This is what our spare bathroom looked like when we first bought it. We did a lot of initial changes: a good cleaning, several coats of paint and primer, new mirrors, new flooring, and new lights. However, it still had a nasty old nicotine smell that I got a whiff of every time I walked by.
I started noticing that the white cabinets I liked looked pretty dingy and dirty and that the shelf/closet was retaining a lot of the smell. I figured a touch up of paint may eliminate the smell and help me to not hate going in that bathroom.
I thought I might stick with white but decided to change it up. I really like dark cabinetry and thought why not give it a try. I used a Valspar dark granite, which looks like a very dark brown.
Final Result:
And the closet:
Tips for refinishing cabinets:
Tools: a paint brush, small sponge rollers, small sponge brushes
1) Preparation: There wasn't a gloss on these cabinets so I didn't need to do any stripping or sanding. I just cleaned the cabinets really good with some 409 and removed all of the hardware and soaked the hardware in hot water and dish soap. (don't clean the cabinets with pledge before painting because it can cause a waxy build-up that would be hard to paint on)
2) Primer: I used Kilz primer as the cabinets had nicotine build-up and part of my goal in painting was to remove the smell.
3) Painting: I did two coats of paint on the interior of the cabinetry and three coats on the outside of the doors and exterior cabinet frame. It took a long time but the result was good with a nice smooth coating.
4) I used a small foam brush to get into all the nooks and crannies and to get into hard to reach spots. This made a nice smooth look with no streaks. Then, I used a small foam roller to go over the cabinets. This worked really well. I had no streaky brush marks and the roller was good for small areas. To paint the doors I put a paperback book down and sat the door on top of it. This kept the door from sticking to my protective work area (newspaper) and allowed me to get the sides easily.
5) Hardware: Luckily the pulls on the cabinet were pretty new, but the hinges were old and the hardware on the closet was an old gross brassy color. I spray painted the old pieces with silver metallic spray paint. I don't know how long it will hold up on the closet pulls but for now it has a really nice look.
I'm really happy with how everything turned out, and the smell is gone! Only problem is now I want to paint all the trim and the bathroom door to match.
