Update: We have a much newer cabinet-painting post with more photos, details, and even a video for you here.
If you can paint a wall (and even if you can’t) you can paint your kitchen cabinets. There are just a few tried and true rules when attempting this project, so if you follow the simple steps outlined below it’ll be pretty hard to screw things up. And although you’ve all seen our newly renovated kitchen, we actually painted our previous 50-year-old knotty pine cabinets right after we moved in (to tide us over until we had the funds to replace them altogether). Check out the dark and dingy kitchen that we inherited with the house:
And the refreshing “after” thanks to only a few hours of prepping and painting:
So how did we do it? Easy peasy.
Step 1: Figure out what you want. Bring home paint swatches and select the perfect palette, and if you’re planning to replace your hardware, purchase some before you move on to the next step. Because most old hardware is a different size than newer hardware (the holes are further apart or closer together), it’s important to know if your new door and drawer bling is spaced differently than your current hardware before you begin. Then it’s nice to wash everything down with a little soap and water to cut the grease and the spills that have built up on the doors and drawers over the years. Nothin’ like a little sponge bath to get you in the mood to makeover your kitchen…
Step 2: Take it off, baby. Now it’s time to remove all of your hardware and your hinges (regardless of whether you’ll be reusing it or replacing it- and it helps to store everything in a big ziplock bag so you’re never short a screw). Of course by removing the hinges you’ll be removing all the doors, so finding a place that you can lay out a big fabric or plastic drop cloth (which are about $2 from Home Depot or Lowe’s) is a good idea. Once you have your drop cloth in place, lay out all your cabinet doors and drawers so you can paint them all together in one convenient spot (and have full access to the frames of the cabinets in the kitchen).
Step 3: Fill ‘er up. Then if you’re replacing your hardware with something that won’t fit the existing holes in your doors and drawers, you’ll want to pick up some wood filler (it’s around $6 a tube, which is all ya need) and fill those existing hardware holes in all of the doors and drawers. There are many different colors of wood fill, but since you’re painting your cabinets, matching the tone isn’t really a big deal (although it can’t hurt to grab the one that most closely resembles the color of your current cabinets).
Step 4: Get sandy. The sanding process isn’t always necessary (for example, our cabinets weren’t glossy so we skipped it and went straight to priming) but for some people with super shiny cabinets (aka: lots of polyurethane) it can’t hurt to run an electric sander over everything- or take a bit more time to hand sand things- with fine grit paper to rough everything up for maximum paint stickage. Not sure if yours need to be sanded? If they feel matte like a cutting board (a little absorbent) then they shouldn’t need it, but if they feel shiny like a laminated piece of paper or a glossy credit card then sanding is your best bet. Note: lead paint is a serious health risk when sanding, so if you have an older home with already-painted cabinets that look decades old it’s worth testing for lead with a $6 lead test kit from Home Depot. Safety first!
Step 5: It’s prime time. Due to all the grease and even just the wood stain that often coats kitchen cabinets, it’s über important to get down and dirty with oil-based primer (even if the water-based equivalent claims that it works just as well on cabinet surfaces, we’ve seen stains seep right through that stuff, so oil-based is the better-safe-than-sorry alternative). One coat of primer applied with a decent quality roller should do the trick (then just use a brush to get into those tigher spaces and the grooves in the doors). We prefer wool or polyester rollers (Purdy’s a great brand) over foam ones as we’ve found that they rile up the paint and cause bubbles. Oh and it doesn’t matter if you can still see the wood tone underneath after one coat, the primer’s main job is to make your cabinets sticky and the paint will do the rest. You’ll probably want to snag an extra brush just for priming since they’re usually pretty messed up afterwords (it’s best to toss it or save it for other priming projects and use a pristine new one for painting). And ditto with the roller. We usually don’t even try washing the oil-based paint out of it- and prefer to replace it with a fresh new one before painting for a seamless result (reused rollers and brushes can often compromise the smooth finish that you’re going for when it comes to your cabinets).
Step 6: Get your paint on. You’re in the home stretch, so just two coats of latex paint (in a semi gloss finish for easy wipe-ability) are next on the agenda. You’ll definitely want to wait a few hours after applying primer, but I actually primed and painted my cabinets (two coats!) all in the same day. When it comes to applying the paint, a high quality wool or polyester roller makes for the sleekest application. A mini foam roller can also help since it’s smaller and easy to control. You’ll also probably need to use a brush sparingly, just to get into those little cracks and crevices that your roller can’t reach. Do yourself a favor by buying an angle-tipped brush as opposed to a flat-tipped one- they make staying in the lines a lot easier.
