There are good things and bad things about painting your kitchen cabinets yourself. If it’s done right the first time, then you can save money. But if you value your time, then it will cost you more. Painting your cabinets yourself takes a long time, it requires a lot of patience, and can take weeks to finish. If it’s not done right the first time then it can cost a lot more money to fix the mistakes as opposed to just hiring a professional in the first place.

Why You Should Hire a Professional Cabinet Painter

Hiring a professional will get it done right the first time.

Professionals know what they’re doing. They’ve done it countless times before. They have experience. Hiring a professional allows you to have a worry-free experience of painting your kitchen cabinets.

Professional painting equipment is expensive.

Professional painters have high quality equipment in order to do the best job possible on your kitchen cabinets. High quality paint sprayers can cost between $1000 to $8000. Although they can be rented for about $100 a day, professional painters know how to use them and what techniques are best for painting your kitchen cabinets.

Professional painters are fast and efficient.

Since professional painters know what they’re doing, they can do it fast. When you try to paint your kitchen cabinets yourself, it tends to take a lot longer than expected. Professional painters can get the job done in 2 to 3 days.

The best professionals provide a warranty for their work.

Paint can chip and crack, but if you hire the right professional then anything that goes wrong within a year will be fixed. Sound Finish will back up there work with a one-year warranty.

A professional can give you a higher quality result.

Since many professionals use a spray application, they get a much smoother finish than if they used a brush or a paint roller. They also know all the little details that go into painting kitchen cabinets, such as sanding properly and using a protective finish.

 
So hiring a professional pays off when it comes down to the details. It may cost more money, but the high quality work will be worth it.

Sound Finish Professional Cabinet Painting and Refinishing Services

Sound Finish Provides the highest quality cabinet coatings in the industry because cabinet coatings are our primary focus and our specialty. With 20+ years of experience, our unique system paints your kitchen cabinets in 2-3 days!
Learn more and schedule a consultation today!

If you’re on the fence about whether you should paint your cabinets or replace them completely, then here are a few tips to help you decide.

Benefits of Cabinet Painting

Painting your cabinets is cost effective.

Painting is a fraction of the cost of replacing your cabinets. It can make them look clean and new even when they’re old and dirty.

Painting your cabinets a light, bright color makes your kitchen look bigger.

With a light color in your kitchen, it opens up the space and makes it look and feel bigger.

Virtually unlimited options.

With painting, you can choose whatever color you want your cabinets to be.

 
If you want a cheap clean way to change your cabinets then painting is the way to go. It works well with cabinets that are still in good shape but are outdated.

Benefits of Cabinet Replacing

You can choose everything how you want it

If you replace your cabinets, you can have brand new cabinets exactly how you want them. You can choose whatever finish, design, style, or color.

You can change your kitchen layout

If you kitchen is awkwardly laid out or just doesn’t maximize cabinet space, then with cabinet replacing you have the option to change the layout of your kitchen.

Brand new cabinets

When you choose to replace your cabinets, you’ll get brand new cabinets in pristine condition that will last a long time.

 
Although having brand new cabinets can be nice, it is very expensive. It can cost up to ten thousand dollars and even more if you choose to have custom cabinets. You should really only replace your cabinets if there is nothing else you can do to salvage the ones you have. If they are so beat up that sanding and painting won’t cover up the problems, then you’ll have to replace your cabinets.

Sound Finish Professional Cabinet Painting and Refinishing Services

Sound Finish Provides the highest quality cabinet coatings in the industry because cabinet coatings are our primary focus and our specialty. With 20+ years of experience, our unique system paints your kitchen cabinets in 2-3 days!
Learn more and schedule a consultation today!

From a Friend…

“I never realized how much work goes into repainting kitchen cabinets until I tried to do it myself. The key word here is tried. Here’s the process of what I went through.

Finding out whether the material of my cabinets could be painted

Who knew that not all cabinet materials work well with paint? I sure didn’t. I went to Home Depot to to find the paint color I wanted and started talking to one of the paint guys there. I told him that I was repainting my kitchen cabinets myself, and I needed to find the right paint color. The first thing he asked is what material my cabinets were. I had no idea – aren’t they all wood? No they are not. Cabinets come in all kinds of materials: wood, wood-laminate, metal, plastic laminate. I found out that plastic laminate can be difficult to get the paint to bond with the cabinets. So before spending a whole lot of money on paint, I had to go home and figure out what material my cabinets were. Of course they were plastic laminate. I decided to give it a try anyway…unfortunately.

