Painting Kitchen Cabinets

Before            &              After

It is much easier to paint kitchen cabinets than to update this blog post. No joke. I’m now writing and saving in word and then adding the photos at the last minute, hoping this post won’t be deleted after the final edit…again.

Since I promised this post back in March, just as COVID-19 struck, and it is nearly July and we are just opening back up again, I wanted to have this ready for you now!

I know my parents want to share their updated kitchen with you as they are so happy with the final results. So here goes…

We started the project on January 31st. It took almost 10 days to get the cabinets cleaned out and reorganized and everything painted. The cost to paint the cabinetry came out to around $250.00 including ALL supplies.  My Mom cleaned and reused the original hardware and pulls. Add an additional 10 days for Bill to refinish the butcher block island and install a new laminate floor (cost not included in project). 

Mom & Dad's Objectives:

·         Brighten up the kitchen

·         Clean and paint dark wood cabinets

·         Paint color of my parents’ choosing

·         Minimal cost (this should be number one!)

Dark cabinets, surfaces scuffed and worn.

Supplies needed:

·         Screwdriver to remove hardware

·         Painter’s tape, or equivalent, to mark doors and hardware

·         TSP or mild soap and water to clean surfaces of grease, etc. (we used Clorox wipes, but you won’t be able to find these for a while).

·         Liquid sandpaper or fine grit sandpaper to rough up your surfaces

·         Small – GOOD quality brush – about 1- 1 1/2” for the cracks and crevices

·          GOOD quality roller – whatever size you like BUT get the recommended brush for the paint you choose. We used a small mohair blend roller that worked well.

·         GOOD quality primer. We used Sherwin Williams Extreme Bond (soap and water clean-up), but we also like Zinsser B.I.N. (mineral spirits clean-up). This is probably the most important step, so get a good quality primer that adheres and hides well. If you use the oil-based primer, you may want to get an inexpensive brush and roller and throw them away afterwards. Be sure to let any rags soaked in mineral spirits dry before discarding because these are highly flammable.

·         Paint for the top coat (at least 2 coats). We used SW Emerald Urethane Trim Enamel in Semi-gloss. We needed only one gallon and had a half can left over after 2 coats. It goes on nicely, initially dries fast, doesn’t smell too bad and cleans up with soap and water. 

·         Keep your paint brushes wrapped in plastic if you can’t clean them right away and they will stay wet a few days.                                                                                                                      

IMPORTANT: When removing the doors, be sure to label everything - each door, inside each cabinet and each hinge, both top and bottom. For instance, take a piece of painter’s tape and mark the back of door with “A” and inside its cabinet “A”. The top hinge “A-1” and bottom “A-2”. Then B, C, D…however many. Put each set in their own baggie or envelope. This will make it easier to get the doors back on straight.

 

We did the upper cabinets first, then the lower cabinets since my parents needed to use the kitchen and we didn’t have enough room to lay the doors out.

 

·         When laying the doors out flat to paint, elevate them an inch or two on some 1x2’s or whatever you can find. (We used left over door trim.)

 

    ·         Clean your cabinet bases and doors. Let them dry.

 

·         Use a liquid sandpaper (deglosser) to rough up the surface to allow the primer to adhere OR hand sand the surfaces. Using sand paper also makes a lot of dust, so do this outside.

·      Apply one, or two coats of primer and let dry. (hand sand between coats if you like a really smooth surface, I did not and everything worked out great since the paint is self-leveling.)

                                                      

·         Apply at least two coats of paint, letting dry overnight between each coat.

 

·         Put your doors back on and your hardware. Pull items to the front of your cabinets to keep your doors open for the first week so they don’t stick shut.

 

·         Be careful for the first 30 days until your paint cures. VERY IMPORTANT! You may want to keep your fingernails trimmed short to avoid any scratches until the paint hardens.

Here are a few more after photos...

 

 

 

It's been over four months since we finished the project and my Mom reports there have been no nicks or scratches. The finish is hardened and holding up "really well." My parents have been sequestered in their home and no one is going in to see them since my Dad is at an increased risk of catching the virus. On the bright side, they have a beautiful, bright and cheery kitchen to hang out in. 

I'm a firm believer that anything can be painted, you just need some elbow grease and a good quality primer and paint. Wait until you see the bathroom! 

Until next time,

Kelli

References:

https://www.sherwin-williams.com/homeowners/inspiration/project-center/update-kitchen-cabinets-in-5-steps

https://www.thecraftpatchblog.com/the-best-paint-for-kitchen-cabinets/