Note: We didn’t prime or paint the inside of the doors, but our approach would be to prime/paint them first and then wait five days and turn them over and prime/paint the outside (that way if anything got a bit imperfect after being flipped face down, it would be on the inside- an therefore less noticeable).
Step 7: Wait for it. After two coats of latex paint you now have to practice patience. Most experts advise waiting at least three days to rehang or begin using your doors and drawers (especially since the rehanging process involves lots of holding and pressing and drilling which can muck up anything that’s not 100% dry). We actually advise waiting five days if ya can (it beats doing the whole thing all over again and guarantees a totally seamless finish even in high humidity).
Step 8: Hang in there. Then all you have to do is rehang your doors (either using your existing hinges or new ones), slip in your drawers, and add your hardware. If the hardware is new, take time to measure twice before you drill to avoid any annoying mistakes that will make you want to putty and repaint, which never looks as good as the flawless finish that you get the first time around. John actually took his sweet time drilling all of our holes for the new hardware (to the tune of about two hours) but it was well worth the assurance that everything was perfectly centered and right where it should be. In this case slow and steady wins the race.
*Oh and it bears noting that if your cabinets are anything but solid wood (laminate, veneered, etc) you should definitely take off a door or a drawer and bring it with you to your local hardware store and ask the paint pro there what they recommend. There are some great oil-based primers and enamel paints out there so it might be possible to get a semi-durable finish (although none as long-lasting as solid wood paint jobs). The key is really roughing up the surface so it’s less glossy and then priming and painting with the best stuff they have (usually oil or enamel based). Oh and don’t forget to let everything dry for a while so things can cure up and get super durable for the long haul.
So that about does it for our cabinet painting and refinishing tutorial. Of course Step 9 is to invite all of your friends over for celebratory margaritas or to do the happy dance every time you walk into your amazing new space. We hope this will help you completely transform your kitch on a dime and in a flash. And just in case you need a few more before & after pictures to convince you, here are two clients of ours that we helped transform their rooms with painted cabinets:
Here’s Kim’s crazy blue kitchen that she inherited with her home:
And here’s her two-tone masterpiece after a quick paint makeover (we suggested slightly different colors for her upper and lower cabinets):
And here’s Carla’s kitchen before she came to us for help:
And here it is after we encouraged her to paint her cabinets a crisp glossy white tone (along with her dining room chairs) while the dining table went black to mimic the backsplash:
Amazing what a little paint can do, eh? And if they can do it you can to! So if you have a spare weekend or even a few week nights you’ll be well on your way to a totally new room. Happy painting…
In need of a furniture painting tutorial? Fret not, we’ve gotcha covered.
Update: We have a much newer cabinet-painting post with more photos, details, and even a video for you here.
Christy says
Love your site! Our new home has orangey cabinets, white laminate countertops, and stainless steel appliances. The rest of our home is decorated in a cottage style. We’d like to paint our cabinets white and replace the counters. Any ideas on a countertop surface that would look great and fit into our tight budget? We like the look of your granite or maybe even a sandy color, but granite is out of our price range right now. Also, two of the cabinet doors beneath the sink area have a bit of water damage on the edge. I believe it is where the MDF has gotten wet and puffed up. They have a fuzzy texture along the edge. Any ideas on what to do with the damage before we paint (i.e. fillers, sanding, etc.)? Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
Butcher block! Ikea sells it for cheap and it’s so cottage chic and unbelievably classic with white cabinets. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Jill says
I’ve already sanded, primed and painted my kitchen cabinets with a restoration hardware color that only came in “subtle velvet” finish. (seems like a satin finish to me) Do you recommend using a polyurethane top coat, and if so, which one would you suggest? Cabinets are painted an off-white shade on uppers and granite shade on lowers. Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
Nope, we actually don’t recommend poly at all for cabinets (the industry standard is oil-based primer followed by semi-gloss or gloss paint as we outlined in this write-up). Hopefully your satin finish will wear well and be ok on its own (adding poly can yellow the paint and result in peeling/bubbling/etc). Good luck!
xo,
s
Ruth says
Help! I am repainting my cabinets in the bath. Do I have to sand them until they are rough? Or just a once over? I am anxious to paint, but I don’t want to have to go back and do it again!
Why do you suggest oil based primer, vs latex based primer?
YoungHouseLove says
Just sand them until they’re no longer shiny and they feel matte. As for oil-based primer it blocks a lot more bleed through, and cures more fully so you don’t end up with a sticky result. It’s the industry standard and we strongly recommend it!
xo,
s
Sadie says
I repainted my kitchen cabinets, before they were all white, now the top is white and the bottom is black. I love the way they turned out but wish I had found your website earlier! I love all of your advice and information. My cabinet doors, especially the bottom ones my children use most, are starting to show signs of wear. It has only been about 6 months since I painted them. Around the knobs the paint is beginning to chip. When I repaint them could I put a coat of Minwax Water-Based Polycrylic Protective Finish to help protect them and keep the finish looking good?
