apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

i asked my paint guy at the local hardware store a similar question a few days ago, as i am planning to paint kitchen cabinets. my laminate cabinets are not melamine, but he told me that benjamin moore latex primer would stick without a problem. my guess is that with a little sanding, a good latex primer should stick to the shelves.

There is a such thing as paint specifically for melamine. I think I saw it used on an episode of either Home To Go or Debbie Travis' Painted House. Google "melamine paint" and it'll show you a few brands. I have seen spray paint for melamine at craft stores like A.C. Moore and Michael's.

You can try Krylon Fusion spray paint. It's formulated to adhere to plastic surfaces. I give it my full, enthusiastic endorsement. I was dubious about its effectiveness at first, but was pleasantly surprised with the results I got from it on a recent project.

Thank you Maxwell and everyone! This gives me a good place to start. I will update you with the finished projectand maybe even take some before and after shots.

~C

Well, you could try to avoid drawing attention to the shelves, or you could draw lots of attention to them by spray painting them, say, mustard red and honey tiger stripes with a stencil from stencil-library.com. Or you might be able to adhere nice wood veneer to the outer facing edges, though I haven't tried that. I'd love to see what you come up with.

I'm a couple of days late reading the archives, but wanted to respond...I've used alkyd (oil-based) melamine paint on my kitchen cupboards and counters, and it's just dandy - gives a lovely, hard finish. You can even buy a melamine primer, although you don't really have to prime if you are using melamine paint. Sand the shelves to roughen them up, prime (if you choose to), and paint. You'll have to wait about 15-24 hours between coats, and a week or two before you can put anything back on the shelves. The smell isn't as bad as oil paints of old - the mineral spirits used for clean up is much worse.

Saw the Debbie Travis episode and the great Melamine Paint she used is from Para paints. I googled and have had no success finding anything like it in the SE U. S. !

I've been searching for this melamine paint as well. Home Depot has a product called Cabinet Rescue which is a fast drying melamine paint that requires no primer. It's made by Decotime. I just finished reading the specs on their website and I think it is the perfect product for this project. Good luck.

Very late here, and this advice wouldn't have helped the original poster anyway, but what I do when faced with my melamine budget is to only buy white items to begin with. It can take some searching around, but it's worth it to not have that nasty fake woodgrain. The white stuff fades into the walls.

Thanks for all the hints, I too want to paint on melamine.

Believe it or not WalMart carries a paint specifically for melamine. Go figure.....

Painting white Melamine kitchen cabinets

Does anyone have any photos they can email me to show me what melamine paint can look like. I really want to paint my kitchen cabinets but have no idea how it will look or the best color to choose they are white right now. plesae email me takemessages@yahoo.com

I am a painting contractor, and have had great sucess with painting kitchen cabinets, first prime them with a good primer, Home depot carries a primer from glidden called gripper, you can paint glass with this stuff and it wont scratch off. then sand lightly and I recomend 2 coates of a semigloss waterborn acrylic, the best brand I have found is Muralo ultra in semigloss. also Benjamin Moore carries a waterborne it is their Satin Impervo waterborne, the haven't been able to make it in dark colors yet, the beauty of waterborne acrylic is it is a latex so water clean up, but it levels out, and hardens like an oil based paint, but it won't fade like oil based paints do.

I have some that patterned, plastic mobilehome- type paneling in my bathroom that I attempted to cover with Ralph Lauren latex paint a few years ago. Needless to say, it is scratching off big time.

I heard about this melamine paint yesterday on HGTV. Was wondering if this paint would work in my situation - if I could paint over the existing paint layer or if I would have to remove it all before it would stick to the plastic-coated wallboard...does anyone know?

I work in the paint department of Home Depot. After watching Debbie Travis paint ceramic bathroom tiles and mentioning melamine paint...I have decided to paint my kitchen counter tops...I will investigate what products we have at H/D...try them out and get back to you...
You all helped me by reading your comments....
Stay tuned !

i have been going crazy looking for melamine, i live in Miami, fl and no one seems to carry...i want to paint my kit counter top. any suggestions???

thanks!!

What company sells melamine paints?john

Hi - where in the Chicago (Illinois) area can Melamine paint be purchased...or...like john (posted on 1/28/06) what company sells melamine paint?

Thanks,
M.