The cleaning alone takes a full day

Kitchens are greasy and there is a lot of hidden grease that I didn’t know about until I took apart my kitchen cabinets. It was in between all the detail of the cabinets, in the hinges, and in all the hard-to-reach back corners. I had my plan to clean and get the drawer and cabinet fronts painted in one day. Needless to say, I didn’t get that far. The cleaning took much longer than expected. So I was now without a functional kitchen and had barely started my DIY project.

I forgot about sanding

How could I forget about sanding?! Of course, I had already started painting the fronts of the drawers when I realized the paint wasn’t going on smooth. So I got started on sanding. I don’t have one of those fancy sanding machines so I had to do it all by hand. It took FOREVER. And my hands were killing me by the end of the day. So now 3 days had gone by and I hadn’t even started the painting. Not having a kitchen is a pain.

Applying the primer/sealer

This part wasn’t too bad except that it was very meticulous because it needed to be an even coat. Since I work a full-time job, I had to do this over the course of 3 days. Eating take-out is getting old and EXPENSIVE.

Ready to paint…sort of

It turns out, I have no idea how to paint. I used a natural synthetic paint brush because I didn’t want to pay 100 dollars a day to rent a paint sprayer. Not only did the paint brush take forever, there were streaks all over my cabinets. It looked anything but professional. I was so tired of dealing with this project that I didn’t care. I had been working on painting for 4 days now. This is what my cabinets were going to look like.

The peeling paint

I got up the next day to get ready to put my final top coat on. I went to go check on my cabinets and the paint was all bubbly and peeling. It didn’t bond to the plastic-laminate. I’d have to start all over.

How many times would this happen before I got it right? This failed project had already taken me a week and a half. I decided it wasn’t worth it to try again. I gave in and hired Sound Finish. In less than a week my kitchen was back together and looking beautiful.”

Interested in cabinet painting or refinishing but don’t have the time, patience, or skill to do it yourself? Contact Sound Finish today for a free quote!

Sound Finish Professional Cabinet Painting and Refinishing Services

Sound Finish Provides the highest quality cabinet coatings in the industry because cabinet coatings are our primary focus and our specialty. With 20+ years of experience, our unique system paints your kitchen cabinets in 2-3 days!
Learn more and schedule a consultation today!

We are pleased to be an exhibitor at the Seattle Home Show! The Seattle Home Show runs from February 20th through the 28th. You can find us at Booth 1340!

About the Seattle Home Show:

The Seattle Home Show is the Northwest’s largest consumer home show with everything for the home – indoors and out – at two annual shows in downtown Seattle at CenturyLink Field Event Center. The Spring and Fall shows present hundreds of exhibits including builders, remodelers, the latest appliances and fixtures, decorating, landscaping…everything from floor to ceiling and beyond. Attendees also enjoy special features including seminars and wine tasting.

Sound Finish Professional Cabinet Painting and Refinishing Services

Sound Finish Provides the highest quality cabinet coatings in the industry because cabinet coatings are our primary focus and our specialty. With 20+ years of experience, our unique system paints your kitchen cabinets in 2-3 days!
Learn more and schedule a consultation today!

Interested in cabinet painting or refinishing? Contact Us today for a free quote!

Cabinet painting or cabinet refinishing? They are both great options – it just depends on what you want.

What you get with Cabinet Painting

• Cabinet painting has many benefits – for starters, you can choose whatever color you want. While you can go with the trendy colors of muted greens or dusty blues, neutral whites and grays have been around for years, and they are still popular.
• If you choose a neutral color for your cabinets, accent color decorations will pop! The great thing about going neutral is you can change your decorations to whatever color suits the season.
• Lightening up the kitchen makes it feel bigger, and it can be done very easily by painting your cabinets. A light color opens up the space and shows off high ceilings.
• Cabinet painting is cost effective. It is a fraction of the cost of replacing or refacing your cabinets, and it only take 2-3 days time for kitchens.
• Dust DOES show. Even though it’s a little more work to keep clean, at least you know when it’s clean (or dirty).
• There will be maintenance. With fluctuations in the weather, pressure, and humidity, it will effect the wood in your home. Generally the paint will crack where there are changes in the surface of your cabinets. Fortunately, it’s an easy fix.

