My Mom purchased a small house down the street from us. We spent several months updating the house prior to my Mom moving into her new home. We are so glad she lives close to us.
The door hinges were mix-matched. Some were brass and some were silver. We ordered new black doorknobs and wanted to paint the hinges to match so we decided to spray paint them black.
Below are some before pictures:
The before picture below is prior to us installing vinyl floor planks. 
Materials Needed:
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- Drill with bits or screwdriver
- Hammer
- flat bar (or can use a flat screwdriver)
- Soap and water (and maybe some type of cleaning spray)
- Sandpaper (if the hinges are smooth and need to be “roughed up”)
- Black spray paint
- Some type of drop cloth, plastic, cardboard, wood, etc. as a pallet for spray painting
- Black paint (for touching up screw heads)
Removing the hinges:
If you DON’T WANT TO TAKE THE DOORS OFF THE HINGES, then you can do this in stages. I did this in our previous house and it worked like a charm!
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- First, remove (using a drill with a bit or a screwdriver) and paint all the top hinges and then reinstall them. SEE DIRECTIONS BELOW FOR HOW TO PREPARE, PAINT, ETC.
- Next, remove and paint all the middle hinges and then reinstall them.
- Finally, remove and paint all the bottom hinges and then reinstall them. It will take a little extra time (maybe a few days) because of the drying time, but it was much easier than removing the doors.
However, because we had removed all the doors to paint them, we just remove all the hinges with a drill and bit (or you can use a screwdriver). This before picture is prior to us installing vinyl floor planks. 
Removing hinges:
Close the door so you can have full access to the pin that holds the two hinge pieces together. Use a flat bar or a flat screwdriver and pry the hinge pin in an upward direction. You might need to use a hammer to tap the flat bar or screwdriver to jar the pin loose. Warning: The pin might be greasy, so don’t get this on your clothes. Once you remove the pin, open the door and use a drill and bit or screwdriver to remove the screws that are holding the hinges in place. Remember, just remove one hinge at a time if you don’t want to remove your doors. Be careful not to strip the heads of each screw. You want to reuse these screws if possible.
Sand if the hinges are new or have a smooth surface:
If the hinges are relatively new or have a smooth surface, roughly sand them to create a more porous painting surface. This will help the paint stick.
Clean the hinges:
I used warm water and dish detergent to clean all the hinges; this will ensure the paint sticks. If your hinges are really dirty, use a more abrasive cleaner to ensure a clean paint surface.
Layout the hinges:
I used a leftover piece of shower board (we had just tiled the shower) as my pallet. It worked great because it was stiff and I could move them outside for painting and inside overnight out of the weather.
I kept them in the same order in which I removed them so it would be easier to reinstall them. You can also label the backside of each hinge with a sharpie, but this can easily get painted over as you are attempting to paint all the angles of the hinges, which is why I suggest doing both (labeling and just laying them out in the right order).
Shake spray paint:
We used Rust-oleum flat protective enamel spray paint.
Be sure to read and follow the directions on the spray paint. Shake the can for several minutes to ensure the paint is even mixed in the can. There is a ball in the can so you should be able to hear the ball easily moving.
Spray painting:
It is crucial to paint all the angles. As hinges open and close, different sections of the hinges are seen. It is very easy to miss a section (as I initially did). If you do miss a section, just remove and touch up – – no biggie!
Tips on spray painting:
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- Hold several inches away from the hinges.
- As you spray paint, keep the can moving (i.e. don’t concentrate in one spot so as not to have drips).
- It is better to spray paint several coats rather than apply the spray paint too heavy. Patience is the key!
Ensure each section gets painted:
Lay them flat, spray paint, and allow them to dry. Again, don’t rush this process!
After they are dry, flip over and paint the other side. Make sure you spraypaint the edges.
- Then prop them up, spray paint and allow them to dry.
- Then flip them over, prop them up again, spray paint and allow them to dry.
Be sure to open and close the hinges and examine them from multiple points of view to ensure all visible parts have been painted.
Be sure not to rush! Take your time so each hinge has an even coat of paint
Reinstalling:
Once the hinges are painted, reinstall using a drill and bit or a screwdriver.
Painting Screw Heads:
There are two options:
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- You can stick the screws in a piece of cardboard or actually screw in a piece of wood and spray paint the heads. However, some of the paint will scrape off when you reinstall the hinges.
- OR you can get a comparable black paint and just touch up with a small artist’s brush once in place. (This is what I did and it worked great.)
Here is a closeup after the screws were painted.
Below is the final result!
Below is a before and after picture you can pin for later. The before picture is prior to us installing vinyl floor planks. 
And now enjoy your updated hinges. Isn’t it amazing how this small change makes your doors look so much better?
Special Note about doorknobs: Because doorknobs need to be more durable due to constant contact, we opted to purchase and install all new doorknobs. It was worth the investment.
I have mismatched hinges and am gonna do this!!!!!
You guys are clever!
What you did really changes the look of the doors. Nice work!
