How to Transform Built-In Wardrobes with Spray Painting

Built-in wardrobes can be spray painted where they stand, turning dated oak, pine or yellowed cream into any colour with a smooth, factory-style finish. The wardrobe is cleaned, keyed and masked, primed with an adhesion primer, then given two HVLP spray topcoats. A typical bedroom wardrobe takes 1 to 2 days, is priced on a fixed written quote after a free survey, and carries a 5-year written guarantee.

Why Built-In Wardrobes Respond Well to Spray Painting

Wardrobe doors are made from the same materials as kitchen doors. MDF is stable, has no grain and sprays to a very smooth finish once its edges are sealed. Solid wood needs sanding and the right primer, but reaches the same standard. Laminate and melamine need thorough keying and an adhesion primer. Our article on which cabinet materials can be resprayed covers the same materials in more detail.

The classic candidate is the oak-effect or pine wardrobe from the 1990s or 2000s. It is usually solidly built, the doors hang well and the storage works. The only problem is the colour. Spraying changes the look completely without touching the structure or the internal layout. The same applies to cream wardrobes that have yellowed and to laminate wardrobes that no longer suit the room.

What Can Be Included

The scope is confirmed and priced at the survey. It typically includes:

• Doors and drawer fronts, hinged or sliding. Mirrored and glass panels are masked, not painted.
• Frames, end panels and visible carcass sections.
• Cornice, plinths and mouldings attached to the wardrobe.
• Interiors, shelves and drawer boxes, if you want them. We price these as a separate line on your quote so you can decide.
• Other bedroom furniture, such as alcove units, bookcases and bedside units, in the same visit. Freestanding pieces can often be collected, sprayed at our workshop and returned.

The Process, Step by Step

1. Survey and colour samples. We check the material and condition, bring sprayed samples, and send a fixed written quote within 48 hours.
2. Preparation. Cleaning, degreasing, light sanding and filling, with handles removed where possible.
3. Masking. The floor, walls, ceiling, mirrors and anything nearby are covered.
4. Primer and topcoats. An adhesion primer, then two topcoats applied with HVLP spray equipment. We use low-VOC, water-based paints for fitted furniture, so there is less smell in bedrooms.
5. Refit and walk-through. Doors and handles go back on and are adjusted, and we check every surface with you. The 5-year written guarantee is issued when the job is finished.

You will need to empty the wardrobe for the work, and it cannot be used while the paint cures, so we plan the job around your routine.

Cost: Spraying vs Replacing

Fitted furniture is priced on a fixed written quote after a free survey, because wardrobes vary so much. The main factors are the number of doors, drawer fronts and panels, whether the insides are included, and how much preparation the surface needs. Our post on fitted furniture spray painting for wardrobes, alcoves and home offices explains what affects the cost across different pieces.

New fitted wardrobes from a specialist supplier and fitter usually cost several times more than spraying the ones you have, and involve removing the old units. If the carcasses are sound and the doors hang properly, spraying is almost always the better-value option.

Replacement makes sense when the structure has failed: doors that will not rehang properly, carcasses that are swollen or delaminating, or hardware that cannot be repaired. We will tell you at the survey if that applies.

"Matt is great to work with and we are delighted with the finished results in our son's bedroom. He sprayed some inbuilt wardrobes and they look superb."

Nicola Jennings, Google review, February 2026. More on our reviews page.

Popular Colours for Bedroom Wardrobes

Bedroom colours tend to be softer than kitchen colours. The wardrobe usually works best when it relates to the wall colour rather than competing with it.

• Warm off-white, such as RAL 9001, suits almost any bedroom and reads fresh without the coldness of brilliant white.
• Warm grey sits quietly in most schemes. Greys with a beige undertone are more forgiving in soft northern light than cool blue-greys.
• Sage green adds character without the weight of a deep colour, and works well with natural materials and linen-toned walls.
• Dusty pink and soft terracotta suit a private room where a more personal colour feels right.
• Navy and deep blue-green work in larger, well-lit bedrooms against a lighter wall.

You can also match the wardrobes to the walls so they blend in, or pick a contrast. Any RAL, NCS, Farrow & Ball or Little Greene colour can be sprayed, and our colour matching service can match a paint chip, fabric or existing piece of furniture. For how colour changes the feel of a room, see our guide to colour psychology for homes.

Doing More of the Room

If the skirting, architraves and doors in the bedroom need refreshing too, interior spraying can be planned alongside the wardrobes. For the bigger picture of what can be sprayed inside a home, see our interior spray painting guide.