Bathroom vanity makeover (plus how to brush-paint cabinets)

Yep. I’m still working on the master bathroom makeover. And believe me, I would really like to call it D.O.N.E. soon. I only have two more projects to complete before I can walk away from this thrifty makeover. The first one is repainting the bathroom vanity, which I started last week.

All the bathroom cabinets in our house have the same finish. It looks to me like maple with maybe a pecan stain?

I’ve kept this finish in the guest bathroom and downstairs half bath. However, in the master bathroom I wanted a white finish on the cabinetry, so I decided to paint them.

For this project, I used the Rust-Oleum® Cabinet Transformations™Light Kit (in Pure White Glazed).

I started by removing all the cabinet hardware, drawers and drawer fronts before I went to work. Note: This project takes some time. I would estimate it requires about a week of diligent work to complete it.

Step 1: Clean and degloss the surface of the cabinetry.

This step is very important as it thoroughly preps the wood to accept the bond coat.

I applied the deglosser using a heavy-duty scrub pad provided in the kit; wiped the surfaces down with a damp cloth; and dried them with a dry, lint-free cloth. Then I let everything dry for at least an hour before I started painting.

Step 2: Apply bond coat.

I painted the cabinet frame first. Since I was brush-painting everything (I still don’t have a sprayer yet), patience was especially key. I applied a total of three, thin coats of the bonding paint to avoid drips and paint overload. This photo was taken after the first coat:

If you’re brush-painting cabinetry, it is crucial to follow a particular pattern with your brush strokes in order to get a professional-looking finish. The instructions in the Rust-Oleum® product pamphlet explain this in more detail.

For example, with regard to the cabinet frame, I used horizontal brush strokes for the rails, and vertical brush strokes for the stiles and frame sides.

I used the same method for the cabinet doors.

Rust-Oleum® recommends painting the cabinet frames first, then the cabinet doors and drawers, beginning with the backs of the doors. It is also recommended that you use a prop to elevate the doors off the worktable. Or you could position the door you’re painting so that it hangs off the edge of your table and rotate each side as you paint. Just sayin’. 😉

So far, I’ve finished all three coats of paint on the cabinet frame, backs of doors and drawers.

Next I’ll be working on the door fronts and deciding whether or not I’ll apply the decorative glaze before I finish with the topcoat.

Stay tuned for the final reveal coming soon! In the meantime, do you think I should add the decorative glaze or simply finish the cabinetry as is?

Image from Rust-Oleum®

Special thanks to the folks at Rust-Oleum®, who provided me with a Rust-Oleum® Cabinet Transformations™Light Kit at my request, so I could complete my vanity project and highlight it on my blog.