How to Paint Kitchen Cabinets for a Factory-Smooth Finish

Painting your kitchen cabinets is one of the biggest visual changes you can make to a house for the money. Done right, a painted finish looks like it came from a cabinet shop and holds up to years of grabbing, wiping and bumping. Done wrong, it peels at the edges, shows every brush stroke and chips the first time a pot lid hits it. The difference is almost entirely in the prep and the paint you choose, not in how steady your hand is.

Difficulty: Intermediate · Time: 4 to 7 days, including dry and cure time

Tools and materials

Screwdrivers or a drill/driver, painter’s tape and a marker for labeling
Zip-top bags or a muffin tin for hinges and screws
Degreaser such as a TSP substitute or a dedicated cabinet degreaser, plus clean rags and a bucket
120- and 220-grit sanding sponges or a random-orbit sander with fine discs
Tack cloths or microfiber rags
Wood filler or two-part filler for dings and old hardware holes
Bonding primer (shellac-based or a high-adhesion waterborne primer)
Cabinet-grade paint: a urethane-modified alkyd or waterborne alkyd enamel
A quality 2- to 2.5-inch angled synthetic brush and a 4-inch foam or microfiber mini roller
Optional: an HVLP sprayer, plastic sheeting and a respirator
Drop cloths, sawhorses or painter’s pyramids, and a well-ventilated work area

Before you start: lead and safety

If your home was built before 1978 and the cabinets have original paint, assume it could contain lead until a test says otherwise. Inexpensive lead test swabs are sold at hardware stores. If the test is positive, do not dry-sand. Follow EPA lead-safe practices or hire a lead-safe certified contractor. Whatever paint you have, open windows, run a fan blowing out, and wear a dust mask while sanding and a respirator rated for organic vapors if you spray or use oil-based primer.

Step-by-step

Empty and label everything. Take everything out of the cabinets. Remove doors, drawer fronts and hardware. Put a small piece of tape inside each hinge cup hole and on the cabinet box with matching numbers, like “D1” on the door and the frame it came off. Bag hinges and screws by door. This one step saves an hour of frustration at reassembly.
Degrease thoroughly. Kitchen cabinets carry years of cooking grease, especially near the range and above the trash can. Paint will not stick to grease, and sanding just smears it around. Scrub every surface with degreaser, rinse with clean water, and let it dry completely. Pay attention to the areas around handles.
Fill and repair. Fill dings, gouges and any hardware holes you won’t reuse. If you are changing from knobs to pulls, fill the old holes now and drill new ones after painting with a drilling template. Let filler cure, then sand it flush.
Scuff sand. You are not trying to remove the old finish, just dull the gloss so primer can grip. Go over everything with a 120-grit sponge, then 220. On profiled doors, sponges follow the curves better than sandpaper. Vacuum, then wipe with a tack cloth or a damp microfiber rag.
Prime with a bonding primer. This is the step most people skimp on, and it’s the reason most DIY cabinet jobs fail. A shellac-based primer seals knots and tannin bleed on oak and grips factory finishes well. A high-adhesion waterborne primer works too if the label says it bonds to glossy surfaces. Apply one even coat. Once dry, lightly sand with 220 grit to knock down any raised grain, and wipe clean.
Set up a painting station. Lay doors flat on painter’s pyramids or sawhorses so paint can level out without sagging. Paint the back side of each door first, let it dry, then flip and do the face.
Apply the first coat of enamel. Urethane-modified alkyds and waterborne alkyd enamels level out like oil paint but clean up with water. On raised-panel doors, brush the panel profile first, then the center panel, then the rails (horizontal pieces), and finish with the stiles (vertical pieces), always brushing with the grain. Use the mini roller on flat areas and tip off lightly with the brush. Keep coats thin. Thick coats sag and take forever to harden.
Paint the cabinet boxes. Work top to bottom on the face frames and exposed sides. Most people skip painting the cabinet interiors, which is fine.
Sand lightly and recoat. After the recoat time on the can (often 16 to 24 hours for these enamels), scuff lightly with a 220 or finer sponge, wipe clean and apply the second coat. Two coats over primer is typical. Dark-to-light color changes may need a third.
Let it cure before rehanging. Dry to the touch is not the same as cured. Most cabinet enamels need at least a few days before doors are handled and rehung, and two to four weeks to reach full hardness. Rehang carefully, add bumper pads to doors and drawers, and go easy on the surfaces for the first month.

Brush, roller or sprayer

A good brush and mini roller, used with a self-leveling enamel, will give you a finish most visitors will never question. A sprayer gives the smoothest, most factory-like result, but it comes with a learning curve, a lot of masking, overspray and a need for a dedicated space with ventilation. If you have never sprayed before, practice on scrap or on the cabinet backs first. For a first project, most homeowners are happier with brush and roller.

Mistakes to avoid

Skipping the degreaser. Sanding alone will not remove grease, and paint over grease peels.
Using wall paint. Standard latex wall paint stays soft and sticky on cabinets, so doors stick to frames and the finish scuffs easily. Use a paint labeled for cabinets, trim or doors.
Heavy coats. Thin coats level better, dry harder and don’t sag on edges.
Rehanging too soon. Paint that is dry but not cured will stick to bumpers and chip at hinges.
Painting in a cold garage. Most enamels need roughly 50°F or warmer to dry and cure properly. In a St. Louis winter, bring the doors inside.
Ignoring oak grain. Oak’s open grain shows through paint. If you want a perfectly smooth look, use a grain filler before priming.

When to call a pro

Painting is a great DIY project when the boxes are solid and the layout works for you. It’s worth bringing in a contractor when doors are warped, delaminating thermofoil or particleboard is swelling near the sink, or the layout itself is the problem. If you are thinking about moving the sink, adding an island or changing counters at the same time, painting can wait until the bigger plan is settled. Take a look at our kitchen and bath remodeling page to see what a full refresh involves, and plan cabinet paint around any new flooring work so you are not scuffing fresh doors during the install.

Rather have it done for you? RossBuilt Construction serves the St. Louis metro. Request a free estimate or call 636-380-2574.