There is no question that painting kitchen cabinets is a big project, and it’s tempting to just slap some paint on them and be done. But if you want a paint job that will look great with a finish that will last, it’s best to take the time to do it the right way. This tutorial discusses tips and the process for getting a finish that is long lasting and professional looking.
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If you saw my post on Monday about eliminating the wood grain in kitchen cabinets, you will remember that this is what the cabinets looked like when we purchased them from craigslist. Looking a lot more like ugly, used cabinets. Check out that post if you want to understand how to prep the surface if you want a completely smooth finish when painting kitchen cabinets. Today, I am sharing our painting technique for these oak cabinets. It is kind of long, which is why I broke this up into two posts.
REMOVE HARDWARE
First, remove all the hardware and clean the surface thoroughly. We made our space in the basement with a huge tarp and a large piece of the nasty carpet we replaced when we moved in.
These particular cabinets are a solid wood front with sides that are laminate covering fiber board, aka typical kitchen cabinets from that era.
SANDING, SANDING, SANDING (aka my least favorite thing ever!)
There are two ways of removing the glaze/sealer that kitchen cabinets and a lot of furniture pieces have. You can either sand it all off with a palm sander or hand-sander or use a product called deglosser. For us, we sanded the cabinet fronts because they were flat and it was only a small area. We sanded the laminate sides as well. We did not bother sanding the interiors.
PRIMING AND YELLOW SEEPING THROUGH PAINT
Wipe down and remove all dust. I recommend vacuuming with a brush ->very lightly damp cloth (denatured alcohol is best but not absolutely necessary)-> dry microfiber cloth method, making sure to get in the crevices. Now, the cabinets are ready for priming. Three coats of primer (with a sprayer, only one if brushing) will give good coverage on these babies. With old cabinets and really any furniture, I recommend a stain sealer. Because these are used kitchen cabinets, they have been exposed to all kinds of kitchen oils and cooking products. We used Bullseye primer and the door fronts yellowed. What happens is that the natural and kitchen oils to which they were subjected were bleeding out into the paint. Therefore, I added one layer of Kilz stain blocker and voila, no more yellow streaks!
Remember: use the same base for all layers. For example, if you are using a water-based paint (like latex enamel), you would need a water based primer, sealer, clear coat, etc.
PAINTING CABINETS WITH A SPRAYER
Here is another tip that saved me a TON of time on painting kitchen cabinets: get a sprayer, people! We purchased this Wagner Kit since I have many more furniture pieces to paint. Even better, do like we did and go halfsies with someone on it. Each coat took about 10-15 minutes to spray for all 4 cabinets! There is a learning curve however with the sprayer and I suggest playing with it and testing before each coat. Getting the correct pressure and paint flow is essential to a smooth finish. Also, remember to thin out the paint and it will go on much smoother. I got orange peel all over 2 of the doors and that was a nightmare to sand out. If that happens, WIPE IT DOWN BEFORE IT DRIES and start over with that coat. I learned the hard way that there are no alternatives, you have to sand.
We sprayed 4 coats of white paint on these. Because these coats are much lighter than a brush coat, I lightly sanded between every other coat with 220 grit sand paper. Just before the final coat, I used 320.
Pulling out the cabinets certainly makes this easier. However, the process isn’t impossible if that is not feasible. Personally, I would roll the cabinet front with a dense foam roller and foam brush but still spray the doors and drawer fronts. If you do use a brush, add a product called Floetrol to your paint. It will help the paint level better and keep any brush marks to a minimum.