For bookcases and cabinets there are both oil and latex paints that can work. The key is dry time because you don't want the paint to peel off when you take a book or mug off the shelf in August. Oils are harder and will work much better - they can be hard to find in some areas -- AND they dry faster. Another alterative is a latex with several coats of polyurethane on top. In all cases let the paint dry for a couple weeks before putting something on it. Even if it feels really dry ... all paint takes about 2 weeks to fully set.
For couter tops ... scratching is going to be a real problem with anything you do. I'd try a hard oil based floor paint (Debbie Travis just did this on an episode) and then perhaps put on several top coats of some very hard clear finish - maybe something for sealing wood on boats. And let it dry for SEVERAL weeks before using (which means eating out for about a month). Do not think about washing it until completely dried in a couple weeks.

Hi
Have you considered decoupaging the bookcases? There are lots of nice patterned papers available. You can even use solid colors. and then use some kind of sealant.
I imagine this would be easier and less messy than painting.

Dont know what your style is, but maybe you can use old map prints or magazine pictures, wrapping paper, ....

Is melamine the same as thermofoil cabinets? I have thermofoil cabinets that are shiny white and would love to change the color.

I've just tried painting melamine cupboards. First I primed with a melamine primer - just one coat as per the instructions. The following day I painted the first coat of white gloss - some bubbles/holes appeared in the gloss, some areas worse than others. I've now applied the second coat and some areas are fine whereas some doors have loads of bubbles/holes which I'm not sure are going to disappear after a third coat! I'm not sure now whether to apply another coat of the primer, or to sand down the gloss paint before the next coat? Any ideas?

To Arlen re : Painting counter tops......
Prime them using Behr Primer..(the Purple Can)..
I have sponged 2 colors on mine to make them look speckled like formica or granite. Minwax makes an indoor outdoor polyurethane called Helmsman..
It says it's safe for counter tops...3 coats.
I used it and it's wonderful.

IM STARTING A COMPANY THAT SELLS CAR BEDS MADE OUT OF MELAMINE THE PROBLEM IS HOW DO I PUT THE GRAPHICS ON THER I THOUGHT OF A SILK SCREEN BUT IF ANY ONE CAN GIVE ME IDEA THAT'LL BE GREAT

To Liesl
I painted my melamine cupboards all I did was
(1) Sand them
(2) Washed them with TSP
(3) Painted them with melamine paint (I didn't use a primer)
(4) Put a second coat of melamine paint on 16 hours later.(recommended time on back of paint can)
Worked Great

Re: Jeanie, painting counter tops.

Im doing the same project. Do you have any pics of your counter tops? I would love to see how they turned out! I have old stained counter-tops that look awful.

Thanks so much, Lisa

I've given my cupboards 3 good coats of gloss paint (just normal gloss paint) and the bubbles seem to be filling in.
Liesl

I have black Techline furniture. Would you consider this the same as melamine? The black is always dusty and I would like to paint it a light neutral.
Thanks for any advice!
Jeanie

i used sherman williams bonded. it worked great, but make sure you have good ventilation.

here's the info form their site:


PrepRite® Bonding Primer

* Formulated especially for hard, slick glossy surfaces
* Provides exceptional adhesion
* Save steps — sanding may not be needed for most clean, paintable surfaces
* Ideal for priming glossy paint, metal surfaces, glass, porcelain, tile, plastic and previously painted drywall, masonry and concrete

melamine paint

1QT - $20

This stuff has a lot of strong chemicals in it, as expected, I decided not to use it since I don't have the ventilation in my apartment.

Hi All,
I'm wondering if anybody could report back on how their painted thermofoil cabinets and/or laminate countertops are holding up after some time of wear & tear (read 'normal usage')? This is a big concern for me since we moved into a house that is only 3yrs old. If I paint these new white cabinets and they peel, I'm doomed b/c we can't afford to replace them.

I'd like to be able to paint them a light olive green and wipe a brown glaze on top to get an antique french country look. Obviously, the finish can't be a glossy one, so I'd love some input & recommendations.

Thanks for any Help!

I think my cabinets are thermofoil... is this the same as melamine? I'm not sure what my cabinets are and want to paint them.
Thanks!

