How to paint over plywood?
Are they made from plywood or particle board? The ones you are describing sound like particle board. If so, you CAN paint them, but it’s 50/50 whether they turn out decent or not. What you will need to do is to get all of the loose paper off, including any that’s bubbling. After that, take a palm sander and sand them smooth. Prime them, using a quality primer like Benjamin Moore Fresh Start or Zinsser 1-2-3. If you want to paint a dark color, you can have the primer tinted to help with coverage on the finish coats. After priming, apply a minimum of 2 coats of finish. I recommend using a satin paint. It will give washability, but will not highlight irregularities like a semi-gloss would. Reinstall your hardware and you are set. Hope this helps.
