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Fresh Paint a Great Recipe for Affordable Kitchen Remodeling

"Many people underestimate the dramatic change you can make in a kitchen with a little imagination and a couple of cans of paint," says Debbie Zimmer, color expert for the Paint Quality Institute. "But actually, you can use paint not only to freshen the wall color, but also to totally change the appearance of your kitchen cabinets."

The only ingredients you'll need to cook up a whole new look for your culinary center are some careful planning, a good eye for color, and a willingness to spend time in your kitchen with some paint cans as your companions.

Where to begin? Zimmer recommends that you visit the websites of major paint companies. On many, you'll find idea centers with paint palettes designed by professional colorists, and "visualizing" tools that allow you to pre-test your color choices online.

Once you've settled on a color scheme, it's time to paint. Assuming that you're going to do a top-to-bottom makeover, start by removing the cabinet doors, as well as the hinges and knobs. If you're going to re-use the hardware, put these items in a plastic bag so they don't get lost.

After placing drop-cloths to protect the floors, paint the ceiling first, then the walls, and finally, the trim. For easy maintenance, use top quality 100% acrylic latex semi-gloss paint: It will resist stains and stand up to scrubbing better than a flat paint. Now turn your attention to the cabinets again.

Scrub the kitchen cabinets and doors with a degreasing solution to remove dirt and grime. When they've dried, sand the cabinets to remove any loose paint and to provide better "tack" for the new coating. Use a wet cloth to wipe off any dust created by the sanding.

Next, apply a top quality latex primer to the cabinets. Use a roller wherever possible, and a small brush where necessary. Let the primer dry overnight.

Finish the cabinets in the same way by applying a coat of top quality 100% acrylic latex paint. Here, too, it's best to use a gloss or semi-gloss finish, since they are more stain-resistant and easier to clean. Don't re-install the cabinet doors quite yet. Wait until the paint is totally dry.

To put a perfect finishing touch on your kitchen remodeling, consider purchasing new knobs or handles for your cabinets either online or at your local home center. They're readily available in a wide range of shapes, styles, sizes, colors, and materials. One is sure to strike your fancy.

When your cabinets are restored and everything is done, stand back and take pride in your new kitchen. . . and in the thousands of dollars you saved by doing your own remodeling!

For more how-to information on home painting, as well as color and design ideas, visit www.paintquality.com or blog.paintquality.com.

Editor's note: Click http://www.paintquality.com/media-center/press-releases/downloads/pr-images.html for hi-res downloadable images that accompany the release.

About the Paint Quality Institute (SM)

The Paint Quality Institute (SM) was formed by Rohm and Haas Company (now a wholly owned subsidiary of The Dow Chemical Company ("Dow" )) in 1989 to educate people on the advantages of using quality interior and exterior paints and coatings. The Paint Quality Institute's goal is to provide information on the virtues of quality paint as well as color trends and decorating with paint through a variety of vehicles, including television appearances, newspaper and magazine articles, and instructional literature. Please be sure to visit the Paint Quality Institute at www.paintquality.com

About Dow

Dow (NYSE: Dow) combines the power of science and technology with the "Human Element" to passionately innovate what is essential to human progress. The Company connects chemistry and innovation with the principles of sustainability to help address many of the world's most challenging problems such as the need for clean water, renewable energy generation and conservation, and increasing agricultural productivity. Dow's diversified industry-leading portfolio of specialty chemical, advanced materials, agrosciences and plastics businesses delivers a broad range of technology-based products and solutions to customers in approximately 160 countries and in high growth sectors such as electronics, water, energy, coatings and agriculture. In 2010, Dow had annual sales of $53.7 billion and employed approximately 50,000 people worldwide. The Company's more than 5,000 products are manufactured at 188 sites in 35 countries across the globe. References to "Dow" or the "Company" mean The Dow Chemical Company and its consolidated subsidiaries unless otherwise expressly noted. More information about Dow can be found at www.dow.com.

Union Carbide Corporation is a chemicals and polymers company that has been a wholly owned subsidiary of The Dow Chemical Company since 2001.

Rohm and Haas Company is a premier specialty materials company and has been a wholly owned subsidiary of The Dow Chemical Company since 2009.

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Deborah Zimmer
The Paint Quality Institute(sm)
Dow Coating Materials
dzimmer@dow.com
Office: 215-619-1683
Mobile: 215-962-5551