Elevate Old Kitchen Cabinets With This Easy Paint Hack

While it might seem that every influencer is renovating their entire kitchen these days, most regular folks haven't got the financial bandwidth to invest in a complete remodel. Along with kitchen cabinets, tiles, appliances, and faucets, you also have to shell out for the labor costs and contend with disruption to your family routine for weeks on end. Making cheaper moves that give your kitchen a new lease of life, such as changing the countertops or cabinet handles, is a cost-effective way to enhance your cooking space. For instance, one easy paint hack to elevate old kitchen cabinets is to black wash them.

If you haven't heard of black washing furniture or cupboards before, it's simply a quick painting technique that tones down the appearance of dated orangey-colored cabinets and lends them a more modern vibe. All you need is black paint, water, and an old rag to get started. First you'll need to dilute your paint with water (the more you dilute it, the more subtle the effect) and spread it over your clean cabinet fronts using a paintbrush. Then, before it has time to dry, wipe away any excess, leaving behind a thin layer of color on the surface. This trick tempers the harsh color of outmoded wooden cabinets that look stuck in the past and gives them a chic appearance without overpowering the natural grain.

While you could paint your top cupboards in an entirely new color, black washing allows the beauty of the natural woodwork to shine through without completely camouflaging it. Instead of a matte, one-note kitchen, you get a space that looks grounded, natural, and unique with an almost distressed, vintage character. Think of it like a stain that enhances the natural appeal of the wood. The awesome thing about black washing old kitchen cabinets is that you can repeat the process as often as you like. If your first attempt isn't dark enough, simply reapply (this time diluting the paint with less water), rub down, and allow to dry again.

For best results, remove handles and use a degreaser to remove any sticky residues on the surface of your cabinets before you begin to black wash. Alternatively, give them a light sand to even out any nicks and scratches that the thinned-out paint could highlight. You should also rub the cloth over the surface with the grain, rather than wiping in a circular fashion. Using a water-based black paint is of the utmost importance too – other varieties of paint, like oil-based options, are unsuitable for the job and can only be thinned down with a proper solvent. We'd also advise doing a quick test patch on the inside of the cabinet first and allowing it to dry before painting the fronts. This will give you the chance to double-check that you've got the correct ratio of paint to water.