Skip The Paint & Use David Bromstad's Clever Tip To Lighten Up Dark Cabinets Instead

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Kitchen design trends change every now and then, so keeping up can become expensive. At present, lighter kitchen cabinets are in vogue, which means the days of dark wooden finishes are mostly over. If you want to join the trend or just brighten your kitchen space to make it look more spacious, you might think that the only way to do so is to get your hands dirty with paint. However, HGTV star David Bromstad has a surprisingly simple and more budget-friendly solution that skips the paint altogether.

"I would strip all that down and then bleach it, and it will come out almost white. And you'll have a natural look that's casual and you'll see the wood grain, and it's absolutely stunning," Bromstad said on "My Lottery Dream Home." It's one of the designers preferred ways to upgrade dated dark kitchen cabinets and turn them lighter without using paint.

The technique Bromstad shared is wood bleaching. It's the process of lightening the natural tone of wood surfaces without hiding their character. Instead of concealing the natural lines and patterns of wood with a thick coat of paint, bleaching enhances its grain and appearance by looking naturally whiter. This is why bleaching is considered one of the best design tricks to modernize dated wood cabinets. The hack works well in kitchens with limited natural light as bleached wood can lighten up the space, the same way lighter shades of paint can. 

If you're eager to ditch your outdated dark kitchen cabinets but are not quite ready for a pricey remodel, wood bleaching is the perfect middle ground. What's good about this David Bromstad tip for updating old cabinets is that you can DIY over the weekend, and it requires only a few supplies. Aside from gloves and sanding tools, you'll need a bleaching agent. You have three options to choose from: household bleach, oxalic acid, and two-part bleach. 

The common household bleach can remove stains and dyes, lightening the wood. Oxalic acid also has similar properties. However, two-part bleach, like Zinsser Wood Bleach, is considered the best choice among the three when it comes to bleaching darker-toned wood and exposing its natural grain. You don't have to ponder whether refacing or replacing is the best option for a kitchen cabinet update when you have this inexpensive wood bleach to do the job for you.

To bleach your cabinets, start by removing the existing finish using an electric sander. Once done, apply the two-part bleach following the instructions on its label. This usually involves applying solution A first and letting it sit for five minutes before following it up with solution B. It then takes several hours for the solution to dry and exhibit its full effect. Finally, seal with a clear finish so your bleached wood retains its new, lighter look for a long time.