YoungHouseLove says
We never suggest polycrilic on cabinets since the experts recommend the steps outlined in this post (oil-based primer + latex paint, applied thinly and evenly with a lot of drying/curing time). Perhaps sanding things down and starting with the right oil-based primer base will help the paint stick like glue? Hope it helps.
xo,
s
Randi says
What is the name of the color used in the first photo??? I love it!
YoungHouseLove says
That’s Brown Bag by Glidden. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Randi says
Thank you so much! Your home is absolutely gorgeous!
Ashley says
We recently bought a 30 year old home. There are tons of cabinets in kitchen and baths. They all seem to be made the same. There is dark wood paneling on the lower half of kitchen walls, and it looks and feels like the front of the cabinets are this paneling. (it looks like it is a cabinet door frame they nailed this paneling to.) can this be painted? What do I use to fill in the lines? Thanks for ur suggestions!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Ashley,
Without seeing your paneling/cabinets in person we can’t be sure. Our suggestion would be to remove a cabinet door or drawer and take it with you to your local home improvement center and ask the paint pros what they recommend. You can probably fill in the lines with paintable caulk, but definitely see what they think in person!
xo,
s
Dee says
I just love your site. Thanks so much for all the helpful, budget-friendly info. I looked through many pages of comments but couldn’t find suggestions for metal kitchen cabinets. I have metal cabinets that are very poorly painted. They need to be stripped and re-painted. Do I follow the same procedure as in the tutorial? Or is metal a different beast? Also, I remember a comment that metal really takes to spray-painting. So would you suggest spray-painting the paint as as opposed to rolling? Can I use a sander to get rid of the paint on the metal? And would I use a regular latex semi-gloss after oil-based priming? Thanks for your help!
YoungHouseLove says
We haven’t tackled that personally but our best guess would be that a thin and even coat of spray primer (oil-based) followed by a few light and even coats of latex spray paint would do the trick. You might want to google around a bit more or ask a pro in the paint department of your local home improvement store. Good luck!
xo,
s
Dan Robertson says
I just started thinking about this today and then I ran into your website when looking for ideas. I will read the other posts after I post this. Sorry if this question was already asked. I have cabinets exactly like the picture above: “CUCINA” with the square tile floor, stainless steel appliances. The cabinets are like a honey oak stain with a semi shine finish to them. (track home in southern California.)
My question is this: If I look at the cabinets from an angle with the lights on them,I can see a wood grain. Do I sand them down to get rid of the grain look, Is there a filler to fill the grain? I would like to have a solid flat surface with a shiny white coat of paint on them. Or would it look funny if there were painted white and a wood grain showing under the paint? – I think so. Please give me some advice!
Thanks,
Dan
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Dan,
We know that the homeowner with the Cucina kitchen followed our exact tutorial, so she didn’t fill in the wood grain but she did sand a bit and use oil-based primer (which can fill things in bit for a smoother finish) so that would be what we recommend. Of course you can ask around at your local home improvement center if they have anything that fills in wood grain, just be sure it’s paintable so it doesn’t repel the actual finish (or flake off over time). Sanding is probably your best bet since you’re not adding something to the cabinets, you’re shaving something off (which won’t cause chipping or flaking over time). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Rhonda says
I definitely just bookmarked this! We have some seriously polyurethane’d cabinets to paint and I’ve been so afraid to even THINK about tackling it. It’s an overwhelming project, but I think we can handle it!
Ali says
Hi there! I love your site. I have wanted to paint my kitchen cabinets for years, just haven’t had the guts to do it! Now that I am really serious about it I have NO clue what color to paint them? Is there a way I could send you a picture of my kitchen and you give me color suggestions? I have ugly beige swirly looking countertops and ugly cream appliances that are hard to blend in with other colors.
Thanks for your help!
Ali
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Ali,
Fret not! Just take some time to figure out what you like and follow your heart instead of following someone else’s advice (since taste things like that are oh so personal). Our best suggestion is that you look around online at inspiration images, read magazines and books for free at the library or Barnes & Noble, and do other free activities to find a kitchen that totally inspires you and shape your new kitchen after that. You can also bring home a ton of paint swatches and hold them up to your counters and appliances to see what works. Good luck!
xo,
s
Ali says
Thanks!
Terri says
I’ve been told that painting knotty pine cabinets won’t turn out well. The knots will always show thru. Any suggestions?
