DIY: How I Painted My Kitchen Cabinets

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Join me as I show you how to paint kitchen cabinets with my own kitchen cabinet project.

Ok friends!  This post probably represents one of my proudest moments in a long time!  EEK!!  I am totally pumped about what's going on in my kitchen now! I hinted around that I was undergoing a big painting project, but today I'll give you all the 411.  First off, some background…..I had a vision in my head of a white(ish) kitchen for probably 10 years, but never had the nerve or know how to pull it off.  When we moved into our home, the kitchen was the first room we dealt with.  It was a huge mess with laminate counters a weird stove in the wall and absolutely no counter space or storage space.  We immediately began dealing with those and in an effort to save money, did not touch the cabinets.  We added granite and a counter for stools, a new sink, and appliances, removed the weird stove and wall.  With all those upgrades, it was a better working kitchen, but I never really loved the original oak cabinets.

As much as I wanted to just rip them all out now, they were still in great condition, so a better alternative seemed to be to paint them.  I had set my mind to painting them myself about 6 months ago but decided to research and make sure I was ready for this project before I dug in. It's kind of one of those scary things like what happens if it looks awful, then what?  I really didn't want to have to account for that with my still on the fence about the project husband.

So, with that said, I decided to learn all I could and prepare for the project on how to paint kitchen cabinets.

Today, I am going to give you all the tips and tricks I was told and what I learned in painting my cabinets.

1. Know your products and buy the best you can afford.

How to Paint Kitchen Cabinets

I used Purdy brushes (recommended) (recommended), a mini roller, white dove rollers, and Sherwin Williams bonding primer.  I also purchased a paint brush cover which kept my brush moist throughout the project and I didn't have to keep washing it.

2. Take your time

I decided to tackle one set of cabinets at a time.  This may not be how others would approach the project, but for me, it helped me to have rewards along the way as I saw it coming together and my entire kitchen was not torn up all at once.  Since I only did one cabinet set every few days start to finish, it took me almost a month to complete the project.  However, we were not disrupted and we could still use our kitchen throughout.  I actually didn't even remove anything from the cabinets unless I needed too.

3.  Clean up as you go along.

I was methodical about cleaning up and doing my touch up paint before I moved on.  When I was done with the project, I wanted to be done and not have to go back and try to remember where I needed to do a little extra something.

Ok friends, so hang with me, this is where I am going to give you the blow-by-blow on how exactly I tackled how to paint kitchen cabinets.

1. I washed everything down with TSP.  You mix the powder with water, use a sponge to wipe down surfaces and then remove with fresh clean water.  Let dry.

2. I sanded the cabinet surfaces with a fine grade sandpaper block.  I didn't sand a ton, but just enough to take the finish off.  Follow with a tack cloth.

3. I used Scotch blue tape to tape everything off.

4. Next, I used a clear bonding primer from Sherwin Williams.  I liked the clear because literally I just slapped it on and didn't have to worry about being too careful.  It dries clear and acts like glue to make the paint adhere to the wood surface.

5. I used 2 coats of my paint.  The paint color I used was Popular Gray by Sherwin Williams.  I opted for a semi gloss in their pro classic line of paints. I used a Purdy brush for the grooves and cutting in and a mini roller for the doors and larger surfaces.  I was told a roller will give you the smoothest professional surface.  I painted the inside and outside of the doors, around the trim, but not inside the cabinets except for the ones I was planning on having on display.

Here is a picture after one coat. {Don't you love that groovy drop cloth? I think that was a bed sheet from when I was 5 years old. Ha!}

And here it is after two coats of paint. {Say “Hi!” to Pokey.  He snuck in there to get something to eat.}

6. Another tip I got from my contractor was to use silicone caulking around the bevel of the middle of the door insert.  A thin line which you then can wipe with your finger.  Let it dry overnight.  This will then fill the gap and make the door look like all one piece.  It will look more professional and not show a shadow.

Here you can see the top cabinet as before and the bottom with the paint.  What a difference, don't you think?

I am going to give you a full reveal in a few days, but here are a couple of finished parts. What do you think? 

I feel like I've birthed a baby, I'm so excited about the outcome!

I hope this post will help if you are thinking about taking on how to paint kitchen cabinets.  You can definitely do it.  Take your time and don't be afraid!

If you have any questions at all, please ask away!

See the full reveal with a lot more pictures, here.