How to Paint Cabinetry Like a Pro

Painting your kitchen cabinetry can be an impactful way to change your kitchen. Never underestimate the power of paint!

 

This is our guide on how to make your paint job look like it was done by a professional! From picking the type of paint, prepping the cabinets and painting techniques, we have you covered. Whether you’re using a paint sprayer, or going at it the old fashioned way with a brush, we’ll give you all our best tips.

Prep Work:

Correctly prepping the cabinetry is one of the best things you can do to ensure a beautiful finish. 

 

       1. Remove all the doors and drawer fronts, clean them thoroughly with a degreaser. 

       2. Fill any holes or dents on the cabinets with wood filler. 

       3. Sand the doors with 180-220 grit sandpaper and clean off all sanding dust. Be sure to sand in the direction of the wood grain. 

       4. Sand down the cabinet boxes and clean off all sanding dust.

 

Painting with a Brush:

  1. Paint the entire cabinet with Primer. I used Kilz All Purpose primer. Paint the first coat of primer and wait until it dries to the touch (about 30-60 min) and follow up with a second coat. Lightly sand with 400 grit sandpaper between each coat. Be sure to wipe off any sanding dust before going in with the second coat.
  2. Pro Tip: Paint any uneven parts of the cabinet with a brush. My cabinets had a decorative edge that the roller wouldn’t be able to reach. Paint with a high quality brush. I used the Purdy 2in angled brush. Immediately after painting with a brush, follow up with painting all flat surfaces of the cabinet with a foam roller. Use the foam roller to feather out the line between where the brush ends and the roller begins.
  3. Let the primer dry overnight before going in with the cabinet color.
  4. Using the same painting technique as the primer (brush the uneven parts and roll the flat surfaces), paint the cabinet your desired color. Paint 2-3 coats of your desired color and lightly sand with 400 grit sandpaper in between each coat. Be sure to remove any sanding dust before going in with the next coat. I found a damp paper towel helped with this.
  5. Use a foam roller to also prime and paint your cabinet boxes.

Painting with a Paint Sprayer:

  1. Set up a paint spraying station. Sprayers produce quite a bit of over spray, so I would recommend doing this in a garage or a tent (not outside though, too many little dust particles!) I set my station up by placing all of my cabinets on raised 2x4s and surrounded the entire thing with old curtains. It wasn’t pretty, but it worked. 
  2. I used the Graco 360 Paint Sprayer. I found it user friendly, but I would recommend reading through the instructions and practicing on a piece of scrap material first. Be sure to spray at the recommended distance and keep the nozzle moving so as to prevent drips. 
  3. Spray with 2 coats of primer. If you see any drips, wait until the paint dries to the touch, and sand off with 220 grit sandpaper. Lightly sand with 400 grit sandpaper between each coat of primer. Remove all sanding dust before proceeding to the second coat. 
  4. Spray with 2-3 coats of your desired color. Lightly sand with 400 grit sandpaper between each coat. Remove all sanding dust before proceeding to the next coat of paint. 

Choosing a Paint

Choosing a paint can make or break your project. This is definitely an area where you will want to splurge. Buying high quality paint will increase the longevity of the color, be easier to clean and overall improve the smoothness of the finish. 

 

High quality acrylic based latex paint is a great option. It offers low VOCs, a fast dry-time, it’s durable, easy to clean and goes on smoothly. Most paint brands will make a latex-based cabinet paint. Ideally, try to find a paint with enamel in it. Enamel will help the paint dry very hard and it will be easier to clean. I used the Cabinet and Furniture paint from Valspar.  The Cabinet and Trim Enamel from Behr is also a great option.

 

 

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