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I want to paint my white laminate cupboards. I read Bill, the painting contractor's advice about which paint to use and found that it made a lot of sense to me as I am allergic to oil-based paints. Bill, could you please tell me if I have to give the cupboards a coat or two of varnish after painting them and is there a water based varnish? Thanks so much for your advice.

PAINTING LAMINATE OR FORMICA COUNTERTOPS:

I just painted 7 formica (laminated) desktops with Zinssers BIN Primer (Shellac-based) and it worked better than anything else I've tried. I tried the Zinssers 123 Primer, Deep Tint Base (Laytex-based) and didn't have as good of results (I tested it on scrap formica, first - highly recommended).

I let the BIN Primer cure 48 hours after applying it. I then tested it by scratching with my fingernail, rubbing, and picking at little particles of dust. I even tried scratching it off the can, where it dripped from the pouring. It did not come off!!! It is very, very thin, so use a high quality foam roller and gently use even passes. It will dry faster than you can apply it. It's strong too, so wear a respirator or have good ventilation.

A couple tips to keep in mind:

1. Clean the surface (1 part ammonia, 3 parts water)
2. Lightly sand the surface (120-80 grit, test inconspicous area). You only want to dull the gloss, not remove the laminate/pattern itself.
3. Remove all dust. Paint will not stick to dust.
4. Apply Zinssers BIN Primer (Shellac-based) with a foam roller. Allow 2-4 hours for cure.
5. Apply an Oil-Alkyd Paint, semi-gloss or gloss.
6. Allow to cure 7-10 days.
7. Very, very Lightly scuff sand (320 grit) the surface prior to applying 2nd coat, if needed.
8. Apply second coat. Let cure 7-10 days.

I know this is very time consuming, but if you want it to turn out, it takes time. I've spoken to the manufacturer's of Zinsser, Sherwin Williams, MinWax and many, many specialists of paints, finishes and this is what they recommended. Oil-Alkyd paints are the best choice, but they require a lot of time to completely release the solvents as they cure.

Best of Luck!!!

We are building a new home and, while I would LOVE a French Country style kitchen with cream painted cabinets antiqued with a taupe glaze, all we can afford are thermofoil cabinets in antique white. I plan on trying to glaze the thermofoil. Has anyone tried this yet? If so, please tell us how it worked. Thanks!
LW

Has anyone located the melamine paint for countertops in the U.S.? Can't believe they don't have it in the U.S. Brenda

Painting countertops-I couldn't find the melamine
paint so was told to use 100% acrylic for mine and they turned out beautiful. Here's what I did:100 % acrylic paint, black, medium brown and light brown. Use a damp sea sponge to dab paint on, but don't cover completely, randomly cover, other colors will fill in. Poly I used was Minwax fast drying, clear gloss and invest in a good brush for the poly, plus put a heavy coat. First I sanded the counter tops down with fine sanding paper, put each color on darkest first and let dry between coats. After you have put all the paint on and like how it looks and is dry, lightly sand again to get any roughness out. Paint will not come off even if you have to sand some areas harder than others. I also used silver sparkles, random put them on counter then applied poly, they soaked into poly as I brush it on. Let dry for 6-8 hrs or overnight, then lightly sand again to get any roughness out. Apply a second coat of poly or as many as you want, I actually put 3 coats on mine. I clean them with anything, doesn't hurt them at all, haven't even gotten any scratches either, the poly really seals it. I have pics of them if needed.

Debbie: I've been wanting to paint my laminate kitchen countertops and would love to see your photos.

dmaleme (at) yahoo (dot) com

Thanks

Thanks so much for all this info... My husband & I just bought a house and i've been a little worried as to how we can update the kitchen since the cabitets are all White Melamine..
Thank you ...thank you... thank you...

If anyone has success photos of countertops I would love to see them and hear about the materials used.
We are trying to economically update our kitchen and I am apprehensive!!!

Thank you very much,
Jamie
North Carolina

Web address for photos of countertops:

Jamieclaus@ec.rr.com

Thank you.

I find the melamine paint drying too fast when I roll it with a spong roller on a counter top, and when I come back to meet it on a long table it wil leave lap marks. I have used paint thinner to thin it out but it still look patchy.
I have tried painting cubinet doors and ifit has has much molding in it where you have to work it will leave brush marks. I would like to mave the sprayed look with out taking the doors off.

