How I Painted My Bathroom Cabinets (with Video Tutorial)

Pat Rios
by Pat Rios
7 Materials
$100
8 Hours
Medium
This is how I lightened up my bathroom cabinets with virtually no mess and no harsh, stinky products.
This is how they looked before. I know, not so bad, but I grew tired of that dark brown stain on top of dark tiles. It made the space feel small and cramped.
I started by removing all drawers and doors then uninstalling all hardware.
Since the wood was in pretty good condition and not horribly dirty, I skipped sanding all together. Instead, I wiped all areas to be painted with a  deglosser.
After applying the deglosser, I removed it completely by cleaning all areas thoroughly with TSP diluted in water.
Once it was all clean and dry, I primed everything with an oil-based primer. I used a foam roller for the larger areas and quality paintbrushes for nooks and crannies.
Only one coat of primer is enough. It won't look pretty at this stage. I let the primer dry over night before painting.
With a 220 grit sand pad , I light sanded the primed surface and cleaned it with a damp cloth.
Finally I applied two coats of Valspar Cabinet Paint in "Graceful White".
That was all! This paint doesn't require a sealer, and it is super durable.
Here is the video tutorial with the whole process.
I hope you found this post helpful. You can check out my own blog post if you want more details on the process and the products I used.
Suggested materials:
  • TSP   (Amazon)
  • Sand Pad   (Ace Hardware)
  • 1 qt of Valspar Cabinet Paint   (Lowes)
See all materials
Pat Rios
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
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  • Maria C Maria C on Apr 06, 2018

    Love what you did! Do you mind sharing where you purchased the vanity?

  • Karen Karen on Jun 03, 2018

    My friend did all her bathroom cabinets this way. They looked awesome, as do yours. Why wash off the deglosser with tsp? I thought the whole purpose of the deglosser was to help the paint stick?

  • 4002639 4002639 on Jul 29, 2018

    They look great! I tried this a few years ago ony builder grade cabinets and the paint on the doors did not care properly. I'm thinking now I have to strip the entire piece to do this again. Is this what you would suggest also or just do the doors/drawers?

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