Do you have old wooden cabinets that need a refresh? Or do you want to make your kitchen feel lighter and brighter? Maybe even larger? With some paint, a weekend or two and a lot of determination, you can transform your kitchen by painting the cabinets. Let’s learn how to paint kitchen cabinets like a pro!
In full disclosure, we have a very small kitchen so we were able to paint all of our kitchen cabinets in one weekend. That may not be the case for you because it all depends on the size of your kitchen and how many cabinets you have in the kitchen. For us, it took three days to complete our project from start to finish. I’d recommend doing this project when you have a three day weekend and just go into it knowing that you may not finish painting all the cabinets in a weekend. Now is the perfect time to update those kitchen cabinets! If you’re not sure where to start, this tutorial will help you get a better idea on how to paint kitchen cabinets.
Check out what my kitchen looked like before…
Now, this is going to be a lengthy novel, but I’m going to share how to paint kitchen cabinets like a pro! If you’re going to commit to painting cabinets, you need to have a plan and know what you’re doing before you start.
Materials Needed to Paint Kitchen Cabinets:
- Degreaser
- Old Rags
- Latex Gloves
- Painters Tape
- Sharpie
- Sandpaper
- 1-2 Gallons of Cabinet Paint, Color of your choice (It will depend on how many cabinets you have to paint)
- Tarps or Rolls of Craft Paper
- Cabinet Rollers
- Paint Brushes and Paint Trays
- Paint Sprayer, optional but highly recommended (We used Wagner Control Spray 250)
How to Paint Kitchen Cabinets: Day One
Step 1: Clean the Cabinets
First, clear everything off of the kitchen countertops and cabinets. Use a degreaser and wipe the cabinets down very, very well. DO NOT skip this step! The paint will not adhere to any sticky or greasy surface, so it’s important to wipe the cabinets down well. I wore gloves and used old rags to clean the cabinets and wiped them down two to three times for good measure. I also cleaned the hardware because I was using it again on the cabinets.
Step 2: Cover Appliances and the Inside Cabinets
We didn’t want to have to take everything out of the kitchen cabinets. We used plastic tarps to cover the dishes and items inside of the cabinets. You could also use rolls of craft paper or even old wrapping paper. Cover the oven, microwave and dishwasher with the tarps, too. Cover EVERYTHING! Use the painters tape to hold the paper or tarps in place. Sure it looked like a scene out of Dexter, but the plastic tarps helped to protect the appliances, countertops and the items inside of the cabinets. Now that you’ve gone all Dexter, you don’t have to worry about being as careful with the paint! I’m a messy painter!
Step 3: Sand the Cabinets
Use sandpaper to lightly sand down the cabinets. This step is going to help get rid of the glossy surface your cabinets may have and help the paint adhere to the cabinets. After you have sanded down all of the cabinets, use a microfiber cloth to wipe down the dust from sanding. Make sure you get all of the dust off of the cabinets after completing this step.
Step 4: Take off the Hardware and Label the Cabinets
Next, use a Sharpie and Painters Tape to label each cabinet. Figure out a system that works for you and stick to it. We looked at it like reading a book on each side of the kitchen. So on the left side of the cabinets, we started at the top cabinets, closest to the wall. I wrote down on the painters tape: “L 1 W Top” (which meant, Left 1 Top, by the Wall) and so on. For the right side, we did the same thing and I wrote down “R 1 Bottom” (which meant Right 1 Bottom) and so on. If you need to make a diagram do it. Trust me when I say, LABEL the CABINETS! You’ll thank me later when it’s easy to put the cabinets back up. 🙂
After all of the cabinets were labeled, we took off the hardware. We labeled the hardware from each cabinet and put them in separate ziplock bags. In hind sight, we didn’t need to individually label the hardware. Do pay attention to how the hardware is put together and how many nails are in the hinges and the handles.
Step 5: Use Painters Tape to Mark Off Areas
Just as you would before painting a wall, use the painters tape to mark off areas you aren’t going to paint. We taped the ceiling, the floors and the corner areas that paint could get on in the kitchen.
