How do I paint my kitchen cabinets?

Lisa evans
by Lisa evans
  11 answers
  • Be sure to clean them well, first. This links tells you all you need to know:

    https://www.thisoldhouse.com/painting/21016370/how-to-paint-kitchen-cabinets

  • Vimarhonor Vimarhonor on Feb 17, 2020

    Hello! I have not personally done this project. But I found the bloggers link very interesting. It seems to be a nice white cabinet refurb.

    It might be helpful to review.

    Hope this helps!.


    Pine Kitchen Before and After | Confessions of a Serial Do-it-Yourselfer

    https://www.confessionsofaserialdiyer.com/pine-kitchen-before-and-after/

  • Kmdreamer Kmdreamer on Feb 17, 2020

    Take all the hardware off then slightly sand them so the paint sticks then paint them you could take doors off or paint them on the cabinet let them dry totaly before putting them back up

  • William William on Feb 17, 2020

    Lots of ideas from other Hometalkers

    https://www.hometalk.com/search/posts?filter=paint%20cabinets

  • Tinyshoes Tinyshoes on Feb 17, 2020

    Clean well..sand where needed..prime then paint..at least 2 coats of each..l would remove all doors but be sure to mark so you get them back where they belong. Good luck Lisa..you got this!

  • Johnavallance82 Johnavallance82 on Feb 18, 2020

    Hi Lisa,

    Job will be easier to do if you can take the doors off to do them on a flat surface after removing the handles!

    It will eliminate paint runs! Paint carcass in place and when dry, re-fit the doors.

    Good luck............

  • K. Rupp K. Rupp on Feb 18, 2020

    Hi Lisa, Your end product depends on the prep!!!!!! It depends on how great you want it to look in the end and if you want it to look GREAT ...believe me the PREP IS EVERYTHING.... it matters!!!! But definitely consider if these are cabinets that you will want keep for a long time and only go this route if you want to keep them for a while! The reason I say this is because this method will take a lot of your time and is tedious but will look like a professional finish job if you do it well.:


    To go all in to get a GREAT result, that means, prepping by SANDING, PRIMING(maybe KILZ) and using steel wool between coats of primer(to get that super smooth finish) all BEFORE you paint. ALSO...the paints are a huge factor for kitchens and bathrooms. You will want to use something super heavy duty for that kind of traffic! Consider using a home paint sprayer for the job to get that super sleek pro finish. If you are putting the time in to prep the cabinets well and paint them well you will want a good paint that will last. Benjamin Moore ADVANCE!! $50 per gallon but it's so worth it!!! Use it in the sprayer! But if you don't have a sprayer no worries because it has self leveling properties. That paint is an excellent cabinet paint and you don't need a topcoat. I seriously just wipe it down when it gets dirty.


    If you want to just change the color for a few years before you get new cabinets then there are definitely easier methods to paint them. I just wanted to give you a lasting solution in case you didn't want to deal with chipping, brush marks and lots of wear in a short few years using other methods. Good luck!


  • Lauren of Mom Home Guide Lauren of Mom Home Guide on Feb 23, 2020

    I painted my oak cabinet. I lightly sanded and then cleaned the surface of the cabinets. I primed the cabinets with General Finishes primer and then painted with General Finish’s Milk paint. I finished with a semi gloss topcoat by General Finishes. You can see all the steps and materials I used and my results here: https://momhomeguide.com/my-painted-kitchen-cabinets-a-year-later/

  • Johnavallance82 Johnavallance82 on Feb 04, 2021

    Hi Lisa,

    Take the doors off and paint them flat. Paint the frames Use a Roller or Paint Roller Pro system. Roller the doors again. When Dry replace or renew the Handles, then re-fit doors.