Thanks
YoungHouseLove says
Our cabinets were knotty pine and they were amazing when we painted them. The oil-based primer is the key (latex or water based ones will yield sub-par results). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
CA Colleen says
We have an older home. We think our cabinets have an original layer of oil paint then latex paint on top of them; the top coat of paint appears to easily chip off which is what leads me to this conclusion.
Do you know if having the bottom layer of oil paint makes any difference? Can we just use the steps in the above tutorial as described (lightly sand, use oil-based primer, do a couple coats of latex paint)?
Many thanks for your advice. Your site is such a great resource for those of us who are new to home improvement!
(P.S. My apologies if you’ve already answered this question. I read through most of the 13 pages of comments and didn’t find anything and then ran out of time. I have a new baby too!)
YoungHouseLove says
Yes, the oil-based primer will work with oil or latex paint underneath. Good luck!
xo,
s
Ann Harkness says
O.K. I got one for you. We have a large wall in the Lg Room. It is rough sawn cedar, rough side into the room, that was stained w/ a dark oil based stain. How should we prepare this wall to repaint it & lighten up the room?
YoungHouseLove says
All you need is some oil-based primer first. That will keep things from bleeding. Two thin and even coats should do the trick, then just follow that with a few thin and even coats of latex paint when the primer is 100% dry.
xo,
s
Brandy says
i just recently bought a home that is 15 years old, i love its character, but i loathe the kitchen… it is a long narrow galley kitchen and it has dark cabinets and dark appliances… i recently purchase all new stainless steel appliances to replace the old but i want to brighten up the kitchen…on a budget since i spent most my money on the appliances.. a friend mentioned painting so i decided to check out some things could you suggest what would help brighten up a dark narrow space… your assistance would be greatly appreciated.
YoungHouseLove says
Anything on the lighter side will widen and open up a dark narrow space. The cabinets could go glossy white, cream, light tan, mocha, soft sage, artichoke, a light gray-blue, or any other tone that you’d like! Just bring home a ton of swatches and hold them up in your room to make sure they appear lighter than those dark cabinets of yours!
xo,
s
Alison says
Hiya,
Just recently found your blog and have now checked in a few times per month. You have great projects! Anyhoo, my husband and I are just starting to remodel our kitchen and we’re planning on painting our wood cabinets white. After sanding, using a tack cloth, and then priming, I’ve noticed that there are some yellow-ish areas appearing. Any ideas on what could be causing this and how to remedy it? I’m nervous to continue to paint without knowing if this will show through that as well…
Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
Alison
YoungHouseLove says
If you didn’t use oil-based primer, that’s the problem! Water or latex based primer allows the wood to bleed through and cause yellowing, so we recommend using Kilz oil-based stainblocking primer and waiting for that to fully dry before adding paint. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Alison says
Thanks for such a quick response! I could have sworn that I used oil-based primer, but after checking the can just now, nope it’s water-based! UGH. Will I be able to use an oil-based primer right over the water-based one I just put on? (Please say “yes.”) Thanks again!
Alison
YoungHouseLove says
Just sand things a bit when it’s totally dry (if not it’ll peel) and then use the oil-based primer. Good luck!
xo,
s
Sarah D says
I recently found your website and love it! I especially love all your projects! I painted my ugly cabinets bright white and installed new hardware…the transformation is amazing! The counter tops are a wood grain formica. I’m looking for a low cost way to refinish them. Have you ever done such a thing or have any recommendations?
Thanks,
Sarah
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Sarah,
We haven’t ever read about any methods that seem reliable for altering or refinishing formica counters (unfortately with regular use spray paint and other efforts can peel and crack and look worse than they did before you painted them). So sorry! Here’s hoping they come out with something that works soon!
xo,
s
stefanee says
giani granite paint works wonders on formicca and hold up pretty well, and very easy process :)
Margaret says
Maybe this was covered in a previous post ( confess I haven’t waded through all of them) but we’re about to paint out builder-grade cabinets and I’m wondering if we’ll need a separate primer. We purchased paint from Home Depot that already has primer in it, but I’m a little worried about coverage as the wood cabinets are pretty dark and our color is pretty light. Any recommendations?
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes, you need an oil-based primer all on it’s own. That two-in-one paint won’t work well when it comes to durability (so in the end it’s not a short cut since it won’t look great at all).
xo,
s
Tessah says
Hi Sherry! We’re about halfway through repainting all of our kitchen cabinets… actually we’re sprinting to the finish line so that we’ll be worry-free when our new kitchen floor gets installed tomorrow. Anywho – I was wondering how long you recommend waiting to put the new knobs and pulls on – we need to screw new holes (they didn’t have any hardware – nekkie – before!). We just want to be extra sure that everything is dry and mar-safe and we’re not in a big hurry. How long did ya’ll wait?