What you get with Cabinet Refinishing

• If you like the look of natural wood cabinets, then cabinet refinishing is right for you.
• You can choose to keep your current color of your cabinets or you can change it up. There are variety of different stains to choose from, varying from dark walnut to classic cherry to a light honeytone.
• Refinished cabinets are easy to clean and easy to maintain.
• Cabinet refinishing is cost effective. It doesn’t take a lot of time – 1-2 days at most for kitchens.
• They will most likely get scratched. There is no finish that can guard against scratches, but if you take care of your cabinets by using non-abrasive cleansers, then you’ll minimize the amount of scratches.

Interested in cabinet painting or refinishing? Contact Us today for a free quote!

Sound Finish Professional Cabinet Painting and Refinishing Services

Sound Finish Provides the highest quality cabinet coatings in the industry because cabinet coatings are our primary focus and our specialty. With 20+ years of experience, our unique system paints your kitchen cabinets in 2-3 days!
Learn more and schedule a consultation today!

When a homeowner wants to change the look and feel of their kitchen on a budget, a few options initially come to mind: Cabinet painting, cabinet refinishing, or cabinet refacing. Cabinet replacement may also come up, but unless the cabinets are structurally unsound, or if you are unhappy with the kitchen layout and storage space and are doing a complete remodel, replacing the cabinets is a large, unnecessary expense.

Cabinet Refacing is Often an Unnecessary Expense

We feel that there are very few cases in which cabinet refacing is the best option for a homeowner. If the cabinets are structurally unsound, then you would be best off doing a complete cabinet replacement. Often times with older cabinets, the cabinet boxes themselves will have warped or gone off plumb over time- and if this is the case, new cabinet fronts may not fit properly. Additionally, If the cabinets were custom built, then your existing cabinet fronts may not be a standard size. If this is the case, the new fronts will likely need to be custom-made, further driving up costs.

There are Better Alternatives to Cabinet Refacing

If your cabinets are structurally sound, and your primary goal is to update or improve the look of the kitchen, or to fix things up in preparation for sale, cabinet refacing is one of the most expensive options, and is often just unnecessary. Refinishing or painting your cabinets is a much more practical and economical solution.

If you think your cabinet fronts are too far gone- the veneer is chipped, it’s discolored, or they’ve suffered from scratches and years of wear and tear, you’d be surprised at how cabinet refinishing can restore your cabinets to like-new for a fraction of the cost of refacing. Unless the wood is warped or otherwise structurally damaged, then there’s little to no reason to face the huge expense of cabinet refacing.

If you’re just looking for a new look, or want to enhance your kitchen’s style, then painting your cabinets is by far the most economical option. Not only can the process be completed in just a few days, but the results will last for years. With cabinet painting your options are virtually unlimited: Bold colors, inviting neutrals, calming cool tones- there’s something for every style and personality.

Sound Finish Professional Cabinet Painting and Refinishing Services

Sound Finish Provides the highest quality cabinet coatings in the industry because cabinet coatings are our primary focus and our specialty. With 20+ years of experience, our unique system paints your kitchen cabinets in 2-3 days!
Learn more and schedule a consultation today!

When preparing your home for sale, staging has become essential if you want to get the most bang for your buck. You don’t necessarily need to do a drastic makeover and make your home look like it came straight out of a magazine, but there are certain basics that should be done in each room before you consider your home market ready.

In the Kitchen

1. Remove as much as you can from the counters. This includes appliances, extra storage, food, and miscellaneous clutter. The countertops should be as clear as possible.
2. For the appliances that you can’t store or put away, or are ones that you use every day, make sure they are spotless. If they are out of date or just look aged no matter how you scrub and clean, strongly consider replacing them. It’s a small investment, which you will likely see a full return on.
3. Pack away unnecessary dishes. Chances are, you won’t be needing your fine china while your home is up on the market. Scale down to just the items that you will need and use over the course of the next month or so, and pack up the rest.