I see that some people have bought Melamine paint, but no one has said exactly where. Does anyone have a specific store they bought the paint in or a website. Thanks so much!

does any one have pics of painted kitchen cabinets.
I'd like to paint my cabinets matbe a green but can't decide on what type of shade looks ok kitchen cabinets.
my cabinets are wood painted white right now and I need color.
I am looking for pics or paint colors.
mlholland58@aol.com

Could someone please send me pictures of your newly painted countertops used with melamine? This would be the answer to our prayers at this point. Thanks!

I did my countertops a while ago and used the Bin primer first, then 3 coats of a latex paint. I the used the Minwax clear polyurethane. The proble is my countretops are now turning yellow from the polyurethane so I will have to do them over again. Has anyone else had this problem? What have you used as a sealer?

I just bought a condo as an investment in Florida. It has a dated 80's kitchen...you know with the beige melamine fronts and the wood handle strips at the bottom. Does anyone have any creative ideas to update them. I don't want to rip them out just yet.

Thanks,
Corby

Could someone please send me a picture of your painted countertops? Would really like to get an idea of what they look like. Thanks

Web address for photos:
tteeters@cinci.rr.com

I am also trying to update my kitchen without putting a ton of money into it. I would love to see
pics of your acrylic countertops Debbie, I am so impressed with what you did.

Hi, this is Kim again. My email is kimwiberg@verizon.net.
Thanks!!!!

Hi, I am interested in painting my kitchen cabinets with a white melamine paint. A staff member at our local paint store told me this can sometimes yellow with age. I would appreciate any comments concerning her remark.

Thanks Donna

I've recently had great luck with a latex enamel over bathroom cabinets at home... not the counter-tops but the cabinet doors. I covered them with two coats of latex enamel paint and then a coat of clear poly. They have been in use for two years now and have no scratches, no signs of wear. And they are in "the kids bathroom."

Counter-tops? Well, here's my question. I want to help update the pedicure room in a salon I recently joined. The pedicure unit is OLD and a '70's blue. The owner will not buy another unit (and I understand - this one is perfectly functional. It's just...well...ugly. I'm looking for a change in decor using paint, not a new unit.

The actual foot basin is stainless steel, so sanitation isn't an issue there. But the rest of the unit will require a daily scrub down, or at least a spraying and wipe-down, with a high-strength sanitizer. Would enamel and several coats of poly stand up to that?

The room is not ventilated at all...something I am (again) trying to change. Regardless, the room needs to be changed from a "service" room to a "spa" room, and I am good at faux painting.

If polyurethane will keep scratches at bay, I can go with that and a basic oil-based enamel. I was wondering if any of you had any opinions, though, on what to do. I have appreciated all of the above ideas but think that painting will be my best option.

What about using melamine paint on old shower tub surround kits? Has anyone tried this? Thank you for any information on this topic.

Hi, I'm planning on redoing the kitchen countertop with paint and would love to see some of your results. Could you e-mail me some photos at thomaschadwell@hotmail.com, please. Thanks, Liz

I have melamine cupboards with wood handle strips at the bottom. Does anyone have any creative ideas to update them? Someone told me to paint the door and handle strips and then put on new door handles above the strip. Has anyone tried this? I would love to see pictures!!
Thanks....Ute
udrews@hotmail.com

I would like information from anyone that has painted laminate cupboards after they started to pull away from tops of wood. What is the best way to resurface fronts of cupboard

Para Paints suggest calling a dealer in Windsor, Ontario who is willing to ship out their Melamine paints....Merlo's Paint and Wallpaper, 519-969-4000--talk to Phil! around $40 a gallon plus almost as much to ship

Para customer service 1-800 461-7272 recommends the following:
1. wash cabinets with TSP
2. lightly sand (this is optional but won't hurt!)
3. oil based primer (also not required but recommended)
4. melamine paint (comes in oil or latex)

I have not painted yet but wanted to pass this on this info...

Note to above posting....

Phil from Merlo's Paints highly recommends using "Aqua Lock" primer for the Para melamine paint--I searched online and found a store in Florida that will ship it:

www.fgci.com or 727-237-8117

someone else who had painted already recommended Aquagrip primer from Benjamin Moore

Hi.
I am working at a camp and the past couple of days they are having us paint(because there is nothing to do) I am normally a regular councelor. For painting a metal surfaced barn they are having us use Emulsa Bond-Stir in bonding primer. Should i use a respirator mask when i am using this? We are using it outside. I read the cautions on the back and they seem pretty intense and i just dont know if i feel comfortable painting it.