Thanks for all your incredible tips – you and John (and of course Clara and Burger) are inspiring!
YoungHouseLove says
We actually waited about a week just to be sure everything cured up (since it can be dry to the touch a few days before it’s dried all the way through (and able to resist dents from the screwdriver, etc). Good luck!
xo,
s
Chef Maven - Leah says
I am in awe of so many things on your website: your completed projects, thoroughness of pointing out details worthy to take into account prior to starting your DIY projects. I am about to buy my very first house and your website has given me countless ideas.
Keep up the amazing work in inspiring all of us on how easy it can be with a little patience in creating the homes we all love. I will surely be stopping on back to your great website to learn how to tackle some of these projects.
Thanks!
Tessa says
Hi there! I just discovered your blog and its amazing! I’ve been agonizing over what color to paint the kitchen in my new condo and realized I can’t pick a color because I really really want white cabinets. I have brand new nice wood cabinetry, its just not my style and our condo is rather small so I want every space to be great. Your blog shows a great example of the perfect before and after that of what I hope to have. My question is, do you know anything about installing hardware on cabinets that don’t currently have hardware? Is it a huge pain??
Thanks!
Tessa
YoungHouseLove says
No way- it’s easy! Just be sure to measure twice or even three times to be sure you know where you want to place the hardware (so you don’t hang anything off-center) and then use a drill to give it a little pilot hole and twist on the new hardware. Easy peasy. Just go slow and steady to avoid mistakes. Good luck!
xo,
s
Roxanne McInerneyy says
a FEW YEARS AGO I painted my brown VERY cheap cabinets in a hurry, white no primer or sanding and the paint peeled right away in weeks by the handles.
This time I did it right stripped them and lightly sanded too,new hardware even the hinges (Ebay) and painted medium grey top and dark grey bottom.LOOKS GREAT!
The Chrome contemporary handles, light grey wall paint and a splurge of a red glass tile backsplash have added the WOW to my nearly all grey kitchen
YoungHouseLove says
So glad it worked out this time! Congrats!
xo,
s
Kelly says
We have old wood kitchen cabintes. Our kitchen cabinets were originally wood colored, and when we bought the house the prior owner had painted the kitchen cabinets white, but they did a matte off-white, so they get dirty and they are hard to clean. We want to repaint them bright white now as we just purchased new granite countertops. What would you recommend for a good primer and semi gloss paint???
YoungHouseLove says
We’d do KILZ oil-based primer (make sure it’s not the water based stuff) followed by Behr’s semi-gloss off-the-shelf-white latex paint (two thin and even coats). Good luck!
xo,
s
PJ says
I am getting ready to paint over wood kitchen cabinets. I have been reading on line “how-to” articles and all say that Priming is a must before painting. That is understood. Although all seem to agree that Priming is a must I have noticed that there is a discrepancy in the actual “Type” of Primers to use in relation to the type of Paint ?
One says to use OIL-based primer with Oil Paint, another says you can use Latex Paint over an OIL-based Primer, and still another mentions a product called “KILZ 2” for either Oil or Latex paints. What’s the REAL “Correct” answer ??
YoungHouseLove says
Always always use oil-based primer (water-based can contribute to bleed-through and a sub par finish). It can be followed by either latex or oil based paint (both will work and come out gorgeous) but oil takes longer to dry (which means things can get marred or dinged in the meantime) so we prefer latex since it dries faster and therefore usually results in a more pristine finish. Of course you still want to give it lots of drying time just in case. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
jjharrison says
We are in the process of buying a fixer-upper and have to weigh were we sink our money at the beginning. Where I would LOVE a totally new kitchen, I can live with it for a while, painted cabinets and new countertops would hold me for a couple years. One question: The house has a sub-zero refrigerator with the wood on it. do I just tape off and do the same process as the rest or do I need to find a way to remove the panels? Any thoughts?
YoungHouseLove says
We definitely think you can paint those panels- just scuff them up a bit with sandpapaer and follow the oil-based primer followed by semi-gloss latex paint instructions that you see here. Good luck!
xo,
s
Kathy says
Any tips on painting metal kitchen cabinets? I have a kitchen straight out of the 1950’s (my mother’s)and the cabinets are in desperate need of new paint. I like your idea about taking a cabinet to a home improvement store so they can see it first hand. Not only are my cabinets old, my stove is from 1955. Thanks, mom, lol.
Love your website.