In the Living Room

1. De-personalize. You will need to do this in every room, of course, but more often than not the living room is the most personalized room in the home. Family pictures, heirlooms, children’s toys, personal art choices, religious items, etc. Your goal is to make the room as neutral as possible.
2. Re-think the furniture arrangement. Is the current layout what works best for the home, or simply what worked best for you? Keep in mind that some pieces of furniture may need to go into storage.
3. Make any needed repairs and upgrades. Light switches, curtain rods, outlets, etc. You may also want to consider replacing the light bulbs if they’ve been in place for a few years. While they may not be burned out, they may have dimmed over time. Consider repainting the walls- it’s a relatively inexpensive upgrade that can result in a big payoff.

In the Bathroom

1. This is true for all rooms, but becomes even more crucial in the bathroom- scrub and clean every nook and cranny. The bathroom is the one room that should be absolutely spotless before being presented to buyers.
2. Make repairs or replacements. Some spots may need replacing or refinishing- new silicone or grout around faucets or drains, a new shower base if the current one is stained and just won’t come clean. A little out of pocket cost now will travel miles in terms of not only selling your home faster, but in increasing your asking price.
3. Purchase a special set of guest towels that will be used for display while you are showing the house. Plain white works best. Store all other towels during a showing.
4. Put away all personal items- from in the shower, from the counters, and -most importantly- from the medicine cabinet. Not only does this protect some of your privacy, but it helps the room look tidier and move-in ready. Consider getting a lidded box or basket for these items that can be easily stored away during a showing, but still accessible when you need it.

In the Bedrooms

1. Like in the livingroom and bathroom, put away all personal items from dresser tops, night stands, and vanities.
2. Clean out the closets- keep out only what you will need and pack or store the rest. Organize the rest to show off the space available in the closet.
3. If needed, purchase new linens for the bed. Choose a style that is simple -no busy patterns- and matches the room’s color scheme.

Sound Finish Professional Cabinet Painting and Refinishing Services

Sound Finish Provides the highest quality cabinet coatings in the industry because cabinet coatings are our primary focus and our specialty. With 20+ years of experience, our unique system paints your kitchen cabinets in 2-3 days!
Learn more and schedule a consultation today!

A leading trend for kitchen design for the past few years is the farmhouse kitchen. This style is airy and light, nostalgic, and ultimately just feels welcoming. There are multiple key elements that can define a farmhouse style kitchen.

Vintage Decor

One of the easiest ways to add farmhouse style to your kitchen is through vintage decor. Old signage, wooden milk crates for above-cabinet storage, vintage jars that are both stylish and practical, and rustic light fixtures are all great examples.

What’s a Farm Without Animals?

Another hallmark of farmhouse style is through animal-related decor. This can be through quirky themed items such as cow-shaped salt and pepper shakers or a whimsical cookie jar, or though standalone pieces such as a wall hanging, decorative plates, or large figurine. However, less is often more when it comes to barnyard animal decor- just a few pieces, and not a full-on collection.

Simple, Straight Lines

Whether you’re remodeling or just redecorating, take design inspiration from historic farmhouses. Ornate, decorative moldings don’t suit country style designs, so opt for straight-lined trim. For additional visual interest, consider utilizing bead board for the ceiling or on an accent wall.

Nature’s Harvest

Show off the fruits of your labor (or just the “fruits”, if you don’t actually live on a farm) by bringing in organic items. A miniature herb garden in the windowsill, a bouquet of wildflowers, a fruit bowl on the table, as well as hanging baskets of onions, potatoes, apples, or other produce are all great ideas.

Color Ideas

There are multiple color schemes that work well in farmhouse style kitchens, and it all comes down to personal preference. It’s nearly impossible to go wrong with white, which works well with all types of decor, but other options include cool tones, earthy neutrals, or even splashes of bold, primary colors.

Sound Finish Professional Cabinet Painting and Refinishing Services

Sound Finish Provides the highest quality cabinet coatings in the industry because cabinet coatings are our primary focus and our specialty. With 20+ years of experience, our unique system paints your kitchen cabinets in 2-3 days!
Learn more and schedule a consultation today!

There’s a vast amount of homeowners who feel that their bathroom is too small, but, due to budget restraints or home design, are simply unable to remodel and make the room physically larger. However, there are many design tips that can help you make the most of your small space, and feel like you have more room.