Kyanize makes an excellent melamine paint. I have painted my old mobile home laminate cabinets after first putting on a coat of Zinsser 1-2-3 base coat. It looks great after just one coat. Time will tell whether it will be long lasting but Kyanize is a really good paint and is sold at local paint stores. I bought at Manchester Paint and Wallpaper in Manchester CT and they also sell Aqua-Lok. Next to the counter tops!!!

I have painted a cement sculpture with primer and then a interior latex satin gloss enamel. I would like to spray Krylon semi-gloss white over the latex enamel. Is this ok?

posting from debbie on 4/20/06 r/t countertop refinishing. this sounds so close to what i have invisioned for my kitchen. could you please send me pictures and the details ASAP.
deborah.brewer@sc.rr.com

Mary, I own a nail salon and my solution was to paint however I wanted and then have a piece of glass cut to lay on top of the painted surface. I did a crackle finish and with the glass, it is protected and clean up is a reeze!
Danean
dcoffey@insightbb.com

posting from debbie on 4/20/06 r/t countertop refinishing. this sounds so close to what i have invisioned for my kitchen. could you please send me pictures and the details ASAP.
bfigelski@aol.com

Help ! painted over my kitchen laminate cabinets a few years ago. i did not seal. now my cabinets are peeling. need to start again. can anyone send me pictures of their projects and description of your process? what products did you use?
thanks, diane

can't find melamine paint in ca? homedepot? lowe's? is there a store that handels it?

hey ninokaye, i work at a paint and wallpaper store in windsor ontario canada, we have been shipping our melamine paint all over the usa for the past couple of months i cannot beleive it is not sold in the states! look up para paints canada and the website will direct you where you can find it.
good luck!

see my posts on 7/25 & 7/26 to see where to buy the special paint and primer you need and also the process!!

Hi,
I like many of you are trying to redo my countertops and I am wondering if anyone has had great luck at finding if the melamine paint is the best or HELP me.....

re the paiting of kitchen units even worktops zinnser do a product named 123primer its water based and can be used over virtualy anything you need the right mini roller and a really good laying off brush purdey do em units can then be enamelled satin or matt oil based products seem to work well

I painted my kitchen counters and sealed with oil-base Miniwax Sealer. It turned yellow so now have to repaint them. Would like to know what brand of sealer to use that doesn't turn yellow.

Hi, I like many others have an 80's kitchen with
beige melamine cabinets with wood trim and laminate butcherblock counters. I am going to attempt to paint both. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Wal-mart in Canada sells melamine paint, not sure if they carry it in the U.S.

I love B. Moore paint. I believe it is made differently from other paint. They have a new product, (the last few years new) an indoor outdoor primer that will seal formica or melamine. Or high gloss enamel or poly. It is like magic. I have used B. Moore for years restoring houses and this new product really makes preparing surfaces easy. BTW On correctly primed surfaces, I only need one coat of paint. You can't do that with any other paint that I know of.

Just finished painting my melamine cabinets a few weeks ago with great results!!! Such an improvment. I also added (drilling holes where there were none before) knobs and pulls and you can barely tell that the cabinets were ever so cheesy! Put felt pads on insides of doors too so that wouldn't hit hard against hard surface when closing.
Used Para Melamine Paint sent to me in US from paint store in Canada (see post 7/25 & 7/26) only one coat with a Aqua Lock primer underneath. Very easy--and they really do look amazing! Total cost: about $250 (paint, primer, supplies and knobs) and several hours of work.

I have recently moved and absolutely hate my kitchen. The cupboards are white, but not wood, and the countertop is an aqua green, the walls are a dark taupe and the floor is linoleum that looks like ceramic tile in a taupe/gray swirl. I would love to paint my cupboards and countertops. Does anyone have any suggestions re: color scheme ??? I would love to see pictures of painted cupboards and countertops.
Thanks in advance.

