Rooms Kitchen Decor & Design Kitchen Cabinets Cabinet Makeovers How to Paint Kitchen Cabinets Like a Pro Follow these step-by-step instructions to paint your kitchen cabinets and update your kitchen without the cost of a major remodel. By Caitlin Sole Caitlin Sole Instagram Caitlin Sole is the senior home editor at BHG. She is a writer and editor with nearly a decade of interior design expertise. She has vast experience with digital media, including SEO, photo shoot production, video production, eCommerce content, print collaboration, and custom sales content. Learn about BHG's Editorial Process Updated on May 2, 2023 Share Tweet Pin Email Project Overview Working Time: 2 days Total Time: 3 days Skill Level: Intermediate Learning how to paint kitchen cabinets can save you the headache (and expense) of a big remodeling project. Before you start painting, it pays to prepare for the job. If possible, take one of your cabinet doors to a local paint retailer and talk with a pro about what kind of material you're working with and what products will help you achieve the best results. The pros can give specific advice for painting kitchen cabinets if they know more about your project. Remove adjustable shelves and paint them first, so they'll be dry when you're ready to reinstall them. If possible, paint them in another room to get them out of your way. We hang them on sawhorses by hammering nails into predrilled holes on the ends. That way, you don't have to wait for one surface to dry before painting the other. Be sure to remove the shelf supports before you paint the inside of the cabinet. You can paint the cabinet doors on or off the cabinet, but removing them makes painting easier. Remove the hardware from both the cabinet and the doors. If you prefer to leave the doors on, you probably won't need to paint the interiors of the cabinets, but if you do paint them, work from the inside out. Our how to paint kitchen cabinets guide shows you both methods, so pick the one right for your ability and time frame. How to Paint Bathroom Cabinets for an Easy Vanity Upgrade What You'll Need Equipment / Tools Cordless drill or screwdriver Rubber gloves Protective goggles Putty knife Tack cloth or rag Drop cloth Screwdriver Microfiber paint rollers, 2-3 inches wide Synthetic-fiber paintbrushes, 1.5 inch Paint tray and stir sticks Pliers Materials Painters tape 120- to 220-grit sandpaper Deglosser Primer Paint Spackling compound or wood filler Instructions How to Paint Kitchen Cabinets Select Kitchen Cabinet Primer Select a primer and have it tinted to the color of the top coat. This will prevent dark or stained surfaces from showing through the top coat. Be sure the cabinet paint you choose suits the wood, metal, or laminate surface you're working on. Consult with your local paint store expert to select the appropriate primer and tint. Select Kitchen Cabinet Paint Color You'll need to choose between acrylic enamel paint and alkyd paint for cabinets. Acrylic, or water-base, cabinet paints are low-fume and clean up easily with water. Alkyd, or oil-based, paints require good ventilation, since the paint contains solvents that can irritate your lungs and make you feel sick. Alkyd options require mineral spirits for cleanup, but they provide a hard, durable finish. Whatever you use, buy the best-quality paint you can afford. A self-leveling paint is one that smooths out as it dries, making it perfect for cabinets. However, this type of paint does dry quickly, which can make blending brushstrokes tricky. If you plan on using this type of paint, work in small areas. The 8 Best Paint for Cabinets of 2023 That Look Factory-Finished Brie Passano Remove Kitchen Cabinet Hardware Before you paint, you'll need to remove the doors and drawers from the cabinet boxes and uninstall hardware. Painting over hinges and handles affects the way the door functions. Make a key or use tape to label where the doors and drawers should return for easy reassembly. Use a cordless drill or screwdriver to remove hinges and hardware. Depending on the type of hinge your cabinets have, you might be able to label your cabinet doors where your hinge will be reinstalled and cover it with a small piece of painters tape. Don't forget to remove the interior adjustable shelves. Brie Passano Clean and Prep Kitchen Cabinets Prepare the cabinets like any other surface, cleaning mildewed spots and washing the entire surface to remove dirt and grease. Repair or replace damaged wood and cover any surface you want protected. Before painting, clean the faces of the cabinet boxes, drawers, and both sides of doors and shelves with a product that removes dirt, grease, and glossy finishes. A liquid deglosser should do the trick for this step. Follow the manufacturer's instructions on the packaging, wearing protective goggles and rubber gloves. Apply the deglosser in sections small enough to paint them within an hour. Alternatively, you can scuff-sand cabinets with 150-grit sandpaper. To get your sandpaper into all the contours of paneled doors, use a contoured sander, a small sponge wrapped with sandpaper, or a commercial sanding sponge. On extra-glossy surfaces, sand the cabinet with 120- to 220-grit sandpaper ($3, The Home Depot) to dull and smooth the surface. A contoured sander works best for reaching the contours of paneled doors, but if you don't have that, a small sponge wrapped with sandpaper or a commercial sanding sponge will work. Use a tack cloth or damp rag to remove the dust after sanding. Brie Passano Prime Kitchen Cabinets Lay down a dropcloth ($7, Amazon) to catch any drips and cover your walls and backsplash before painting. Use a high-density foam roller or a paintbrush to apply a stain-blocking, oil-based bonding primer to the cabinets. Let them dry according to the manufacturer's directions. If brush strokes are visible, lightly sand to smooth. Make sure you have kitchen cabinet paint colors you like by testing the new color on the back of a cabinet door (if in doubt, white kitchen cabinets are a classic choice.) This gives you a chance to make sure you like the look and, more importantly, that the paint finish you've chosen will adhere to the cabinetry and that your prep steps will yield a smooth finish. Paint Kitchen Cabinet Doors Next, brush, roll, or spray your cabinets with one coat of paint. Let it dry completely before applying the second coat. Most quality paints will level as they dry, so don't overbrush. If your shelves are adjustable and the insides of your cabinets need a fresh coat, now is the time to paint those, too. If brushing or rolling your cabinets looks like too much to tackle, a paint sprayer might be the way to go. These tools are easy to use, widely available, reasonably affordable, and guarantee a smooth finish. Paint Kitchen Cabinet Frame and Rails While the cabinet doors dry, paint the front edge of the shelving and the cabinet frame. Always paint the longest piece of the structure last to avoid crossed brushstrokes. Brie Passano Paint Kitchen Cabinet Sides Paint the sides and other open areas of the cabinets. You can speed this application with a roller, but if you do, back-brush the rolled paint to level it and make the surface is consistent with the rest of the unit. Brie Passano Reattach Doors and Drawers Once the finish has dried completely, it's time to reattach drawer pulls, screw the hinges onto the doors, and hang the doors on the cabinetry boxes. This is easy if you've labeled everything accurately. If you spray-paint the hardware, let it dry before reattaching. Be sure to clean the hardware before you begin painting. Elevate each piece off your work surface to get all the sides and angles of the hardware painted. Protect the hardware with a clear sealer and let everything dry. When this has been completed, slide each drawer back in place. Paint Backsplash Wall (Optional) If you're painting the backsplash wall between the upper wall cabinets and the countertop, cut in the edges first, just as you would any other wall. Then, while the cut-in edges are still wet, fill in the remainder of the wall. You can use a roller here without going to the trouble of back-brushing, but it might be more convenient to apply the paint with a 7-inch or smaller roller ($12, Amazon).