Optimize Bathroom Storage Space

Look around your bathroom- are there any areas where you could potentially add extra storage space? If you don’t already have one, consider installing a storage unit above the toilet. If you have a small, flat mirror above the sink, could it be replaced with a medicine cabinet, or if not, could a medicine cabinet be installed on a wall next to the sink? Instead of keeping all of your towels stuffed in a cabinet, is there room for a towel rack or two? Alternatively, consider storing some of your towels in a hallway closet to clear up some cabinet space.

Go through the items you are storing in your bathroom and re-think organization. Do you need to keep the entire multi-pack of toilet paper rolls in your bathroom cabinets, or could you get away with keeping a few spare rolls handy in the room and storing the rest in the garage or a hallway closet? There are other items that could be relocated, as well- for example, cleaning products could be stored under the kitchen sink.

Only Add Functional Decor

One of the biggest issues with crowded bathrooms is the accumulation of stuff, so be sure that any decor you bring into the bathroom serves a functional purpose. Some examples are Glass jars for storing cotton swabs, stackable baskets for towels and washcloths, and a decorative soap dish or dispenser instead of a knick-knack that serves no purpose. Another great tip is to store, rather than display, personal items. By simply removing the majority of clutter from the countertop, the bathroom will look and feel more spacious.

Be Mindful About Color

Few things make more of a difference on the feel of a bathroom than the color scheme. While there are no steadfast rules, one of the best pieces of advice when dealing with a small bathroom are to stick with light, neutral colors. If you still need some bright color, limit it to small pops of color, such as hanging hand towels, the mirror or window frame, storage boxes, or the soap dishes or other bathroom accessories.

Sound Finish Professional Cabinet Painting and Refinishing Services

Sound Finish Provides the highest quality cabinet coatings in the industry because cabinet coatings are our primary focus and our specialty. With 20+ years of experience, our unique system paints your kitchen cabinets in 2-3 days!
Learn more and schedule a consultation today!

Interior design trends are always changing- and when it comes to the kitchen, the heart of the home, it’s a wise idea to keep track of the current styles, especially if you’re planning on selling your home. Here are some of the top kitchen color trends emerging for 2016:

Painted cabinets going strong

Cabinets with a rich, painted finish will continue to be popular and in-trend for 2016. Antique or rustic finishes are on the decline- homeowners are looking for clean and smooth finishes.

Cool Tones

Cool, calming colors in the kitchen have become the go-to. Some primary examples are grey, white, and blue. Some benefits of cool toned kitchens are that they look cleaner, and give off a soothing, tranquil feeling. Compliment the shades by utilizing cooler-temperature lightbulbs- many older bulbs give off a warm hue which will likely clash with cooler paint colors.

Warm Toned Metals

There has been a revival of warm toned metal accents in the kitchen. While the last few decades seemed to be all about stainless steel and chrome, lately gold, brass, and copper have been making a strong comeback for cabinet hardware, other accent areas, and decor or appliances- such as a row of copper pans hanging above the stove. When it comes to color pairings for the rest of the kitchen, there are multiple possibilities. Black and white give off a luxe feel when paired with gold or brass, cream works well with all three, and you can also go for subtle contrast by pairing cool pastels with warm metal accents.

Soft Natural Shades

Muted green tones have become increasingly popular, such as sage and eucalyptus, as well as other tones found in nature. Rose pinks and dusty lavenders also pair well. These dusty natural tones are anticipated to be one of the top trends for 2016.

White, Gray, & Neutrals

White or neutral kitchens are long-standing go-to’s when it comes to kitchen color, especially if you are planning on selling. They look bright and clean and are easy to decorate with, and it’s easy for prospective buyers to envision changes they may wish to make. Recently, gray toned kitchens have been added to this list of go-to kitchen colors.

Two-Tone / Color Blocked Kitchens

Two-toned or color blocking in the kitchen has also become a very on-point look, and there’s multiple ways to pull the trend off. One popular way is to paint upper and lower cabinets different colors, such as white uppers and blue lowers. Another way is to create accent areas in the kitchen, such as using a different color for the cabinets cabinets above the stove or sink, or by adding a pop of color through a bold backsplash.

Sound Finish Professional Cabinet Painting and Refinishing Services

Sound Finish Provides the highest quality cabinet coatings in the industry because cabinet coatings are our primary focus and our specialty. With 20+ years of experience, our unique system paints your kitchen cabinets in 2-3 days!
Learn more and schedule a consultation today!