Do your kitchen cabinets need a makeover? Maybe they’ve sustained some wear and tear over the years and they’re starting to look a bit haggard, or maybe you’re just sick of the color. Either way, you’re ready for something different. You might be worried about having to completely replace your cabinets, but a fresh paint job could be the answer!
It’s easy and satisfying to paint cabinets as long as you know how to do it. The right materials, preparation, and process are all you need to do the job just as well as a professional would. This guide will walk you through everything you need to know.
Can Your Cabinets Be Repainted?
Before you spend any time on this project, you should find out whether you can do it in the first place: can your cabinets be repainted at all? This depends on the material they’re made of. If you have smooth wooden cabinets, great! They can be repainted according to the instructions in this guide. But you can’t paint cabinets if they’re made from any of these materials:
- Laminate cabinets are not meant to be painted, and are too smooth for the paint to adhere well.
- Vinyl cabinets and thermofoil (MDF cabinets with a thin layer of vinyl sealed onto them) have the same issue.
- Stainless steel does not take paint well either.
- Engineered wood and other synthetic materials also have adhesion problems.
- Open-grained wood is the exception to the rule about natural wood being paintable, because highly textured wood grain has too many crevices and holes to paint effectively. It’s supposed to be natural and open to look good in rustic-style kitchens, so painting it would just turn it into a strange, lumpy surface.
For materials with adhesion problems (all of the above except open-grained wood), you may be able to get around this with a really good primer, but at your own risk. Most primers require you to roughen the surface first by sanding, and this is likely to just damage the material or be impossible to do properly at all. You’d need to find a primer that claims to be compatible with the substrate you’re trying to paint, and there’s no guarantee it will work.
Solid wood cabinets are the best to paint. It doesn’t matter whether they’re framed or frameless cabinets as long as the outer surfaces are solid wood or have a solid wood skin over plywood construction.
If your cabinets are damaged, they need to be repaired before painting or replaced entirely if the damage is too severe. Even solid wood will warp or crack if enough moisture gets inside, and the paint can crack due to expansion and contraction of the compromised wood.
If nothing is wrong with your cabinets (except their color) and they’re the right material, you can go ahead with your painting project!
Why It’s a Great Idea to Repaint Your Kitchen Cabinets
If you’re still on the fence about whether you want to paint your cabinets, it’s a smart decision for many reasons. It’s a chance to refresh your home without the cost and disruption of a full kitchen remodel. A fresh coat of paint can instantly brighten a room, making it feel bigger and more inviting, or more cozy and intimate depending on the colors you use. Repainting kitchen cabinets is a project that has a significant impact, with a relatively small investment in time and money. Plus, there’s a real sense of accomplishment that comes from doing it yourself.
Getting Ready for Your Cabinet Makeover
Preparation is key to a successful cabinet repainting project. Don’t skip any preparation steps; at best you’ll end up with a shoddy paint job, and at worst you could even end up getting sick from dust or other particulates in the air. It might seem tedious at the time, but proper preparation will save you a lot of headaches later and ensure your cabinets look their best.
Collect These Tools and Materials
You need to have all the right tools at hand before you even think about opening a can of paint. Having everything organized from the start will make the whole process much smoother. To repaint kitchen cabinets, you will need the following items:
- A screwdriver that fits the screws on your cabinet hinges.
- A flat-head screwdriver or similar tool for opening paint cans.
- Painter’s tape to protect small surfaces.
- Dropcloths to protect your floor or other work area.
- High-quality paintbrushes in an assortment of sizes and angles.
- High-density foam paint rollers are optional but great for coverage. Make sure you get extra heads for the rollers as well.
- Paint trays for the rollers and/or as a place to rest your brush at times.
- A few buckets ready for paint, water, cleaner, etc.
- A paint sprayer is optional — you probably won’t be able to use it on every inch that needs repainting, so be prepared to use a brush at least some of the time.
- Painter’s pyramids to prop up the cabinet doors and drawers for painting.
- An orbital sander. You need to sand down the existing finish to ensure the new paint adheres well, and doing the whole job by hand would be exhausting.
- Sandpaper discs in a coarse grit (100 to 150) and a fine grit (220 is good).
- Heavy-duty cleaner specifically made for cleaning and degreasing before painting, such as Savogran TSP-PF.