How to Paint Kitchen Cabinets: Day Two
Step 5: Paint the Kitchen Cabinets and Bases
Since you did all of the prep work the day before, you can now get started on painting the kitchen cabinets! Mr. Sweet Southern Oaks and I split up the work. I painted the bases of the cabinets and he took the cabinet doors outside to spray them with the paint sprayer. The cabinet paint is an enamel paint, so it starts to set pretty fast. Make sure you’re paying attention to any drips while painting so the drips don’t dry on the cabinet bases.
Mr. Sweet Southern Oaks used a paint sprayer to spray the cabinet doors. He started by spraying the backs of the cabinets doors first. We did this because we wanted to make sure we knew how to paint kitchen cabinets doors well and use the paint sprayer before spraying the the doors that everyone would see! 😉 Plus any mistakes made on the inside of the cabinets wouldn’t be seen by anyone else. He let the cabinet doors dry and cure outside; then came inside to paint the very tops of the cabinet bases that I couldn’t reach. #ShortGirlProblems
Step 6: Let Paint Dry in Between Coats & Then Keep Painting
After the first coat was done, we let it start drying before painting a second coat on the bases. We also made sure the cabinet doors were fully dried before turning them over to spray the next coat. Around this time, after the first coat is on, you may question why you started this project. Don’t second guess yourself, just keep painting! It’s going to take several coats of paint before your cabinets start to look pretty. It took three coats of paint to paint the kitchen cabinets and bases in our kitchen. How many coats you need to use will depend on how dark the wood is on your cabinets. We only used a gallon of paint for all of our kitchen cabinets! Again, we have a super small kitchen. After the three coats of paint, we let the bases and cabinet doors fully dry and cure overnight.
How to Paint Kitchen Cabinets: Day Three
Step 7: Touch Up Paint
Now it’s time to touch up any places that need a little more paint. Some of the cabinet doors weren’t fully cured when we woke up the next morning, so we had to let them finish curing outside before we could hang them up. We went to run an errand and not a cloud was in the sky…we come back and it had poured down rain. As we were driving back, we could tell it had stormed and we were devastated. All that handwork and we knew the cabinets were going to be ruined…
However, they weren’t because our neighbor saved the cabinets! Whew, that was a close call! Always make sure you have a good neighbor that knows what you’re doing! 🙂
Step 8: Hang the Cabinets Back Up
After our cabinets were fully dry it was time to hang them back up. Since you’ve labeled your kitchen cabinets, this is going to be easy! Mr. Sweet Southern Oaks knew which cabinet went where, so it was smooth sailing on hanging them back up. Then, it was time to admire the handwork!
Let’s look at one more picture of what the kitchen cabinets looked like before…
Finally, check out what the cabinets look like now…
Paint Color Used:
We used my favorite white paint, Sherwin Williams Bohemian Lace in cabinet paint. Bohemian Lace is a pure bright white and I’ve used it on all the trim in the house and on my front porch swing. I really wanted a bright white to make my kitchen look bigger. If you’re looking for bright white, definitely check out Bohemian Lace!
Paint Sprayer Used:
The paint sprayer we used is Wagner Control Spray 250, was easy to use and didn’t clog up. Furthermore, it sprayed the paint sprayed on smoothly, which gave the cabinets a smooth finish. Using the paint sprayer helped to speed up the process of painting the kitchen cabinets and it was easy to clean. More importantly, this paint sprayer didn’t eat the paint, so we actually saved money and time by using the sprayer! Of course you can use cabinet paint rollers if you don’t have a paint sprayer.
Am I Finished With the Kitchen?
Nope, I’m not done with the kitchen yet! Painting the cabinets is just the start of our budget friendly kitchen renovation! There are a few more things to do in the kitchen and I plan on changing up my decor. My vision is an industrial farmhouse kitchen and I’ll take you along on all of the kitchen updates!
I can’t believe what a big transformation it has already been in the kitchen, just by painting the kitchen cabinets. While it was a lot of hard work, in the end, it was worth it! I’m already loving my freshly painted kitchen cabinets and I can’t wait to continue making the kitchen become the heart of our home. Now that you know how to paint kitchen cabinets…are you up to the challenge to paint yours?
Connect with me on social media! Use the hashtag #sweetsouthernoaks on Instagram to share inspiration from the blog. As always, feel free to find me on Facebook or Instagram. I’d love to chat with you about all things home décor! You can also pin with me on Pinterest for even more inspiration for home décor, recipes and more!
Let's Chat!