A really great idea for a really polished look. I love it. Thanks for the detailed writing.
Have you noticed the paint scrapping off the hinges from opening and closing the doors?
Hey Kristina,
Great question! No, we have not noticed any paint coming off. We have done this in a previous house and it lasted the entire time we lived there (7 years) without any issues. I think the trick is to properly prepare the hinges (make sure they are very clean). Also, make sure you don’t rush the spray painting. Take your time and do a thorough job of painting them. This is a project you don’t want to rush.
I hope that helps! Thanks for reading our blog!
Suzanne
Would you recommend a flat clear top coat for the hinges?
Hey Wendy,
There is no harm in adding a clear coat, but I would just use high-quality spray paint and not put a clear coat on the hinges. We have done this in multiple houses and not had any issue with the paint not lasting.
I hope this helps!
Suzanne
Would this be as effective/hold up as well for kitchen cupboard hinges, with the amount of open and closing they have vs a door.
Hey Tara,
That is a great question. Over the years, we have painted many kitchen cabinets and replaced hardware (included hinges). I am trying to remember if we painted the hinges on any of the kitchen cabinets or not. I have painted similar hinges on furniture. I actually spraypainted the hinges on this entertainment center and we have not had any issue with the paint chipping off. Granted, we don’t use it as much as kitchen cabinets. I would try doing this. The only investment would be a can (maybe a few cans) of spraypaint and your time. If they don’t last, you could repaint or replace over time. Suggestions as you spray paint: 1) Select a high quality spray paint 2) Be sure to not over paint when spraying; it is better to do multiple coats rather than thick coats of paint. Allow for adequate time to dry between coats. Patience is the key on this part. Typically, I spray paint a coat and then go do something else inbetween coats of paint. 3) Make sure you open and close them and reposition them many different ways to get each part that is exposed. When you think you have good coverage, double check yourself by putting up to the cabinet base as it would be installed and open and close it to be sure adequate coverage.
Let me know what you decide to do and how it goes. Thanks for reading my blog!
Happy Home Improvement!
Suzanne
Hey Tara,
That is a great question. Over the years, we have painted many kitchen cabinets and replaced hardware (included hinges). I am trying to remember if we painted the hinges on any of the kitchen cabinets or not. I have painted similar hinges on furniture. I actually spraypainted the hinges on this entertainment center and we have not had any issue with the paint chipping off. Granted, we don’t use it as much as kitchen cabinets. I would try doing this. The only investment would be a can (maybe a few cans) of spraypaint and your time. If they don’t last, you could repaint or replace over time. Suggestions as you spray paint: 1) Select a high quality spray paint 2) Be sure not to over paint when spraying; it is better to do multiple coats rather than thick coats of paint. Allow for adequate time to dry between coats. Patience is the key on this part. Typically, I spray paint a coat and then go do something else inbetween coats of paint. 3) Make sure you open and close them and reposition them many different ways to get each part that is exposed. When you think you have good coverage, double check yourself by putting a hinge up to the cabinet base as it would be installed then open and close it to be sure adequate coverage.
Let me know what you decide to do and how it goes. Thanks for reading my blog!
Happy Home Improvement!
Suzanne
I have kitchen hinges that were painted before I bought this house. The paint is scraping off these hinges. HOWEVER, I think that these hinges were painted with a brush at the same time the cabinets were painted. Sprayed paint is probably not as thick as painted on paint, right?
Betsy,
Several thoughts on this. First, it really depends on a few things…
1. How the hinges were originally prepped. It does not sound like they were removed, cleaned, and lightly sanded to rough up to accept the paint.
2. The quality of paint used.
I actually like using Rustoleum spray paint because it adheres really well to metal. But again, it is essential that the hinges are cleaned, roughed up, and have good coverage (not one thick coat of paint but multiple light coats of paint with ample time to dry between coats of paint).
I hope this helps!
Suzanne
I had a hard time removing the pin on my entry door hinges. How do I ensure when I paint the hinge that the paint wont get inside and keep the pin from going back in?
Hey Joan,
Great question! We have not had an issue with that and we have done this to multiple doors in multiple houses. However, if some paint does get in the hole where the pin goes, it should just get scraped off when you reinsert the pin. You might have to use a hammer to get the pin to go all the way down. If you scratch off some of the paint on the pin when using a hammer, just touch it up with a black sharpie or some touch-up black paint. I hope this helps!
Suzanne
Question about using a clear coat with matte paint: is there any problem putting a polycrylic in a satin finish on a matte spray paint? I realize this may “undo” how matte it turns out, and I’m ok with that, I just don’t want high gloss on high gloss. But if they’re actually incompatible for chemical reasons, I’ll purchase a more appropriate top coat. Thanks, nice looking project!!
Hey Zannie,
That is a good question. I am not sure. We just used the flat enamel spray paint without adding anything over it and they have held up great. It has been about 2+ years since we did this. When I have a complex paint question, I call Sherwin Williams; they are so knowledgeable about paint. Sorry I did not have a better answer.
Suzanne