good choices for the final coat. Allow the coat to dry completely.

Step 5: Apply a second coat of paint on the kitchen cabinet doors. If needed, a third coat can also be applied to assure even coverage. Allow the paint to dry for 24 hours before continuing.

Step 6: Reinstall the doors onto the kitchen cabinets, using the hardware you labeled and removed during the first step.

Step 7: Apply a thin coating of vegetable oil between the door and where it touches the kitchen cabinet. This will prevent the new paint from sticking to the kitchen cabinet, causing the paint to lift off the surface.