How to Make Kitchen Cabinets Look Glossy

You don’t have to tear down your kitchen to transform it. Sometimes, even a small upgrade–like changing your kitchen cabinets–is enough to get your space looking brand-new. 

Glossy kitchen cabinets are a popular option for homeowners and designers looking to make a room look more modern, spacious, and sophisticated. You can make kitchen cabinets look glossy yourself by using paint, lacquer, polyurethane, or epoxy to give them that shiny finish. For a more seamless job, you can replace your units with high-gloss kitchen cabinets and doors from 27EStore.

Before you give your kitchen a glossy glow-up, it’s important to understand what a glossy finish is, along with the pros and cons of glossy cabinets.

A glossy finish is a type of smooth and flat surface that reflects light like a mirror. As such, glossy materials effectively give spaces a clean, classy, and modern look. They also make units appear brighter and areas more spacious. This is especially valuable for smaller kitchens.

The smoothness of glossy surfaces also makes it difficult for dirt and grime to stick to them, making them easy to clean. That said, they’re typically more prone to marks (such as fingerprints) and imperfections (like chips and dents) as compared to other finishes, so they can still be a tad high-maintenance. However, if you can put in the extra effort, you won’t have a problem keeping your kitchen looking pristine!

There are several ways to make cabinets look glossy, including DIY methods or techniques used by professional services. Here are the most common ones that you can explore:

You can easily give your kitchen cabinets a glossy look by painting them with high-gloss finished paint. This is an easy DIY project, and it allows you to choose a hue that best suits your current space or gives it an upgraded look.

Before doing a paint job, however, be sure to thoroughly sand your surfaces to create a smooth base. Use a paint that’s specifically designed for cabinets for durability, then apply it thinly and evenly. 

For a more polished finish, you may use a paint sprayer. You’ll likely have to paint several coats for the perfect aesthetic.

Lacquer is a clear coating that can give your kitchen cabinets a super-shiny finish. This is a great option if you already have painted surfaces in a color that you like. 

Because lacquer is highly toxic, it requires specialized equipment and ventilation to apply safely. For this method, you’ll need to hire professionals to do the job properly.

Polyurethane is another clear coating that works similarly to lacquer in creating a glossy finish. It’s suitable over painted or natural wood cabinets. It’s also less toxic; you can apply it yourself following the manufacturer’s instructions on high-quality polyurethane. 

That said, polyurethane is more prone to yellowing over time, so it may require more maintenance or more frequent changing versus alternatives.

Epoxy doesn’t just leave a high-gloss finish on your kitchen cabinets, it also makes them more durable and heat-resistant, making it ideal for busy kitchens. However, applying epoxy–while certainly doable by yourself–can be challenging. You’ll need to carefully prepare and mix the material before applying it to your kitchen cabinets.

If you’re ready for a kitchen rehaul, you can replace your units with high-gloss kitchen cabinets. This project is a bit more major, but it gives you expanded options and the opportunity to completely upgrade the look and functionality of your kitchen. You can choose different colors for your cabinets, and even get custom-sized options that are the perfect fit for your space.

27EStore offers a wide variety of high-gloss kitchen cabinets and doors that you can choose from to create a chic and sleek ultra-modern kitchen. You can choose from more than 200 available colors, ensuring that you can choose a palette that stays true to your vision of the perfect space. All glossy-finish kitchen cabinets and doors are customized to your size preferences.

Make your kitchen glossy with high-gloss, high-quality cabinets and doors from 27EStore. Place an order today and get your customized units in just four to five weeks!