Updating The Bathroom
Let me start out by telling you that our home was the recipient of this quick and easy facelift. My husband and I bought our home as a fixer-upper. It’s taking longer than expected to finish because little things such as life, time, and money seem to get in the way. When it came time to update the bathroom, we had a decision to make. Do we totally renovate it, or spend the money on a new patio instead?
Since both of us love the outdoors, the patio won out. Here’s what I’ve done with the bathroom temporarily and something you can pass along as an inexpensive fix for those selling their homes.
You’ll see that the cupboards looked tired and were starting to peel. The previous home owner painted them before listing, but he either didn’t clean them thoroughly, or he used the wrong paint.
In the second photo, you’ll notice that the hinges were painted over also. Word of advice, don’t do that as a quick fix when selling your property. Prospective buyers will be put off by the amount of work involved to remove the hinges. Believe me: I know this first hand since I had to chisel each one out. It took hours!
Before painting, make sure the cupboards are thoroughly cleaned with TSP to remove any dirt or grime. In the past, I’ve used melamine paint for cupboards, but it wasn’t available in chocolate brown. Instead, I went with Benjamin Moore’s Aura paint line and it hasn’t disappointed so far. The cupboards still look as good as the day they were painted.
Once you are finished, you may want to replace the knobs if the current ones are worn or outdated.
Total cost of this project: Paint: $35 + Hinges: $36 for a grand total of $71.
It just shows what a difference you can make without breaking the bank. Of course, a little staging with accessories also kicked up the transformation a notch.
I’ve passed this idea along to some of my clients; you may want to do the same.
Charlene Storozuk is the owner of Dezigner Digz, a professional home staging and interior decorating company based in Burlington, Ontario.
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Your cabinets look so much better! I have a couple of questions for you… Were your bathroom cabinets melamine? We are about to paint some shelving in our hall closet with BM Aura paint, and I’m wondering if painting over melamine is a bad idea. The plan is to clean, sand, prime, and then paint.
Painting over melamine has become easier in recent years with the introduction of a number of melamine paints. Melamine paints are a combination of a urethane product and an oil-based paint. Because the paint is oil based, it is a little more difficult to work with than other paints and also has to be cleaned up using a solvent or paint thinner. Oil-based paints also take longer to dry than latex paints. The advantage of this type of paint is its ability to stick to slick surfaces, like melamine, and also its durability.
1 Clean the melamine thoroughly using trisodiumphosphate cleaner. TSP cleaners are available at most hardware stores. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions on how to dilute the TSP with water.
2 Sand the melamine using medium-grit sandpaper. The object of this exercise is to create some texture on the melamine’s surface. Texture will allow the primer to adhere to the surface. Wipe off the sanding dust with a damp rag.
3 Use a good quality brush to apply primer to the melamine in a smooth, even coat. Use a primer formulated for slick surfaces. Glidden Gripper is a great product that adheres well to melamine. Allow the primer to dry completely.
4 Sand the melamine’s surface lightly using fine-grit sandpaper. Wipe away the sanding dust with a damp rag.
5 Paint the melamine using a paintbrush recommended by the paint manufacturer. Some melamine paints are applied using natural-bristled brushes while others use a synthetic material. Apply two to three thin coats of paint rather than one thick coat. Allow each coat to dry completely before applying the next.
http://www.ehow.com/how_5789847_paint-over-melamine.html
Elizabeth, that’s from another web site for instructions.
The key is the primer, once the primer is dry and tight, then you can apply pretty much any paint on top. I do recommend a good oil base paint that will dry hard for wear and tear surfaces like closet shelves, doors, cabinets…
Also when using the TSP make sure to wear gloves, it is not very friendly to the hands. TSP is always recommended for cleaning. It is an amazing cleaner, wipe down a tile shower with that and it is clean.