Custom decals mural for kitchen cabinet doors?

July 10, 2016 3:55 PM

Custom decals mural for kitchen cabinet doors? Can it be done?

We're currently planning a new kitchen. Style and color of the cabinet front is obviously a big issue. We want to go for a "sober but not boring" look. A crazy idea came to me today : go for plain white but decorate the surfaces with custom grayscale decals that together would create a mural (based on a yet to be found photo or image). Is that even a thing? Who could make such decals? Resistance of the decals (to dirts and cleaning) is an issue, as well as potential damage of the underlying surface. Any idea or advice is welcome.

posted by bluefrog to Home & Garden (5 answers total)

I have previously considered a similar project using acrylic transfer medium. I haven't taken the plunge and so can't tell you whether it was successful but it looks like a potentially feasible approach, though I have no idea about durability or the other concerns you raise.

I, too, would like to hear about ideas for doing this sort of thing, particularly from anyone who has done a project and was pleased with the results.
posted by Nerd of the North at 4:06 PM on July 10, 2016

If you paint the cabinets with polycrylic or other suitable paint, you can get custom vinyl prints from any number of providers that will stick to it. You can use vinyl decals as well, with the same caveat that the surface must be finished in such a way it can grip it.
posted by Candleman at 4:10 PM on July 10, 2016

There are several companies that do this for refrigerators and appliances, you could ask them.
posted by bongo_x at 12:10 AM on July 11, 2016

Best answer: I have standard black vinyl decal cut-out shapes in my bathroom (these, not that it really matters). I have to wipe the walls down once a month or so (related to moisture condensation, lint, weird old drywall, etc) and I have been really amazed at how easy it is to just wipe the decals, and nothing is even peeling at the edges after 4.5 years.
posted by aimedwander at 7:35 AM on July 11, 2016

Best answer: I am thinking that vinyl laser-cut decals as recommended by aimedwander will be a lot easier to apply than full-cabinet decals. There is some cool stuff by Blik, plus they do custom.
posted by radioamy at 11:59 AM on July 11, 2016