ADDING A PROTECTIVE CLEAR COAT
After we let the paint dry for a few weeks, I really wanted to protect my cabinets from my loveable Tasmanian devil (ahem, my son who has already banged many a chair against the drawers). I spent hours researching clear coats and I see a lot of recommendations for Minwax from bloggers. However, in my search, I came across more than one forum post of a poor, frustrated DIYer saying that the Minwax turned yellow when used over white. Oh, bleep no! I love DIY bloggers and I have gotten so much great information from them. However, I am also careful about the advice I take. (After seeing a prominent furniture painting blog call polyurethane and polycrylic “essentially the same thing”, you would too!) Eventually, I stumbled across a Benjamin Moore Product Called Benwood Stays Clear Acrylic Polyurethane (you can buy it cheaper elsewhere). Can I say how awesome this stuff is?! First, it comes in 3 different sheens – flat, low-lustre, and high gloss. I chose the low-lustre finish. Second, it’s made for painted floors, so I know it is durable. And third, the name says it all – STAYS CLEAR. Here is the description on the can:
“A premium quality product that combines the attributes of acrylic and polyurethane resins to produce a durable clear finish that dries quickly with very little odor. Provides excellent resistance to damage caused by abrasion, household chemicals and water, alcohol and food stains. For use on new or previously painted, stained or varnished interior wood surfaces, including floors. May also be used as a protective clear over decorative finishes on any substance.”
I hear the angels sing! Now, I will say one thing, this product is absolutely meant to be applied with a sprayer. You can brush it on with a bristled brush but for a project like this, I would recommend thinning it out about 5-10% to prevent any air bubbles in the surface. I did try it without thinning it and I wasn’t happy at all. If you do use a brush, definitely use a high-quality finishing brush such as a Purdy or Corona China Bristle. You can also use a microfiber roller but it will put on a heavier, shinier coat. Do not use a foam roller. I did 2 very light coats 2 hours apart and let dry overnight before installing the doors back on.
DRY TIME VS CURE TIME
After installing the doors and drawers back on the cabinets, I left them open to allow the paint/poly to cure. It took about two and a half weeks for mine to fully cure inside, but I have read that it can take up to 60 days to fully cure. What do I mean by curing? Paint can be dry to the touch and not actually be fully dry. If I were to close all my drawers so that there was paint to paint contact, and then opened them a day or so later, I risk the paint sticking together and (horror) pulling some of the paint off.
I know today’s tutorial was kind of in-depth and chocked full of information, but if you ever go about painting kitchen cabinets, you will love this!
If you liked this, here are more furniture painting tutorials
- How to Protect Furniture
- How to Ceruse a Table Top
- How to Paint a Refridgerator
- Executive Desk Makeover
- Military Footlocker Trash to Treasure Makeover
- Amazing Furniture Transformations
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- Make Painted Furniture Durable
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- Restore Tarnished Brass
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- Amazing Furniture Transformations
What exact brand and type of paint did you use for your cabinets? Thank you!
For my cabinets, I think I used Lowes Furniture Paint. However, it isn’t a paint I highly recommend, especially without a strong top coat. I have another chair with it and even though the chair is not used much, it is already showing wear. There was no top coat like with the cabinets. The brands that I generally recommend are Benjamin Moore and Sherwin Williams Alkyld or Acrylic Paints for cabinets. Do not use latex. I have other paints that I love if you are looking for a specific sheen or process.
We just painted our cabinets with a semi gloss layex dark blue paint. They are pretty shiny so could I use a satin topcoat to reduce that or should I continue using the semi gloss topcoat? Thanks and great tutorial!
Great questions! I generally don’t recommend latex paint on furniture or cabinets as it isn’t that durable. However, I can’t speak for all brands and an additional topcoat would make it more durable. You can read my preferences on top coats here: https://www.cravingsomecreativity.com/protect-painted-furniture-polyurethane-polyacrylic-top-coat/ While you can’t bring the sheen down just by adding a top coat, you could lightly sand the final paint coat or previous top coat with 220-300 sandpaper just enough to knock the sheen down a bit and then add a final top coat. It would be even more work and cabinets are already a big job, so I definitely understand if you want to see if you could live with the shine. I am actually making over a bathroom in vanity in Navy so I bet your dark blue cabinets are beautiful!
