Cabinet Painting serving Millville and Metro West MA.

Census figures put the median year built for Millville housing at 1974, and they show two busy building decades after that: 196 units from the 1980s and 193 from 2000–2009. Only 28 units are reported from 2010–2019 and none since 2020. If your kitchen has never been remodeled, its cabinets may date from one of those building waves, and boxes of that age can still be sound under a worn finish.

Painting is worth considering when the cabinet boxes are solid, the layout works and the doors are wood or a good wood-based panel. It is the wrong answer when boxes are swollen from a leak, drawers are falling apart or you want to move the sink and range. Our comparison of painting versus replacing cabinets goes through that decision in more detail.

What the material tells you

Solid wood and veneer doors take paint well once they are degreased and scuffed. Open-grain species such as oak will show their grain through paint unless the pores are filled first; some people like that texture, others want a smooth, sprayed look. Decide before the work starts, because grain filling adds a step.

Thermofoil and plastic laminate are a different story. Thermofoil can peel at the edges with heat from an oven or toaster, and paint will not hold that skin down. Laminate can be painted with a specialty bonding primer, but it chips more easily than painted wood. Identifying what the doors and face frames are made of has to come before any recommendation.

Older houses and older kitchens

About 30% of the town's housing units date from 1939 or earlier. In houses that old, a kitchen may have built-in cabinetry or a pantry that predates the 1978 lead paint ban, while the main cabinets were added later. Old painted built-ins should be treated as possibly containing lead, and sanding them calls for lead-safe containment and cleanup; see our lead-safe painting page.

How the work runs

Cabinet paint has to survive hands, steam and cleaning sprays, so the process matters more than the color. The kitchen cabinet painting process post walks through each step; the short version is below.

• Label and remove doors, drawer fronts and hardware
• Degrease every surface, then scuff-sand
• Fill dents, unwanted hardware holes and (if chosen) oak grain
• Prime with a bonding primer suited to the existing finish
• Spray doors off-site or in a protected area; brush and roll the boxes
• Let the finish cure before reinstalling and adjusting hinges

Choosing colors, and planning the budget

Census estimates put the median owner-occupied home value in Millville at $444,600, and about 87% of occupied homes are lived in by their owners. Mid-tone and off-white colors hide small dings better than pure white or very dark paint. If a sale is on the horizon, our post on painting before listing is worth a read.

For cost, the cabinet painting cost guide explains what moves a price: the number of doors and drawers, whether the insides get painted, grain filling, repairs and new hardware. AJ Painting is based in Ashland and is licensed and insured. The on-site visit and written estimate are free; call (508) 258-4325, Monday through Saturday, 7 AM to 6 PM. For the rest of the house, see interior painting in Millville.