
How to Paint My Kitchen Cabinets
Are you asking yourself, “Should I paint my kitchen cabinets?” Then you have come to the right place. Kitchen cabinet painting has been growing in popularity over the last decade at a fast pace. The kitchen has always been the hub of the home and the main gathering place for meals, parties, homework, and just about everything else. It is where most people actually see other members of the family more than any other room in the home. For this reason, the kitchen should be inviting, fresh, and really show the personality of the home.
Kitchen cabinet finishes have evolved over the last 50 years. We have moved from the old brown stained cabinets and gone toward a combination of finishes including dark, light, and two-toned paint color combinations. Right now, white is still KING of the cabinet colors. Grays and pastels are also very popular. Some paint the kitchen island an accent color to add a little pop of color to a white kitchen. Two-toned cabinets are painted with one color on the upper cabinets and one color on the lower cabinets, leaning toward the darker color on the lowers. Colors are “in” and there is no right or wrong colors. You want to have a vision of what you want and the imagination to picture it before you ever start painting the cabinets.
Where do I Start?

Preparing My Cabinets to Paint
It is time to prepare the cabinet boxes for painting now that the cabinets are empty and the doors and drawers are removed. To do this, you will clean the interior and the exterior of the cabinets with a kitchen degreaser. Grease buildup is the enemy and although you may not see it, it is most likely to be a film on the cabinets. You can not paint over grease.
Sanding the cabinets allow for the primer to hold onto the old finish. Sand all surfaces to be painted with 180-220 grit sandpaper. After sanding, take a damp rag and wipe all the dust from the cabinets. This same attention needs to be given to both sides of the cabinets doors and the drawers.
You will also caulk all the cracks where the cabinets are put together with an acrylic siloconized caulk. We use a White Lightning 3060 caulk that is a 40 year caulk. The caulking can be done now or you can wait until after you prime the cabinets.
Priming My Kitchen Cabinets
Do not skip the priming. It is vital if you want to get a paint job that will last for years to come. We recommend 2 primers for people painting their own cabinets. It will depend on what you are priming over. If the cabinets have been stained in the past and have a clear coat, we recommend Rustoleum’s Cover Stain oil based primer. If the cabinets have previously been painted, we recommend Stix Primer by Insl-X. Both can be brushed and rolled.
The doors will need to be primed and left to dry on each side before going to the other side. Usually 24 hours will be sufficient for either primer to dry and be able to flip over.
Depending on the original finish, you make need to put 2 coats of primer to get a good coverage for the finish paint.
Primed, Now What?
Not so fast. Now that you have everything primed, you are getting close to start with the finish paint. Before that, you need to sand everything again with 220-240 sandpaper and wipe it all down to remove the dust. Holes need to be filled with painters putty and all cracks are caulked with the caulking. Once this is completed, you are ready to paint.
Painting the Cabinets....Finally
Paint the back of the doors first and allow them to dry. Wait a minimum of 24 hours before painting the front side. Expect to put 2 finish coats.
What Kind of Paint Should I Use to Paint My Cabinets?
For the homeowner, we recommend Benjamin Moore Advance Satin. It will dry hard and have a beautiful sheen. The downside is it is not an easy product to use. You will have to watch for runs and it does take a while to dry. Benjamin Moore Scuff-X Satin is an easier paint to use but does not dry as hard but is just as great looking.
Putting It All Back Together
Final Thoughts
Are you are still asking yourself, “Should I paint my kitchen cabinets”? It is not impossible but, as you can tell, it’s not a Sunday afternoon project. We have painted over 500 kitchens and know the amount of work it takes. If you are considering other options, it may be time to get the help of a professional cabinet painting company like Carolina Painting and Pressure Cleaning.
What We Do Different as a Professional Cabinet Painting Company
We average a 1 week turnaround from start to finish on most kitchens and are at your home an average of 2 days with a lot of the work being done at the spray shop. We have the ability to furnish new doors, new hardware, new soft close concealed hinges, new drawer boxes, and new drawer slides. The biggest thing we offer you is your time back. You don’t spend nights and weekends trying to finish a job that will stretch out for weeks while leaving an unusable kitchen in the meantime. Reach out to get on our schedule. To give you an idea of the cost to get your cabinets painted, we have a Virtual Online Estimator.