Thank you so much for your information and tutorial! I have wanted to tackle the kitchen cabinets for a while now and mine look and sound very similar to yours! I do wish there was a quicker fix. Lol but I know there isn’t if you want it done correctly. 🙁 I do have a couple of questions .. 1. How long did you have to wait before putting things in the cabinets? I’m going to have to paint ours without taking them down unfortunately so I’m curious as to how long I will need to wait before my kitchen can get back in order and 2. I’m debating between painting and staining.. any thoughts? Would the process be similar?
Again thank you for posting and your clear simple directions!!
Misty
Hi Misty! Your right that it is quite a job but it’s worth it. I didn’t paint the insides of my cabinets, so I put things in them pretty much immediately. However, I did leave the doors cracked for about a 6 weeks, I think, because we painted in high humidity in July. That was to prevent paint sticking to itself and tearing. For other furniture pieces I have done, the curing time has varied from a few days to 2 months. You can test the curing time by placing something on the painted surface and removing it. If you hear or feel a sticking sound, it isn’t ready. (My kitchen window sill was painted in latex paint it still sticks, especially in the heat! One day I will fix that.) Gradually increase the contact time up to 48 hours and if it doesn’t stick, the paint/top coat is cured. In terms of the process, staining and painting have a similar-ish process. Staining will take more time prepping the wood. You will have to get all the old the old finish off down to the raw wood, not just rough it up. However, the rest is much faster as you obviously don’t have to prime and you don’t have to wait as long between coats. You might want to look at gel stains and see if that interests you.
Rachel,
This post has been so helpful! I feel much more confident taking on my cabinet update. I just have one question: Was the Kilz primer/stainblocker that you used oil-based?
I have only been able to find oil-based so I was just curious. Thank you!
Glad you found it useful! I am actually not a fan of regular kilz, which I think is oil-based. I like Kilz premium, which is water-based.
Have you tried the behr alkyd paint? If so did it hold up well and were you able to spray it. The dirrections say not to thin but I am not sure if it’s going to mess up my cabinets if I do.
I actually finished a post this morning talking about my thoughts about Benjamin Moore’s Alkyd Paint called Advance. https://www.cravingsomecreativity.com/paint-stairwell-railings-balusters/ I have not tried Behr’s version. The BM Advance is actually what I use when I can’t spray a project and I can withstand a little shine.
Thank you so much Rachel for your wonderful tutorials on painting cabinets and filling wood grain! You are so detail oriented and very well spoken…much appreciated as a new DIYr. My question is that can your painting cabinets technique be used on laminate? I just discovered my 80’s gross cabinets at the cabin are laminate faces and oak base. Any recommendations? Or should I just give in and purchase new cabinets? Thank you again for all of your wonderful advice!
Hi Emily! Thank you so much for your reading and I hope your project turns out great. Yes, painting can definitely work on laminate. The biggest thing to consider is what is under the laminate layer. Sometimes manufacturers use plywood or another substrate and then put a very thin layer of real wood over the top to give the piece a uniform look. And then sometimes, particularly with particle board or MDF (the stuff that looks like ground up wood chips glued together), they lay a printed sheet over it. A lot of office furniture and the sides of the white cabinets (pictured in the post) I painted have this laminate look. Since the laminate should already be smooth, you only need to sand enough to take any shine off. You will probably sand some of the print off and that is fine. Our cabinets had water damage so getting them completely smooth required more sanding than I usually do. Now, especially if the substrate is MDF or particle board, lay the primer in very thin coats at first to build a barrier. MDF and particle board are more prone to taking in moisture and expanding, which could leave you with bumps or ridges. It shouldn’t be a problem unless your slopping on thick layers of paint, but it is something to be aware of. I hope that helps!
If you had used the Benjamin Moore Advance paint… would you still recommend using the acrylic top coat?
