What kind of paint can I use for my wood cabinets?

Hello Mary! If you are talking about kitchen cabinets I would use a good primer and acrylic latex paint in an enamel finish. Doing a little bit of prep work ahead of time assures a successful outcome. Sand lightly, clean well with TSP, prime, and paint. Give yourself plenty of drying time in between coats and be careful about putting doors and drawers back until the paint has cured--different from drying.

Copied: Enamel paints do not simply dry like other paints, they cure. The curing occurs when the enamel is exposed to oxygen and begins a chemical process that hardens the binder. Heat has a limited effect on speeding up the process, although is handy for certain enamels that are painted upon glass. Most oil-based enamels harden within eight to 24 hours and are cured once they feel dry to the touch. Latex enamels cure from the outside in, so may feel initially dry but can take as long as a month before they are fully cured.

For the most durable and long lasting finish, use oil based primer and paint.

Chalk paint is great for wood cabinets. If not chalk paint, then I would use a primer first to be sure the final paint will work. Also, you might want to consider one that is easily washed off as the kitchen cabinets get lots of finger prints/dirt.

Any paint you want if done properly. Preferably cabinet paint.

How to Paint Cabinets

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 220 grit sandpaper or a green Scotch Brite pad.. Use a tack cloth or damp rag to remove dust after sanding. Prime with a stain blocking primer like KILZ. Acrylic or water base paints are low-fume and clean up easily with water. Alkyd or oil-based 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.

Hi Mary, I agree with Gk. It may take a little prep work but it is worth it.

chalk paint will not stand up to kitchen/high traffic use unless you polyurethane over it,it could be costly depending how many you have to do. Lower cost,easiest to keep clean,most durable and longest lasting finish, use oil based primer and paint.The shinier the finish the more prep work needed---so what you do before primer paint is key to how well/long the finsh lasts.(even with chalk paint)

I've had lots of success using Annie Sloan Chalk paint on kitchen cabinets, I've also used Dixie Belle and would recommend Jolie as well. :)

You can check out how to paint kitchen cabinets here. :)