What is the best, lasting way to paint oak kitchen cabinets white?

Hi Rory,

We recently used Valspar's Cabinet Enamel for a DIY project in our kitchen. This product is awesome, it allows you to paint over finished cabinets or furniture without lots of sanding and/or stripping. I would highly recommend using this product to paint your cabinets.

Good luck! Lauren - The Little Lake Cottage

My mom and I painted out her dark kitchen and it definitely was not a short process but it was simple and doable and totally turned out beautiful in the end. First, after numbering all of her doors, we removed them and put them in her garage along with all of her drawers. We then thoroughly washed them (and her cabinet bases) in TSP. Here's more info on that: https://www.weekendcraft.com/journal/how-to-clean-your-kitchen-cabinets-with-tsp

Then we hand sanded them with fine grit sand paper and wiped them down. And then we did two coats of white Kilz primer and two coats of a white semi gloss acrylic paint. Then two coats of a semi gloss polycrylic.

Here's the link if your interested but, though it was time consuming, it was a simple process and OMG it made such a difference! https://www.grandmashousediy.com/kitchen-cabinets-white/

Hi Rory,

There are a lot of steps to do a good job. I like the instructions from HGTV the best. I think they have a lot more tips than some other places. Even if I wrote out every step, I think I would miss one or two. When you start to read this article, there is a "Keep reading" button to click to access the some of it. Just a heads up. :) I hope this helps you. Wishing you the best.

https://www.hgtv.com/design/rooms/kitchens/best-way-to-paint-kitchen-cabinets

Hi! I think that if you treat kitchen cabinets like you would any other hard working piece of wood furniture that gets a lot of use, you won't go wrong. Removing the grease and dirt that tends to build up in even the most spotless kitchen, is step number one. Be sure to clean out any grooves or details. A toothbrush works well (or a denture brush which are available most places that sell toothbrushes). I recommend a product like Krud Kutter and you will need sponges, microfiber cloths, etc. You want to clean it really well, because next you will be sanding and/or stripping the wood, and the dirt will gum your sand paper up like crazy and cause tons more work. Are you replacing the hardware? This is a perfect time to upgrade. Filling the holes from the old hardware so that new holes can be drilled are easier to do at this point. Plus you can sand the filler flush with the wood. If you remove the doors, be sure to label them so that you don't go crazy figuring out what goes where. Sanding and painting is much easier if you remove them, but, you can do it with time and care, without removing them. Use a paint intended for cabinets, because it will be more durable (I found this out when painting bathroom cabinets). I recommend priming them first, before putting your paint choice on. Oak is a little trickier than some woods, because of the graining, etc. Personally, I like graining! I like Kilz for sealing. Some woods bleed through paint, especially white paint, so sealing is important., Apply paint as recommended by the manufacturer. Then, after all coats are applied and dry, use a clear sealer to protect the paint. I like to use a sealer from the same manufacturer when possible. Ace Hardware, Home Depot and most chains with a paint department are good sources of information. If you have a local small business nearby that specializes in paint, even better. Good luck, take your time and it will be worth all your effort.

Here's how I painted mine. They have held up great! https://rootsandwingsfurniture.com/blog/kitchencabinetmakeover/

Hi Rory! I can tell you how to paint your kitchen cabinets with Dixie Belle Chalk Mineral Paint! :)

It is super easy to paint with Dixie Belle:

Step one: Clean with White Lightning

Step two: If the surface is slippery, apply two coats of Slick Stick

Step three: Paint one to two coats of Dixie Belle Chalk Mineral Paint

Step four: Use Gator Hide for a water-repellent and durable finish

No sanding required! https://simplytodaylife.com/painting-kitchen-cabinets-with-chalk-paint/

Also, we did have a series of LIVE videos on a step by step tutorial of how to paint your kitchen cabinets. If you would like to watch them....

Day one: https://www.facebook.com/DixieBellePaint/videos/1609328872527961/

Day two: https://www.facebook.com/DixieBellePaint/videos/1610860225708159/

Day three: https://www.facebook.com/DixieBellePaint/videos/1612437375550444/

Day four: https://www.facebook.com/DixieBellePaint/videos/1615506548576860/

If you ever need help or have any questions you can feel free to call us at 813-909-1962 during business hours. We have a full staff here eager to help you!

We have an awesome group on FB that gives you all kinds of help if you are interested. click here to join: https://www.facebook.com/groups/FriendsWhoLikeDixieBellePaint/