YoungHouseLove says
That’s what we’d recommend. Bringing a door or drawer to the store for advice if you can. Metal takes really well to sprayed paint (as opposed to paint that’s brushed on or rolled). But you’ll definitely want some advice about what to use and how exactly to apply it. Good luck!
xo,
s
Christie R. says
Love your site! Need Help! Moved into our home about a year ago and have 16 yr old pink picklewood cabinets! Decided to paint bathroom cabinets with Behr’s Espresso Beans and wow came out beautiful! However, when I was removing tape from wall/side of cabinet the paint peeled right off the side of the cabinet giving it a jagged edge look! What did I do wrong? Not enough drying time? I am petrified to continue removing tape for fear of ruining all the sides of the cabinets! Kilz oil-based primer used first then dried, then Latex semi-Gloss Behr Ultra in Espresso Beans – 2 coats. HELP!!
YoungHouseLove says
Always always peel off your tape as soon as you’re done painting. If the paint is still wet, it won’t dry and form a bond to the tape (which creates that jagged look) so as soon as you put down the paint brush and the roller, quickly and carefully peel that tape!
xo,
s
Wendi says
I found your website a few weeks ago and LOVE it! I am now inspired to try to find my inner decorator. I have some darker oak cabinets, perhaps 15 years old or so, in good shape but a bit dated. I am considering painting or staining them and am toying with going with black milk paint in a matte finish. Am I nuts? We have grey speckled laminate counters and light ceramic tile with grey grout. I’m curious about your views… The kitchen is decent sized and gets sufficient light.
YoungHouseLove says
You generally want to go with at least a semi-gloss finish for cabinets so they’re more durable and easy to wipe down. But you can definitely go for a black milk paint look. Sounds lovely!!!
xo,
s
Peggy says
We moved into our house two years ago and I’ve been wanting to do something with the kitchen because the backsplash, cabinets, and counter are all white. The counter is a cheapo and needs to be replaced anyway, so that’s a no brainer. However, I’d like to paint the cabinets & need advice. The previous owners left paint downstairs & I found water based primer that is labled “primer for kitchen cabinets”; but the oak finish is easily seeable in some peeled spots. I like the color of the walls and from the paint I found downstair it appears to be an accent base tinted “Sycamore Maple 96263”. Our fridge is black; stove is black & white; dishwasher & microwave white: can you recommend a color for cabinets, counter, and maybe floor? Hardwood floors in dining room. Kitchen is parquet wood tiles that come loose constantly! Any help would be appreciated as I think kitchen is a huge eyesore now.
YoungHouseLove says
It’s really a subjective thing so just do what you’d like! We always love wood or cork in a white kitchen (white cabinets, cork or bamboo or hardwood floors, and butcher block or light granite counters, and soft green or blue-gray walls). One warning though, oil-based primer is a lot better than water-based stuff for painting cabinets. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Christine says
Just found your blog and love it! I moved into my condo 2 years ago and I finally have some time to fix it up. I’m planning to repaint my maple cabinets over the holidays and was wondering if you had advice about two things…
First, I’d really like to use VOC-free primer and paint (thinking about the Mystic line) because I live in a condo and will need to live/eat/sleep here while the painting is being done and drying. Are these okay to use for cabinets?
Also, do you have any advice on how to choose a shade of white? I have a black subway tile backsplash, black-gray granite counters, and will soon have a dark wood floor. I’d like bright white cabinets, but because the kitchen/living room is basically one room that makes up 2/3 of my condo, I’m worried it might be too stark.
Any advice you can give will be much appreciated!
Thanks!!
YoungHouseLove says
Hmm, we’re not sure about the low or no VOC primers since oil- based primer is the industry standard (but it’s full if VOCs). I hope it doesn’t compromise the finish or the durability. Good luck! Oh and as for picking a white paint color, just bring home a bunch of swatches and see what you like best!
xo,
s
Kim says
Can’t wait to see you redo the new digs. I am also getting ready to paint my honey oak cabinets. I have agonized over whether or not I will ruin them for two years and after reading your tips, have the confidence to try it. I do have a noticeable oak grain in them. I really don’t want to fill the grain to get rid of it….just prime, paint, and paint. Will that look OK? Will you see the oak grain through the paint or does the above process take care of it?
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yeah- that should look great! We’re planning to paint the oak cabinets in our new house that way so stay tuned for pics when we finally tackle them! And good luck!
xo,
s
Betsy C. says
My husband and I are a military couple who move quite a bit and we try to do affordable upgrades to each home before putting it back on the market. Our current home has a small, windowless, galley style, walk-through kitchen with golden oak cabinets. I would love to brighten them with paint, but question the resale value. Is it REALLY necessary to paint the interior of the cabinets and the inside of the door? Do you have any input or thoughts? Thank you!!
