- - you can order new front doors (this will turn out much cheaper than new furniture, and less work on installation and measurements);
- - you can buy a self-adhesive film for furniture facades;
- - you can make decoupage;
- - But you can paint.
Actually, the last option will be discussed - for me it seemed the most low-cost.
To begin with, there is nothing complicated about this, the main thing is to have a desire. In my case, after buying an apartment, kitchen furniture was left to me from the old owners. A set of Soviet times, but pretty well preserved. And since the purchase of an apartment is therefore a very costly event, I decided to leave it as it is and only change the color and revive the boring facade in my opinion.
Here is what came before:
First you need to calculate what area we will paint. To do this, measure the width, height and multiply one by the other. I did not set out to make an accurate calculation, I needed to know about the area in order to buy the right amount of paint. I painted on one side. If you intend to do this on both sides, then respectively multiply the result obtained earlier by 2. But in order to paint on both sides, you must remove all the doors, otherwise you will not be able to paint properly. I had no time to do this, so I chose a simpler option - to paint only the facade. For this, one jar was enough for me. (see photo)
As for furniture paint, there are a lot of different manufacturers and different compositions in stores. There are also paints in spray cans, but in the room I did not paint such areas with them. I took a spray can for coloring handles on the doors. And for the facade, I liked the acrylic paint, this paint is odorless and dries quickly enough. Color violet, semi-gloss. Paint lays on the varnished, painted and laminated surfaces. In order to spend less time, I chose just such a paint, which does not require special surface preparation - sanding. Here it’s good enough to wash the surface and degrease soda.
For work you will need:
- - paint;
- - gloves;
- - roller;
- - brushes;
- - cuvette (tray for the roller);
- - masking tape;
- - mask (I used the mask when I painted the pen with a spray can).
So, after everything is ready to work, the color is selected, everything you need is bought, then you can proceed. To begin with, the floor is covered with newspapers, polyethylene or stretch film. Next we will prepare the surface. When buying paint, you need to pay attention to what surface it is intended for. Many paints require preliminary sanding of the surface, this option did not suit me in any way, since I planned to work without assistance in the shortest possible time.
As written in the instructions for the paint - you need to wash the surface well, let it dry and then wipe everything with a solution of soda. This is necessary in order to degrease the surface and adhesion of the paint to the surface was better. Therefore, this point cannot be neglected, otherwise all the work will be in vain, the paint may simply not evenly lie on the surface or peel off during the application of the second layer.
After everything is thoroughly washed, we pull out all the boxes, if any. We put them immediately on a newspaper or polyethylene, we will return to them a little later. If there is accessories that can be unscrewed, then we turn off, otherwise it will be very inconvenient to paint the facade. In my case, the handles are located at the bottom of the doors along their entire length, and they are not removable.
I painted with a roller. It is easier to apply paint on even surfaces with a roller, and the paint lays more evenly. But the edges will have to be modified with a brush.
One layer, of course, can not do. In the instructions for my paint it was written to wait 12 hours before applying the second coat, so one day I did not finish the job.
In order to save time while the doors were dry, I painted the pens. If the pens are removed, then this is better, because I did not have to remove the pens, I had to wait a couple of hours until the paint dried up and stopped sticking. She painted pens from a spray can. The surface of a complex shape - and painting with a brush is extremely uncomfortable, and I did not find the color of gold in another form.
Before proceeding with painting from the spray can, masking tape should be applied over the borders of the surface to be painted. It is advisable to wear a mask, because small particles fly apart, and since we work indoors, it is even necessary.
We spray paint holding the can vertically at a distance of about 20 centimeters.
If the accessories of the removable process are simplified, put the handles on a film or bags and spray the paint. One layer is enough.
Now you can return to the drawers. We also use masking tape to determine the boundaries.
Preparing to paint the boxes, I decided to paint the pens first, as it turned out the spray paint dries many times faster, and so you can start painting the main surface almost immediately.
After the pens have dried, you can paint the facade itself. Remove masking tape and paint with a brush or roller, depending on the width of the box. In my case, it was more convenient for me to paint horizontally with a roller, then working through the edges with a brush.
The instructions for the paint say wait at least 12 hours before applying the second coat, so the first day is over.
The next day, you can paint on the second coat. The second coat is easier to apply, as adhesion to the surface is better, and the final color is visible and the eye is happy with the result. Here you need to carefully work out all the corners and side parts, try not to allow smudges.
That is the whole process. Nothing complicated, anyone who has a desire can handle it.
After everything dries, you can dilute it in monochrome by applying stencil images. Fantasy can be limitless and, fortunately, there are a lot of stencil choices today. You can also make a stencil yourself, it depends on how much time you have. I was in a hurry, so I bought a ready-made self-adhesive stencil and applied the remaining gold paint from a spray can. Here's what I got: