Hand-Painted Kitchens vs Spray-Painted Kitchens

I believe painting a kitchen by hand, rather than spraying it, gives a kitchen a more human feel

When it comes to spray painting, there are good and bad uses. I’m not a great fan of spray-on tan, for example. But that’s possibly because I never enjoy the chest hair waxing beforehand. On the flipside, spray painting a car seems only natural to me. I mean, you can use a roller or a paint brush, but in my opinion that’s like poaching an egg in an electric kettle. The end result isn’t, er… Let’s just say you might need to buy a new kettle before the wife notices. (Don’t ask me how I know.)

So what about kitchens and spray painting? It’s a popular method, not least because it can be done much more quickly than painting a kitchen by hand. But the final look and feel of a spray-painted kitchen is very different from a hand-painted one.

***Important Emergency Alert Notice***

I said, “Different”. I didn’t say anything about better or worse. Those are subjective labels in this context. Obviously, as a hand-painter, I have a preference. But you may have a completely different point of view. I just wanted to clarify that point, because, although I know it’s never happened ever, someone on the internet might one day get cross at something somebody else wrote in a blog.

***End of Important Emergency Alert Notice***

I think there are two important considerations when comparing spray-painted kitchens to hand-painted ones:

Firstly, a spray-painted finish is usually far smoother than a hand-painted finish. Spray-painting is a skillful job and a good spray-painter will deliver a supremely sleek surface as smooth as glass.

A hand-painted finish on the other hand tells you it was lovingly done by an artisan tradesperson—even a finish as immaculate as mine. It’s difficult for me to put into words, but I can only describe the texture of a hand-painted finish as ‘human’. You can tell a person did the work. The people who invite me to paint their kitchen favour that human touch.

repairing hand-painted kitchens vs spray-painted kitchens

The second consideration is ease of repair. A hand-painted kitchen is much easier to touch up. Both hand-painted and spray-painted kitchens are hardwearing. Of all the rooms in the house, with the possible exception of a three-year-old’s bedroom, the kitchen is where you need durability. Which is why kitchen paint, regardless of how it is applied, is tough stuff.

Nevertheless, all kitchens get the odd chip or scratch. Especially if there is a three-year-old anywhere within two miles. So, inevitably, you’ll want your painter to come and touch up the kitchen here and there at some point. No problem with a hand-painted kitchen. It’s super quick and you won’t be able to see the mark afterwards at all. But in the case of a spray-painted kitchen, a small chip or scratch means the entire door needs to be repainted, which is more time and work.

A final note: some painters choose the middle ground: they spray on the undercoats and hand-paint the top coat. I personally prefer to paint on all my coats by hand. It’s just how I love to paint kitchens. Much the same way crayons are a three-year-old’s preferred choice for wall, cabinet and furniture decoration. (Although, they’d switch over pretty quickly if they ever found out about spray guns… )