- Work gloves.
- Tack cloth or rags to wipe dust away.
- Eye protection (clear plastic goggles will be fine).
- A dust mask to prevent you from breathing fumes or toxic particulates.
- A stepladder to reach higher areas.
- Paint for your cabinets!
- Primer to lay out a good foundation for the paint.
You will also need to devote some time to this project. Expect it to take a few days — no matter how fast you work, the coats of paint need time to dry in between applications. It simply can’t be rushed. You should also give yourself time to do a decent job without too much pressure, if possible, so remember that even if you hurry to complete it as fast as you can, you’ll still need to wait for the paint to dry.
What Paint to Use to Repaint Kitchen Cabinets?
Your choice of cabinet paint involves more than just picking a color (although that’s probably the most fun part. You also need to consider the following:
- Oil-based, alkyd, or water-based? The base substance of a paint defines how it applies, how long it takes to dry, how bad it smells while you’re working, and how durable the finish is. Oil and water will also not adhere to each other, and you want to make sure you pick one that’s compatible with your primer (many primers do specify they can be used with any paint). Oil tends to be more durable, but is worse to apply with more fumes and greater drying time, plus a tendency to yellow as it ages. Water-based tends to be the opposite (although water-based paints have become more durable in recent years). Alkyd is a hybrid of the two that is meant to bring the best of both worlds together, applying like water-based but finishing like oil without the yellowing.
- Brand is important for picking a paint that has a good reputation, especially since established brands have researched paint formulas to make them more durable and beautiful. Sherwin-Williams is a great example; their Urethane Trim Enamel is made specifically for cabinets and other surfaces that get a lot of rough use. It’s water-based but has extra durability from the urethane.
- Finish goes along with color, but it’s important to think about on its own too. Do you prefer gloss, semi-gloss, satin, or matte? You can find a brief comparison of these finishes in my Kitchen Cabinet Trends article.
Do You Really Need Primer to Repaint Cabinets?
Primer is absolutely necessary to repaint kitchen cabinets and get a professional-looking result, and sometimes the paint won’t adhere at all without it. Since paints come in oil, alkyd, and water-based formulas, and they won’t always stick nicely to each other, your cabinets need to be prepared with a surface that will accept the paint you want to use. Primer is specifically made for this purpose and stops you from having to guess what base type of paint was on your cabinets before. It also creates a uniform surface that will help the paint apply evenly for a better finish and ensures the old color is completely covered up.
In case you were wondering, you can’t skip sanding, either. The primer needs a slightly roughened surface to adhere to, and you want your brand-new paint job to actually be adhered to the cabinet, not to an old coat of paint that could chip or crack. An old coat of paint would be a weak foundation that would undermine your fresh paint job.
Prepare Your Work Area
Preparing your work area is important for protecting your floors and other surfaces and making sure you have enough room to move around as you paint. Good lighting and ventilation are also ideal. Some painting needs to be done directly in your kitchen, since you can’t (and shouldn’t) completely disassemble your cabinets to paint them, but that doesn’t mean you have to do all your painting in there. The doors and drawers can all go into a separate work area if you find it more comfortable. You’ll need a place to lay them out to dry when they’re done, too. A well-prepared space makes the actual painting much easier and less messy.
To prepare your kitchen for repainting cabinets:
- Clear everything out of your kitchen, including dishes, decor, and appliances. Small appliances should definitely be put out of the way but this doesn’t mean you need to move your refrigerator; if it’s going to be at risk of getting paint on it, just cover the risky area with dropcloths and painter’s tape.
- Lay down your dropcloths to protect your countertops and floors from any paint drips.
- Remove all the cabinet doors and drawers, labeling them as you go so you’ll know exactly where each piece belongs when it’s time to put them back. You can write on painter’s tape and stick it to the back. It’s up to you how you label them — you could start with the upper left wall cabinet and just count them like 1 top, 2 top, 3 top and so on, with base cabinets labeled like 1 base, 2 base, etc. or any system you come up with. The important thing is to remember where they go.
- Remove as much hardware as possible from your cabinets and their doors, including handles and anything that could get in the way of sanding and painting. Keep them sorted so you know which cabinet they belong to.
- Use painter’s tape to cover the edges of the walls and ceiling where they meet the edges of the cabinets, any hardware you can’t remove, and anything else you want to protect from accidental painting.