I have used the Benjamin Moore Advance paint to paint the banisters in my house. It has only been a month since I did that but it seems very durable and I like the satin sheen. I would say that the Advance would be adequate alone for most uses. However, with my son’s furniture and these cabinets I did, I needed them to be able to take some abuse – kicking, banging, finger paints, etc. That is where I recommend the added protection of the Stays Clear. It has been over a year since we painted those cabinets and I am very impressed that there is not a single stain or scratch. I also use the stays clear with other types of paint such as chalk paint or when I’m distressing a piece. Hope that helps!
how are your cabinets and banister holding up? I need to update my banister but I am worried that with painting it will chip.
Both are in near perfect condition. I actually have a post coming up soon that will show how well they have held up. The banister has a small chip but that was from us stupidly metal hanging clothes hangers (and clothes) off of it that needed to go upstairs from the laundry.
Hi Rachel, Did you spray, roll or brush the primer on?
On this particular project, I sprayed the primer on. I have done all three ways however with other furniture projects. I definitely prefer spraying but it isn’t always possible with some furniture or cabinet pieces.
Thanks for all of the great info! One question…did you clean with the TSP before or after you used the deglosser and wood grain filler?
Thanks for sharing your experiences. I’m doing some research on painting. I have an old coffee table and I want to paint it. Now I know how to do that.
Awesome tutorial. I am hoping to do this in the summer! How did you thin your paint out? Did you use a ratio?
Both the paint and the clear coat that I used are water-based, so I thinned them with water. I used a bit at a time until I got the consistency I wanted. I would say that usually I thin the paint 5-10%. So for example, a gallon was thinned with about 1-2 cups of water. I started with one and added a 1/3 cup at a time and stirred. Depending on what paint and paint type I use, it can be thicker so there isn’t an absolute set amount.
What did you thin the paint and clear coat with? Great tutorial, thanks!
Both the paint and the clear coat that I used are water-based, so I thinned them with water. I used a bit at a time until I got the consistency I wanted.
Love your cabinets. They look fabulous. This is exactly what I have been searching about how to do. What brand of paint did you use and what color?
I ended up using a Behr brand paint in addition to the Benjamin Moore Stays Clear Coat. Of course, the Benjamin Moore dealer recommended that I use their paint instead of using the clear coat. However, they did not understand the damage my six-year old can bring which is why I chose to do it this way. Also, here in Virginia, the Benjamin Moore Advance paint was nearly $40 more a gallon. I will say that I have been so far impressed with the durability. In my son’s art area, he constantly swings and bangs his metal chair and there isn’t a single mark from it!
Thank you. That helps a great deal!!!!
I thank you too for going into such detail. I have painted my cabinets before and they were ok. Better than the original. But they didn’t hold up very well and I am constantly cleaning. Thanks again.
What a great tutorial! I am wanting to paint our kitchen cabinets but had no idea what to do. Perfect timing! I do however have a question! We have a lip on our cabinet doors and I was wondering if having all those paint layers will keep them from closing?
Thank you. Your cabinets are wonderful by the way!!
I would say that it depends on the gap between the lip and the frame.Normally doors of that nature have a decent gap to prevent any sticking should the wood expand or contract. However, the gaps must be uniform and if they do rub in any area, I would consider sanding a bit extra. As for the paint thickness, the layers should be thin and even (especially if using a sprayer) so I would guess that they would be about millimeter thick total. We did sand between the layers so that thins out each layer individually. If that is still a concern, you could skip the clear coat on that area. I don’t want to mislead you so you can also send me a picture at [email protected] if you like. I can judge the way the casing is attached.
Thank you Rachel, I appreciate it!! These are homemade cabinets! I will send a picture soon! Again, thank you so much, I sure love yours!
Thanks for going to so much detail. Your cabinets are beautiful. I’m not sure I’d have the patience to wait for the curing to be complete 🙂
Thanks! The curing wasn’t so bad. In my project, I put them fully together and put everything in them. I just left the door and drawers slightly ajar so that there was no paint to paint contact.