Andrea, CANADA

Hi Andrea,

I have used paint on my countertops twice now. The first time I used a cream coloured melamine paint. It worked wonderfully. The key was to clean the counter well first with tsp, lightly sand it, and then apply three coats, one coat per day, using a foam roller. I lived in that apartment for three years, and other than once a year applying a touch up coat, I had no problems with it. You have to wait at least a week before p utting things back on the counter though.

The second time was more recent. I used copper metallic behrs paint from the home depot. Again, I applied three coats, one coat per day, with a foam roller. After the third day I applied two coats of an acrylic/urethane sealer. I used the hi build sealer sold at home hardware, that usually goes over the stone finishes. This was even better than the melamine paint. It lasted three years until I sold the house, needed very little touch up, and looked absolutly high fashion. I had painted the cupboards in a moss green and added antique copper handles to the cabinets. For less than 150 dollars, my kitchen was totally transformed.

I wish I had pics, but I have just moved yet again. I now have white melamine cupboards, and want to figure out a way to antique them without having to do a whole paint job.

I highly recommend the metallic paint from home depot. It really holds up well on the counters, providing you do most of your chopping on a cutting board.

Good Luck.

My boyfriend has very dark kitchen cabinets. I'd like to paint them but I'm not sure what they are made of. To me they look like that fake wood you'd find in an old trailor. You know the kind with the cheesy looking wood print on the front. Can any one help me in what I should paint these cabinets with?? I'd appreciate any kind of input. Thanks! Celeste

Has anyone ever successfully painted over marble tiles? I want to reface my fireplace surround with a concrete mortar patch treatment and need to prime it first. There are lots of good primers out there but non specifically say that they work on marble. Any suggestions. Thx.

I have laminated kitchen cabinets that were installed about 15 years ago. They are in great condition, except they are ugly. I think they are supposed to resemble pine. I have found a product called Cabinet Rescue. Has anyone used this product or know anything about it?
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks.

I have painted my countertops a few times and I found that using water based sealers the best. They dry faster and they don't turn yellow over time. For best results I used about 7 coats.

I've painted my cabinets in an oil base paint. They came out great but I used an off white color and they are yellowing a bit. Does anyone know if melamine pait yellows after time? Thanks

Would love to see pictures of the painted countertops. I'm thinking of doing mine but have been uncertain.

I'd love to see phontos of any painted counter tops, please. Mine have been painted with melamine nine years ago, and I am now looking to update my kitchen. Thank you!

Try using floor paint for your melamine book shelves. Floor paint will last withour peeling or scratching off. Works beautifully.

posting from Debbie on 4/20/06
Have your counter tops yellowed at all with the Poly? What kind of speckles did you use?
Thank you. Linsey

Check out: www.muralsplus.com/discus/messages
Search this site for tons of information for painting surfaces.

and

Do a search

www.muralsplus.com/discus/messages


http://www.muralsplus.com/discus/messages/2032/53853.html?1104700593

Also, the key to this all is the primer:

List to consider:
Zinssers Bin Primer
Aqua Bond
Aqua Lock
XIM Primer - Ogee Paint

*HVLP spray gun if available for professional results.

Remember it's the bonding that makes your project a success.(bond to counter/cabinet + painting) The slower the project, trust me, the better the outcome! Allow proper drying time and at least 2 coats of each.

Cheers

FYI: any yellowing after a job is usually caused by the oil/alkyd polyurathane, these days there are some that brag they are 'non yellowing' but most oil paints are known for this unfortunate side effect, the melamine paints are'nt sold in the US, due to the regulations of VOC's, I understand, I still think its the furniture industry whom are keeping it out, who knows, but it sure makes it hard on do it yourselfers!

Ace hardware sells 'cabinet coat" in different white shades, I heard is good. but it has to be special ordered and I had to go to three ace stores before one of the guys in Atlanta took the time to find it on their computer. gonna try it!

Could anyone who has painted thermofoil cabinets send me some pictures? I have a very large kitchen and there is no way I can afford to swap the cabinets. (Have to save the money for all the other things that keep breaking) House is 10 years old and I want to change out the green corian countertop. It would help if could antique the cabintes and take the bright white glow off them. Scared to death I will ruin them and then be stuck with a horrible mistake. Can they be glazed to look like the new styles? Do you recommend taking the doors off and painting them with a sprayer on a flat surface?

