How do i get professional paint look on these ugly cabinets?

Abr33204301
by Abr33204301
Old kitchen cabinets. What are the steps for painting them with a professional look?
Old hardware, ugly finish. Thinking of painting white. Help!
  9 answers
  • Use a foam roller and you won't have brush marks. Use an angled brush for the frame

  • Fong-Lie Bavelaar Fong-Lie Bavelaar on May 26, 2018

    Remove doors, take off all handles. Wash wood items real good in the tub, to remove all grease. Dry very good, sandpaper, one time primer should be enough, sand very light, paint. Some use rollers to paint, I tried, do not like it.

  • Jcraw Jcraw on May 26, 2018

    Go to the Search box and type in Painting Wood Cabinets. There’s tons more great advice. When replacing pulls, measure carefully the distance between the holes - critical info for choices and not wasting time and money.

  • Julie  McCuiston Julie McCuiston on May 26, 2018

    This is a good tutorial from This Old House..... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QwrnQT39Oxw


    I did some of my cabinets last year. I took my time and followed EVERY step rec. I also did four separate coats of polyurethane/fine sanding at the end. They look

    fabulous! Just commit to the time and enjoy the new kitchen :)

  • Julie  McCuiston Julie McCuiston on May 26, 2018

    And make sure you label EVERY drawer and door location. I use masking tape to match the hinge to the frame using corresponding numbers. You will be glad you did ;)

  • William William on May 26, 2018

    Make sure they are clean and dry. Remove the doors and hardware. Mark the doors and cabinets with tape where they go. Lightly sand the doors and cabinets to remove any gloss and roughen the surface for paint with 120- to 220-grit sandpaper. Use a tack cloth or damp rag to remove dust after sanding. Prime with a stain blocking primer like Zinsser 123, KILZ,or BIN and have it tinted to the color of the top coat. This will prevent dark or stained surfaces from showing through the top coat. Acrylic, or water-base, paints are low-fume and clean up easily with water. Alkyd, or oil-base, paints require good ventilation because the paint contains solvents that can irritate your lungs and make you feel sick. Alkyd options require mineral spirits for cleanup, but they provide a hard, durable paint finish. Whichever you use, buy the best-quality paint you can afford for a lasting kitchen cabinet finish. Seal with at least three coats with a water based polyurethane. Use a small foam roller and foam brush for a smooth finish.

  • Pat pacdits Pat pacdits on May 27, 2018

    This is my before and after. I used chalk paint. I couldn't be happier. Excuse the mess I'm in the middle of renovations

  • Shuganne Shuganne on May 27, 2018

    You've really changed the atmosphere of the kitchen! Why not write it in detail and share with us? Did you take pics as you went?

  • Geri Williams Geri Williams on Jun 05, 2018

    I actually like those cabinets lol! I had all of my doors and drawers stripped As I didn’t want chipping and this needed to last. I then used 1 coat of primer tinted to match paint. My daddy always taught me to use oil based paint on wood if you wanted it to last, which is what I did. Cleanup is a pain but the payoff is excellent. I’ve seen too many paint jobs chip. My cabinets have been painted about 15 years now, white on top and black on bottoms. There are absolutely no chips. The only visible thing is the edging of the drawers frequently used are worn. Prep and oil paint is key if you want it to last. Those cabinets have been through several toddlers, a crazy black lab and 3 cats...oh, and my husband. And they still look good! but I won’t sugar coat it. It was a job. I also used good brushes; rollers just didn’t cut it. Happy painting!