YoungHouseLove says
We didn’t paint ours when we painted the door fronts and cabinets so it’s really just about how thorough you want to be. In our new house we probably will, but not for resale- just for our own personal enjoyment since it’ll feel more like a new kitchen that way. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
beth says
We move into our new place in a month and will be painting cabinets there eventually (I think…). They are excellent quality, custom built, but are 80s oak with a plate rail.
Are you guys going to use a grain filler? I’ve seen some successful jobs that haven’t used it but I’ve seen some where the grain shows through more than I’d like for my own personal taste.
One other question-we have darkish natural wood trim everywhere and I think we’ll paint it white. The mullions (?? am I using the right word for the grid?) in the window are stained a natural color. If we paint the mullions and window trim, will they still function okay do you think? I’m guessing the mullions will be a beast to paint! I guess leaving them natural wood with white trim won’t be that great of a look either though :(
YoungHouseLove says
We didn’t use a grain filler last time we painted our cabs so we might not this time either. As for painting mullions and window trim, as long as you apply thin and even coats of paint you should be good to go. And you can use a straight razor to scrape paint that gets on the window so painting them won’t be that hard (at least you won’t have to worry about getting paint on the windows since it can be easily removed). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Manny G says
I really dont want to sand the cabinets inside the house to create alot of dust. I was informed i could use a Deglosser. What are your takes on this product as opposed to sanding?
YoungHouseLove says
We hesitate to use chemical deglossers since they can be toxic if inhaled or touched and also can interfere with primer and paint adhesion sometimes (causing bleeding, uneven finishes, etc). Sanding stinks (and is messy) but it’s the good old fashioned way that works!
xo,
s
Pam H says
I’m wanting to paint my kitchen cabinets and have been reading your column, lots of great info. My cabinets are cheap laminate trailer cabinets, (no offense intended). Will the laytex paint hold up? I don’t need an enamel paint? (of course I will be using an oil based primer.) Can you explain the differences in these paints? Oil based, enamel, alkaline, laytex, water based…
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Pam,
Laminate cabinets actually might not work with this method- this is just for wood ones. Maybe visit your local home improvement store and ask what would work? We haven’t tackled that project personally yet so we don’t have much advice! And they can tell you all about the differences of those paint types as well. Good luck!
xo,
s
A Carolina DIYer says
Just wanted to chime in on the primer issue: we’ve re-painted wood cabinets in two kitchens in the last 7 years. Both times we sanded a bit on the face of the cabinets, even though the finish was pretty rough, because we wanted to get off any residue. Then we primed with KILZ2, which is not oil-based, but water-based. We then applied two coats of paint. Both kitchens turned out great. We’ve been using our current kitchen cabinets for over three years without any problem. So perhaps oil-based primer is the absolute best way to go, but if you’re shy of oil-based paint or concerned with fumes, drying time, etc., water based primer worked and continues to work for us!
Mary RR says
All this talk about cabinets made me wonder: what do you prefer/recommend as a liner in your drawers and cabinets?
Some options are pretty pricey. Thanks.
YoungHouseLove says
We actually don’t have any cabinet liners. We scrub down the actual cabinet (and drawer) interior and use that since we find it’s easier to scrub than something vinyl and we don’t have to worry about paying for a bunch of vinyl things that will stick to the bottoms of our cups and bowls and stuff. We also don’t find that they really protect cabinets at all since if you spill something it always seeps under them and gets the cabinet all sticky anyway. We went linerless in our old house and in this one, and so far it’s just what we prefer… but it’s totally a personal preference thing! We say go with whatever floats your boat!
xo,
s
SarahR says
So I recently found your blog (within the last 3 or so months) and you two have re-motivated me to start working on my project list. Currently I am painting all interior doors an ultra white semi gloss and changing the door knobs and then moving on to all the wood trim. After my current painting list is completed I really want to paint the wood cabinentry in the hall. I read all your steps, but what kind of white did you do on the kitchen remodel (with the green curtains?) Is it an ultra white…..or will that be too much of a stark white??
YoungHouseLove says
Benjamin Moore’s Decorators White. It’s not too stark and not too creamy. Good luck!
xo,
s
Maria says
I have a pretty boring kitchen right now! Walls are all ivory color, fridge and stove ivory, existing dishwasher is black, floor is slate grey tile and the cabinets are extremely dated with brown plastic laminate with butcher block laminate countertops! Yuck! I love red and have some red accessories and pans, etc. I am worried about painting the cabinets or walls red since this might overwhelm my accessory red color. I like golds, black, etc, so should I just paint the walls an old gold color and the cabinets an ivory to match the stove and fridge and use my red as an accessory color?
