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We all know there’s an easy way and a RIGHT way to do things, and they don’t always coincide. That’s the case when it comes to painting cabinets that will stand the test of time (sorry – I had to break the news right off the bat)! That being said, and knowing what I know now, I would still pick the RIGHT (albeit more tedious) way every time. Want to know what steps I took to create a beautiful, smooth, long-lasting finish on our kitchen cabinets? Keep reading to find out! Also – check out this post to see more ‘befores’ of our kitchen!
The Before:
Our cabinets were grey (but really they looked very lavender to me -ha!). I didn’t hate them, but they didn’t fit in well with my aesthetic.
The Method:
Before I share each step, let me explain the method we landed on for painting the cabinets. You can either hand-roll your cabinets, paint them with a sprayer, or do a combo of the two. We decided to roll the bases (the parts of the cabinets that we couldn’t take outside) and spray the doors and drawer faces.
We went this route for a few reasons. Firstly, spraying ALWAYS gives the best, smoothest, and longest-lasting finish, so I really wanted to spray them as much as we could. HOWEVER, I did not want to tarp off/tape off our entire kitchen in order to spray the non-removable parts (the bases). There is SO much involved in that, and we don’t even have the space in this little house to do that sort of thing anyway. Emptying out all of our cabinets so we could tape them off and still have access to food just wasn’t feasible with two young kiddos in tow. Ha! So, I went for the best of both worlds, and it worked out so well!
The Supplies:
- De-glosser
- Wood filler
- Fine-grit sandpaper
- Latex caulk
- Tape
- Tack cloths
- Angled paint brush
- Paint roller handle
- Paint roller covers
- Tarps or Drop cloths
- Dixie cups
- Paint sprayer
- Small mesh strainer
The Prep:
Step One: Remove Doors + Drawers (or Drawer Faces)
Please don’t skip this and think that you can successfully paint neatly around hinges – trust me! I have tried this while painting cabinets before, and it never turned out well. Ha! Remove all the doors and drawers, and remove their hardware. Label the hardware if you need to do so, too! We didn’t need to do this because all of our hardware was the same, and it worked out.
Step Two: Fill Hardware Holes (if applicable)
We decided to add all-new hardware to the cabinets/drawers, so I filled existing holes using this (my fave wood filler). Basically, you want to OVERfill your holes, through to the other side. Allow to dry, then sand with a fine-grit sandpaper. Sometimes, you may have to repeat the steps again to ensure a good fill. I ALWAYS go by how it feels vs how it looks. If it feels smooth, it’ll look smooth once painted!
Step Three: Caulk (if applicable)
Caulk any gaps or seams. This will make a difference in the end when everything looks so polished and professional. I actually forgot this step until close to the end (oops!). Here is a before + after of a spot where I caulked between the cabinet and trim.
Before Caulk 
After Caulk
Step Four: Clean + De-gloss
We used this to de-gloss and clean the cabinet bases, doors, and drawers. Simply follow the directions on the container, and it’ll work like a charm! We did NOT paint the insides of the bases, but we DID paint the backside of the doors, so we de-glossed those, too.
Step Five: Tape
I am guilty of thinking I can free-hand edging, and guilty of being wrong every time. I ALWAYS get paint where I didn’t mean to get it. ALWAYS. So, tape tape tape, I did. I taped off the floors, the insides of the cabinet bases, the ceilings/walls, and the counters. I love Frog Tape more than any other kind I have tried, and it is worth every penny in my opinion!
Step Six: Tack Cloth (Before Every Coat)
Before EVERY coat of paint, we used a tack cloth to pick up any tiny dust, hairs (thanks, Bruno-the-dog), etc. We only did this IMMEDIATELY before painting. If you do it, say, an hour before painting, all of that stuff can find its way back to the cabinets before you paint.
The Paint:
Ok, let’s talk about this AMAZING paint. We decided to use Benjamin Moore’s Advance line, which is specifically made for cabinetry, and I am SO impressed with it. I planned to use this paint regardless, because I had heard so many times that it was THE paint for cabinetry, period. So when Ben Moore said yes to partnering with me on this project, I was ELATED and so honored!
I was gifted the paint, but these opinions are totally my own. Still, to say that I recommend this is an understatement. I am so hooked that I have since used it on my coffee table and a new accent cabinet I just added to our living room! For our kitchen, we used the color White Dove, which is the perfect warm-but-not-yellow white.
We did ONE coat of primer and TWO coats of paint (satin finish), except on the base edges where we needed an extra coat or two because we used a brush.
Step Seven: Prime (Roll + Spray)
Rolling: For the bases, I edged where it was necessary with this brush, making sure to “feather” it in. Then, we used this roller handle and this roller for the rest. I was incredibly impressed with the coverage and finish that we ended up with. I loved that I could really load up the roller and get a ton of space painted before having to re-load.
TIP: Be sure to also “feather” any time you are stopping for a break. If you end your paint “abruptly” and then go back to it, you’ll either have drips or a harsh line. Feather, feather, feather! To feather, simply apply less pressure as you reach the end of your brush stroke.
Spraying: We used this sprayer for our cabinets, and I am really pleased with the results. It is quite user-friendly, great for beginners (I had never sprayed before), and at a great price-point. I am going to have an entire post dedicated to the “don’ts” of spraying, because I learned a LOT. For now, I have a few basic tips for you.
- Use a mesh strainer to filter out any chunks of paint so you don’t get clogs in your sprayer.
- Thin your primer/paint with about 10%-15% water (start at 10 and go from there – it’ll depend on your environment and where you live). You want your paint nice and thin so you have a fine mist when you spray.
- Check your pressure and spray on a sample piece of wood. This is SO important.
Before spraying, we propped the doors/drawer face up on Dixie cups and we set up where we’d have a little bit of shielding from the wind and lots of shade. We started by painting the back sides of everything first.
Step Eight: Sand
I knooooowwwww! I know. NO ONE wants to sand. And, you don’t HAVE to, but I highly recommend going over every coat of primer/paint with a quick once-over. I used an ultra fine grit (600), but even a 400 would be fine. And -ahem- here’s your reminder to also tack-cloth it again, too.
Step Nine (finally!): Paint
And painting is really the same as the priming step! The Advance line does not require a top-coat, so that’s a pretty awesome plus.
Lastly, repeat the sanding, tack-cloth, and painting step. Be sure to follow the drying guidelines on the paint/primer cans. The last thing you want to do is rush the process, do all the work, but then have everything dry improperly and not last as long, because you didn’t want to wait to full re-coat/dry times. Just breathe, friend! It’ll be so worth the wait.
And Speaking of Waiting…
We waited an entire week before returning our doors/drawer faces to the bases, because you want to ensure that they aren’t exposed to high traffic for that amount of time. Advance can take up to 30 days to reach full hardness, but waiting 5-7 days before returning them to the bases is a great way to ensure that they’ll hold up well (and they have for us). We did add little bumpers on the doors to reduce the possibility of sticking.
Forgive the less-than-great photo quality. I forgot to take an actual photo, so I had to screen-shot a video, but I think you can tell just how smooth these babies turned out!
And, our super-fancy set-up for allowing them to fully dry.
Our Kitchen Now:
What a difference, right?!
I know the process seems tedious, but (again), I promise it’ll be worth it for a beautiful and lasting finish! We are two months post-painting, and our cabinets have held up so well thus far.
Thanks for stopping by, friends! I hope you have found this post helpful, and that you are encouraged to try your hand at painting your own cabinets. I truly believe that paint (done right!) can make such a difference in any space!
Until next time!