How to Paint Kitchen Cabinets

Empty every cabinet and remove all doors, drawer fronts, and hardware (hinges, pulls, knobs). Use a cordless drill to speed up hinge removal. As you remove each door, write a number on a piece of painter's tape and stick it on the back of the door and inside the cabinet box where it came from — this labeling system saves hours of guesswork during reassembly. Drop each door's hardware into a labeled ziplock bag with the matching number. Set hinges aside; you can clean or replace them while the paint cures.

Kitchen cabinets collect years of cooking grease, fingerprints, and grime that primer and paint will not stick to. Mix TSP substitute according to the package directions (typically 1/2 cup per gallon of warm water) and scrub every surface — door fronts, door backs, cabinet boxes, and drawer fronts — with a sponge or rag. Pay extra attention to the areas around the stove and above the range hood where grease buildup is heaviest. Rinse with a clean damp cloth and let everything dry completely for at least 2 hours.

Using 120-grit sandpaper or an orbital sander on a low setting, lightly scuff every surface you plan to paint. You're not stripping the old finish — just dulling the sheen so the primer has something to grip. Sand in the direction of the wood grain on flat panels and use a folded piece of sandpaper to get into routed details and edges. Wipe every surface with a tack cloth to remove all sanding dust. For any dings, dents, or nail holes, fill them with wood filler, let it dry, and sand flush with 220-grit.

Apply painter's tape along the walls, countertops, and any surfaces adjacent to the cabinet boxes that will be painted in place. Lay drop cloths or plastic sheeting over countertops, appliances, and the floor. If you're painting the cabinet interiors, tape around the inside edges; if not, tape the interior edges so paint doesn't wrap into the box. Set up a painting station in a well-ventilated area (garage or covered patio works well) with folding tables or sawhorses where you'll prime and paint the doors and drawers.

Stir your primer thoroughly (never shake shellac-based primer — it creates bubbles). Using the foam roller for flat areas and the angled brush for edges, routed details, and inside corners, apply a thin, even coat of bonding primer to every surface. Prime the backs of the doors first, let them dry, flip them onto painter's pyramids, then prime the fronts. Prime the cabinet boxes in place. One coat of a quality bonding primer like Zinsser B-I-N is typically sufficient. Allow the primer to dry for the time specified on the label — usually 45-60 minutes for shellac-based, 2-4 hours for water-based.

Once the primer is fully dry, lightly sand every primed surface with 220-grit sandpaper. This knocks down any raised grain, roller texture, or tiny imperfections and creates a silky-smooth base for the paint. Use very light pressure — you're smoothing, not removing the primer. Wipe everything down with a tack cloth again after sanding. This step is what separates a professional-looking finish from an obviously DIY one.

Stir your cabinet paint thoroughly. Using the same roller-and-brush technique as priming, apply a thin first coat to all surfaces. Start with the brush on edges, routed details, and corners, then immediately roll the flat areas to maintain a consistent texture. Roll in one direction for the smoothest finish — avoid going back over semi-dry paint, which creates drag marks. Paint the door backs first, let them dry, flip onto pyramids, then paint the fronts. Allow 24 hours of dry time before applying the second coat.

Lightly sand with 220-grit between coats if you feel any rough spots or dust nibs, then tack-cloth. Apply the second coat the same way as the first — thin and even. Two coats is standard; a third may be needed if you're painting over a dark color with a light one. After the final coat, the paint needs to cure (not just dry) before the cabinets can handle daily use. Alkyd-hybrid paints like Benjamin Moore Advance need 7-14 days to reach full hardness. During this time, the doors can be handled carefully but should not be subjected to scrubbing or stacking.