To prepare another work area, you mostly just need dropcloths to protect the table or other surface you’ll be working at. Painter’s tape can help keep the dropcloth in place, if necessary.
The Complete Process to Repaint Kitchen Cabinets
Now that you’re all set up, it’s time to get started! This section will guide you through the actual steps of cleaning, sanding, priming, and painting your cabinets. Each step builds on the last, so taking your time and doing each one correctly will ensure a beautiful, long-lasting finish. Remember, patience is your friend here; don't rush through any of these stages.
Step 1: Cleaning
If you’ve read my guide on maintenance tips for cabinets, you might be alarmed at the idea of using a heavy-duty cleaner on them now. After all, you’d usually use mild solutions of soap and water, but the reason for being so gentle is to protect the finish. And now, you’re about to completely replace the finish, so it’s time to break out something tougher.
There are powerful cleansers specifically made for cleaning and degreasing cabinets before painting, with one example being Savogran TSP-PF. This type of cleanser will strip every molecule of accumulated grease and grime from your cabinet surfaces to help ensure the ultimate surface preparation when you continue the process with sanding. However, you don’t have to use a heavy-duty cleanser if you don’t want to; soap and water are still fine as long as you’re as thorough as possible. Whichever method you choose, rinse your cabinets well and let them dry completely.
Step 2: Sanding
Once your cabinets are clean and dry, use your coarser sanding discs to lightly sand all the surfaces you plan to paint. You don’t need to try to remove all the old finish; you’re trying to roughen the surfaces to provide a texture that the primer and paint can grip onto. Remember you’re not trying to make them smooth! That would actually make the rest of the painting harder. Wear your mask while sanding and wipe away all the dust with a tack cloth or damp rag when you’re done. Don’t leave any dust on the surfaces you want to paint.
Step 3: Priming
You should have a high-quality primer specifically designed for cabinets and compatible with the paint you want to use. Apply a thin, even coat. Don’t make it too thick, as this can lead to drips or an uneven surface. Let the primer dry completely according to the manufacturer's instructions, which might take a few hours. If you see any imperfections, you can try to gently sand them away with the fine sanding disc. You may need to reapply a little primer to the affected spot afterward.
Step 4: Painting!
It’s finally time for the color! Start with a thin, even coat of paint as opposed to one thick coat. Multiple thin coats will give you a much smoother, more professional finish and are less likely to drip or show brush strokes. Use a good quality paintbrush for detailed areas and a small foam roller for flat surfaces to minimize texture. The best cabinet paint is self-leveling, so any areas that are too thick or thin will even out when left alone.
Allow each coat to dry completely before applying the next, according to the manufacturer’s instructions. If there is any unwanted texture after drying, you can sand lightly using the fine sanding disc, but avoid sanding in between coats if the manufacturer advises against it.
Two coats of paint are usually enough, but sometimes you’ll need three to achieve full coverage and a rich, even color.
Finishing Touches and Reassembly
You’re almost there! Make sure you allow your paint to fully dry and cure, which can take a few days according to the manufacturer’s instructions. The best cabinet paint today doesn’t require an additional topcoat or protective sealer, which is why I left it out of this guide, but if you did use a paint that requires a topcoat now is the time to apply it.
Once everything is completely cured (including the topcoat if you had to use one), you can start reassembling your cabinets. Carefully reattach all the hinges to the cabinet doors and then hang the doors back onto the cabinet frames, using the labels you made earlier to ensure each piece goes back in its original spot. Reinstall the drawer fronts and slides. Take your time during this step to ensure everything is aligned properly and opens and closes smoothly. Once all the doors and drawers are back in place, reattach any hardware like knobs and pulls.
Enjoy and Preserve Your Refreshed Kitchen!
Repainting your kitchen cabinets is a rewarding project that can completely transform the look and feel of your kitchen, while saving you the cost of a full remodel. Take a step back and admire the results of your hard work. Remember that patience and attention to detail will serve you well during this process, and will also help you preserve your fresh paint for as long as possible. When you’re using your kitchen, wipe up spills as soon as possible and create a daily cabinet maintenance routine to help you clean up anything you’ve missed. By treating your cabinets well, you’ll protect them and your new paint job for years to come.