YoungHouseLove says
Yes! That sounds like the perfect plan! Good luck.
xo,
s
Carla says
I would LOVE to paint our kitchen cabinets, but they are a type of wood (Hickory maybe?) that has a lot of “knots” – so there are lots of little natural imperfections that would keep them from looking smooth if they were painted. Do you think that there is a way to fill all of the knots (with maybe wood filler/putty) that would turn the cabinets into a nice even, smooth surface to paint?
YoungHouseLove says
We’d ask at your local home improvement store. Sometimes they have filler type things that you can apply first. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Jillian goulding says
I love your blog! You have done so many fabulous projects! We are wanting to paint our kitchen cabinets, and I love the two tone look that you included in this post (the one s that were blue). Do you have any idea what paint colors she used? Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Jillian,
Here’s the post with more info for ya: https://www.younghouselove.com/2008/10/kims-color-conundrum-solved/
xo,
s
Erika says
Love your site! Can you recommend a nice dark brown paint color for my bathroom cabinets?
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Erika,
Since colors read differently in every house, we hate to toss something out that’s too gray or too yellow in your space, but here’s a post full of our favorite colors (which you can bring home and hold up to find the perfect color for your cabinets). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Jimmy says
Planning on attacking these cabinets pretty soon and will be using your tutorial for help! So thanks! One question though – my wife hates this backsplash but unfortunately it is going to have to stay for awhile because we would have to leave this to experts since it’s ceramic tile and it would be a BEAST to remove. Would painting these cabinets white be just too much? Since the countertops, backsplash and floors are white? If so, do you wonderful youngsters have any color suggestions?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/58198070@N04/5347424730/
YoungHouseLove says
I think it would look clean and lovely! Just bring home a ton of different white swatches and hold them up to the backsplash to see which ones look best (you don’t want something that’s too stark since that will make those tiles look dirty). Good luck!
xo,
s
Preisler Construction Ltd. says
Hi Sherry and John,
Well written and to the point, and yes, even for an old dog like me, there are still new tricks to be learned. (I was actually not aware that the result would be good when using a latex paint on top of a oil based primer. Then again, I am not a decorator by trade, I am more of a project manager/construction superintendent.)
Anyway, just wanted to say, thank you, and keep up the work on your awesome blog.
Martin, Preisler Construction Ltd.
(PS: That is not how our website normally looks. A developer have lost the template. :( )
Marion S says
Thank you for the instructions on how to paint wooden cupboards. I have been painting laminated kitchen cupboards for years and unfortunately the information you provided, although excellent, comes too late for me. First I used melanine – too hard and chipped, then with oil-based paint and that was too much trouble and took too long to dry and finally with latex, which I did not seal because it had not been suggested. I stained it accidentally when coffee spilled over it within a week. Now I am back to melamine because I am stuck with the paint that I bought last year. I just hate doing this job again. If I could find something which would seal the latex paint I would be happy because I still have some of this paint.
Regards,
YoungHouseLove says
Maybe try asking around at the hardware store? Good luck!
xo,
s
Jessica says
What size rollers do you recommended for painting cabinets?
Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
We used a standard one (are those 8″?) made by Purdy from Home Depot, the nice expensive ones for “smooth surfaces” are the way to go. Good luck!
xo,
s
Sarah says
John and Sherry, thank you so much for all your advice on, well, everything! I looked through the comments and couldn’t find this specific question, so I thought I would ask the youngsters: What do you think of Kilz spray primer in the aerosol can instead of rolling it on? I ask because I’m concerned about getting a thin enough layer of primer. Backstory: The previous owners painted our builder-grade cabinets with a darker paint treatment that I want to cover up with white – it’s nice and they did a good job, but it needs touching up and I’m tired of the dark color. The issue is they also stenciled a design onto all the doors and cabinets, which is raised 1/16-1/8″. (I asked the previous owner what they used to do that, and she said an extra-thick stencil and “sheet rock”… huh? Maybe she meant joint compound?) Anyway, the raised stenciled design itself is actually very nice and I think it will look awesome under the white paint, so I’m prepared to take on the tedious job of sanding around it even though it will take forever. But, I worry about primer globbing around the edges and ruining the stencil design, especially since I don’t have the stencil to redo it. SO! Do you think the Kilz aerosol cans would do a better job of a thin coat? If you think rolling is better, any tips for keeping a thin coat while still covering the whole design? Should I just sand the “sheet rock” off? Beg my husband for new cabinets? (actually even I’m too cheap for that!) Any advice appreciated – thanks for everything!
YoungHouseLove says
We don’t recommend spraying your cabinets unless you’re a pro at it. Otherwise you’ll end up with a drippy and uneven mess. A small foam roller would definitely help you apply a super thin coat so that would be our recommendation, and you can wipe a brush around the stencil to remove any drips so it’s still nice and visible without getting globby. Hope it helps!
xo,
s