Please email directly at irenebporter@yahoo.com

Thank you

I'm getting ready to sell my house and I know the green kitchen counter and purple bathroom counter won't be a hit. I'm goint to paint them a more neutral color.

I wanted to see some countertop results could anyone please send me some pics? I've tried the URLs given for pics and they don't come up.

What about painting linoleum floors?? Has anyone tried this?? Is it worth it?? Otherwise I think I will try to tile the floor (it's green just like my kitchen countertops).

I guess I should've given my email address for pictures. Thanks!

I'm an idiot. I'll try again.
nesslage@mtaonline.net

Please let me know about painting thermofoil cabinets....byt, can you just replace the doors?

Is it possible to paint themofoil cabinets? Mine are white and turning yellow; only 7 yrs. old and half were replaced by Wellborn...anyone else having problems? Is it possible to replace doors with wood ones and use the frame work? Please help, anyone!

I painted my kitchen countertops about 6 months ago. I found a DVD offered online (I don't have the website with me at work) and it was a very quick & EASY job! No terrible odors to deal with, and my entire kitchen was finished & back to work in only about 3 days. I used a latex primer, latex base coat, then regular acrylic craft paints sponged on to make them look like stone. Finished with water-based poly...I put on about 3-4 coats for good measure.

The counters look amazing, and I wished I'd discoverd this process 5 years ago when I first bought my condo. The counters are 30+ years old and the new paint job has survived many family dinners, including Thanksgiving. Not a single chip or problem. I made sure the counters were clean & dry, and I wet-sanded between the final coats of poly. I'm going to do my husband's old thrift-store desk, next, and then our master bath tile floor! It's made out of laminate, but he loves the storage.

I also found this website that has a wonderful idea for melamine cabinets.

http://www.rona.ca/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ContentServlet?assetId=394&langId=-1#217953

I have a room full in our home office; I bought them for their durability & price; but they're quite boring. I think I'll try the 'crackling' look with the starched fabric idea. The more ideas shared, the better odds something will 'click.'

JAW

Oh..if anyone wants pictures of my countertops or the website where I bought the DVD, you can email me: JAW2004@gmail.com

I bought Cabinet Rescue a few years back from the Lowes store in Florida and it worked wonders!. I have found a site that sells this product. It seems they ship everywhere in the US.

www.decotime.com
http://www.melaminepaint.com

I have a kitchen full of ugly off white melamine cabinets that I would like to paint. I am looking for design ideas especially in the area of color. If anyone has any pictures of painted melamine cabinets, please email me at eckjb@msn.com....I would be very grateful!

Thanks.

There are different melamine paint products available in different countries, most stores carry melamine paint but not in all branches - so to help you with your painting melamine cabinet project here are some supplier and product names to look out for:

International Paints - "One Coat Melamine Paint"

Cloverdale Paint - "Kitchen & Bath Semi-Gloss Acrylic Latex"

General Paint - "Melamine Paint"

Decotime - "Cabinet Rescue"

Ronseal - "One Coat Melamine & MDF Paint"

Dulux - "Realife Cupboard Paint"

Home Depot - "Cabinet Restore"

I HAVE REPAINTED MY MELAINE CUBBOARDS WHITE AFTER FOLLOWING INSTUCTIONS THEY ARE LOOKING BEAT UP AFTER 6 MONTHS IF I REPAINT AGAIN CAN I PUT A POLYURATHANE ON TOP TO MAKE IT MORE DURABLE THANKS

Whoever designed and sold hundreds of thousands of those (just in NYC area) awful white melamine cabinets with wood bottom trim, should be sought out and a harshly punished :)
There are so many of us looking for a cheap fix for these !! I think painting is always going to problematic at best. There must be a creative/smart soul out there that has the holy grail. Could it be stick-on wood veneer/stainless? Ideally, a website with veneer/glass cheap replacemnts (ala Ikea style)
Can't find one in US.
Please share and happy-up all of us !!!

I have white melamine cabinets and would like to change the color the look something. Please help if any one have pictures of the finished product please email it to me. pam673@aol.com

I'm in the process of painting my counters - I'll let you know how they hold up!

Hi, this is a great site. I have blinding white cabinets that I have lived with for almost 10 years in a log cabin. I've read most of the posts here, and I'd also like to see some pictures of results. Please, also send me some pictures! friar_tuck63@yahoo.com
Thanks!