What white paint is best and best coverage to repaint kitchen cabinets

Renee
by Renee
My house is a 1950+ year old with wood cabinets. My husband painted them 40 years ago with an oil based paint, however, 5 years ago I had them repainted with a flat paint. The painter used Kiltz as a primer. they desperately need painting again but I'm looking for the best product that will give nice results without a lot of work! I am 64 and plan to do this myself. Thank you!

  9 answers
  • Hillela G. Hillela G. on Oct 29, 2017

    How about chalk paint? it takes out half the work :)

  • 2dogal 2dogal on Oct 29, 2017

    I would not use chalk paint on kitchen cabinets. I would wash them with TSP to remove any grease and to dull the finish. The only paint I use is Behr at Home Depot. (It was a Best Buy by Consumer Reports) I would use a gloss or semi gloss with a primer in it for the kitchen cabinets. I've completely painted 3 houses with Behr, and would highly recommend it.

  • Janet Pizaro Janet Pizaro on Oct 29, 2017

    Use Citristrip to remove the existing paint.Lightly sand ,clean and prime,once dry use the recommended paint which is a oil based paint,then use a polycrylic non-yellowing sealer

  • Robin Robin on Oct 29, 2017

    Chalk paint is great and I love working with but for the kitchen it would have to be sealed really well and I think that would end up being more work for you. There is a product Lowes carries specifically for kitchen cabinets, it is more expensive but it turns out beautiful. I have friends who used it, it wasn't easier but it did turn out great.

  • Gigi Gigi on Oct 29, 2017

    Gloss. Even a 'high gloss' adding new hardware makes a big difference. What about painting the doors one color and cabinets another. Send pic's when you finish.

  • Candy Walsh Candy Walsh on Oct 29, 2017

    i used regular interior water based paint on mine and they came out great, just make you clean them really well first with TSP or something like it. Good luck, it's a big job!

  • Johnavallance82 Johnavallance82 on Oct 29, 2017

    iT IS MORE IMPORTANT TO GET ENOUGH DENSE COVERAGE WITH YOUR UNDERCOAT, BECAUSE TOPCOAT IS A SORT OF WHITE VARNISH REALLY.....

  • Kate Kate on Oct 29, 2017

    Gloss and semi-gloss paint will be easier to clean than flat. Kilz is a good, sturdy primer and covers intense colors, stains and odors- it probably helped new paint adhere to oil paint and covered stains from the years. The oil paint had probably held up well so you'll need to be sure you don't layer paint on what's left so the cupboards don't function properly. I'm sure it sounds completely obvious but I've seen too many landlord "maintained" houses with doors, windows, etc that don't close because every surfaces is well layered with paint.


    I've been renting for a couple years and I think painting walls and trim white is dreadful. White walls are dispiriting, likely to have a color temperature unfriendly to skin. Nothing enhanced my artwork, dirt showed up easily; walls are a pain to clean. White trim is equally awful. The top of the baseboards, or any moulding. show dust collecting. There are grimy fingerprints on doors and light switches at any given moment- I'm not a grimy person.


    If you really want white though, can you have a white middle panel or panels, if that's the style you have, and a darker, gloss color on the surrounding frame-like part? If your door is flat you might consider a stencil to add white. You'll be able to find motifs in almost any style, cut your own or have one cut... but don't go to the great homogenizer and local business killer walm*rt. A local design shop (we have some that have prices within noise of the prices at the big consolidate places) should have tips on how to use large stencils. (You might want to consult Consumer Reports for your main paint. Art and stencil paints are different) You can get stencil forms in library books (may need Interlibrary Loan), Amazon, etc., online...


    That's something I'd consider, especially if my parameters included white. Even if you do white, that doesn't have to mean what I've seen called "ceiling white", as in bright white.

  • Kate Kate on Oct 29, 2017

    Gloss and semi-gloss paint will be easier to clean than flat. Kilz is a good, sturdy primer and covers intense colors, stains and odors- it probably helped new paint adhere to oil paint and covered stains from the years. The oil paint had probably held up well so you'll need to be sure you don't layer paint on what's left so the cupboards don't function properly. I'm sure it sounds completely obvious but I've seen too many landlord "maintained" houses with doors, windows, etc that don't close because every surfaces is well layered with paint.


    I've been renting for a couple years and I think painting walls and trim white is dreadful. White walls are dispiriting, likely to have a color temperature unfriendly to skin. Nothing enhanced my artwork, dirt showed up easily; walls are a pain to clean. White trim is equally awful. The top of the baseboards, or any moulding. show dust collecting. There are grimy fingerprints on doors and light switches at any given moment- I'm not a grimy person.


    If you really want white though, can you have a white middle panel or panels, if that's the style you have, and a darker, gloss color on the surrounding frame-like part? If your door is flat you might consider a stencil to add white. You'll be able to find motifs in almost any style, cut your own or have one cut... but don't go to the great homogenizer and local business killer walm*rt. A local design shop (we have some that have prices within noise of the prices at the big consolidate places) should have tips on how to use large stencils. (You might want to consult Consumer Reports for your main paint. Art and stencil paints are different) You can get stencil forms in library books (may need Interlibrary Loan), Amazon, etc., online...


    That's something I'd consider, especially if my parameters included white. Even if you do white, that doesn't have to mean what I've seen called "ceiling white", as in bright white.