Last week I undertook the daunting task of painting our kitchen cabinets. They are solid wood cabinets, that have withstood the test of time (They are nearly 60 Years old!). Although nothing was broken or damaged, the cabinets did look incredibly dated. The finish and hardware were awful. However, I knew that they would look amazing if we painted them.
I started the project by extensively researching cabinet painting. After watching countless videos and reading numerous blogs, I finally felt confident enough to dive in and start painting our kitchen cabinets. Today, I want to walk you through the steps. If you’re looking to paint your cabinets, hopefully following these steps will help make your journey a little easier.
Step 1: Remove all the cabinet doors
To make everything easier, remove all of your cabinets doors and hardware. We had hinges that were located on the face of the cabinets frames. Since we are switching to internal soft close hinges, we took this time to spackle and sand all the holes.
Step 2: Degrease the cabinets
Cleaning your cabinets is one of the most important steps to complete prior to painting. If you leave grease on your cabinets, the paint will not adhere to the surface properly, and you’ll have peeling paint issues. Most people recommend using TSP to degrease your cabinets. Since I have 5 children running underfoot, I wanted to use something a little safer. I opted for Krud Kutter Prepaint Cleaner. It’s a TSP substitute. John and I spent an evening scrubbing down every cabinet. We spent the bulk of our time degreasing the cabinets around the stove. They were filthy.
Step 3: Sand the cabinets
After allowing the cabinets to fully dry, I sanded down all the surfaces I wanted to paint. I used a palm sander with 150 grit sand paper. I took the time to go over every surface thoroughly. Just a heads up, this was an intensive process. It took hours. After I finished, I decided to call it a day and rest my aching shoulder. I completed sanding the cabinets the next day. This time I sanded everything with a 220 grit sand paper. After this round, the cabinets felt silky smooth.
Step 4: Clean the cabinets (and the entire kitchen) again
After all that sanding, everything was covered in dust. EVERYTHING. I cleaned and degreased the cabinets again. Then I got a step ladder and wiped down every wall. I started at the top and worked my way down. I know this seems like a ton of work, but I didn’t want specks of dust and debris in my paint. Once everything was clean, I was finally ready to prime.
Step 5: Gather painting supplies
I highly recommend staying away from foam rollers. Instead, use a 1/4 inch low nap roller. You’ll also need a few brushes. I purchased 2 1/2 inch angled brushes. Another must have is painters tape. Since we opted not to paint the inside of the cabinets, I had to tape inside every door.
Step 6: Prime the cabinets
We used an oil based primer for our cabinets. Since we were painting our cabinets a dark color, I had the primer tinted gray. I loved the coverage we got from the primer. A word of caution – oil paint is a pain in the ass to clean up. I ended up pitching my brushes.
Step 7: Sand and prime the cabinets again
I allowed the primer to dry for 6 hours, and then I sanded down my cabinets again. This time I didn’t use my palm sander. Instead, I purchased 220 grit sanding sponges. After hand sanding all the primed surfaces, I had to clean up all that dust. Yes, there is a ton of cleaning involved in this process. The next day, I primed the cabinets again. Some people only do one coat of primer, but I wanted to make sure every surface had a thick coat of primer, so there would be no issues with my paint.
Step 8: Sand and paint the cabinets with Advance
Once again, I hand sanded the primer with 220 grit sanding sponges. After thoroughly cleaning the dust from the cabinets, it was time to start painting. I used Benjamin Moore Advance in a satin finish. This is an expensive paint, but worth the price. It is very easy to work with, cleans up great with soap and water, and dries to a hard finish. There is absolutely no tackiness after applying this paint. I have been very impressed with the results.
Step 9: Sand and paint the cabinets with Advance again
I was growing tired of sanding, but I wanted the smoothest finish and best possible adhesion for my paint. This time I lightly hand sanded the paint using 320 grit sanding sponges. I thoroughly cleaned up the dust AGAIN. Then, I put on the final coat of Advance paint.
Painting our kitchen cabinets took me about a week. Of course, this isn’t counting painting the cabinet doors. I haven’t even started that project yet. If you’re thinking about painting your cabinets, it’s definitely not a quick process (see steps above). However, it’s also not hard. If you have the time and motivation, it can be an inexpensive way to refresh your kitchen.