Top 10 Tips & Tricks for Painting Cabinetry

Before you start any projects, I highly recommend doing lots of research on painting cabinetry because everyone does it a little bit differently, and you need to do what you feel comfortable with. Definitely look online through multiple home improvement websites and DIY blogs, ask a professional contractor/painter or troll the aisles of the hardware store and ask one of the older guys working in the paint department – they are my favorite experts and they tell great jokes.

You are going to be looking at your cabinets everyday…go all in for the good stuff. We opted for Benjamin Moore Satin Impervo, and yes I think my husband may have choked on his gum and almost fainted from sticker shock when we first went to ring up our purchase (he can be super dramatic at times), but the guy behind the counter reinforced my decision by saying that there is a reason why the paint is expensive…it’s the best and it’s what the professionals use. We had to go to a specialty paint store to find the Impervo, so check your local store before you go. We painted our cabinets 5 years ago and they have held up really well against tiny fingerprints, crayon and marker drawings (it just wipes away), the occasional dings and scratches and even withstood a little blood spatter from the hubs mandolin incident (ouch – another lesson learned). 

Trust me, even if you think one coat will do, use two. Primer dries super fast and you can do two coats really quickly. I admit, there are a few places I only did one coat of primer on and still regret it. With two coats of primer, you can get away with only one coat of Impervo, especially in places that won’t be seen as much…and this is especially good so that you “don’t have to take out a second mortgage on your house to buy another gallon [of Impervo]” – quoting my wonderful, yet over-dramatic husband. A gallon of Impervo is about $90, so it’s a little pricey, but again, so worth it. Also, make sure to use an oil-based primer if you are using oil based paint and if you can paint outside, do so, or create lots of ventilation in your space…the primer is stronger than the Impervo. Side note – please make sure your pets and children stay outside and away while you paint, especially with oil-based products. It would be wise to keep the area clear for several hours after while it dries and make sure the area is well ventilated. Pets and children are more sensitive to chemicals and smells than you are and you do not want them to have breathing problems! 

Make sure to use a roller specifically made for oil based paints if you are using the Impervo paint so it glides on smoothly. Invest in a few finishing brushes that are angled for trim and to get into the corners of the cabinetry…you can’t go wrong with Purdy brushes and BM makes some nice ones too…cheap brushes are ok for priming, but just like the paint, don’t get cheap with the brushes…they are expensive because they work the best and you don’t have as many brush marks on the finished project as you would with cheaper versions.

If you are going to take the time to paint your cabinets, make sure to take the time to sand them. It helps even out the surfaces and removes any gloss, residual paint and anything else that has caked on your cabinets over the years. You don’t have to sand them all down to the original wood, but scuff them up plenty so that the primer can soak in and make the paint go on smoother and more appealing as it dries. For the cabinet’s shell (that’s what I call the area left after taking off the doors and drawers), you can clean everything with a TSP Solution and then use a Liquid Sander Deglosser so you don’t have a dusty mess all over the kitchen. We also used the Liquid Sander Deglosser before priming, just to cover all my bases…make sure to use gloves when handling this stuff because it is nasty and can rough up your hands a lot. You will also want to lightly sand down drips and rough areas in between each layer you paint, to finish with a smooth surface. Just use a medium to fine-grit sanding sponge and wipe away the debris before the next coat of paint.

You will want the final coat of paint to go on the front side of the cabinets, so plan accordingly.

This is one of the most challenging parts for me because I would have liked for our kitchen remodel to have been over in a weekend and I have the patience of my mother (zero). This is extremely important if you are using the BM Satin Impervo paint because although it will be dry to the touch in 4 hours, it needs at least 12-24 hours to settle between coats. So start early and then sit back and relax, or make your husband start on another project while you wait. Once you get the final coat done, your patience will be tested because you really need to wait 7 to 10 days before you attach the doors and add on the hardware. This paint likes to take its time to settle and harden into the intended finish. When you are already investing a lot of time and energy into a big project, a couple more days won’t matter in the long run and it will be well worth it in the end. Tip: Look online for hardware for your cabinets and drawers. You’ll save money and there’s a lot more options to choose from. Our favorite is:If you order hardware online, do it on the last day of painting so you have no choice but to wait and it’s like a special gift to yourself once they arrive.

8. Have everything prepped and ready to paint before you start. 

It’s easier to clean, sand and paint everything at once, so take the time beforehand to make sure that you have all of the supplies that you need and all the hardware off before you start. Here’s a pic of most of the supplies that we used:

9. Use paint thinner.

When you are using oil based or acrylic paints, soap and water will not clean your brushes off at all. Know the saying oil and water don’t mix? That’s because they don’t so if you try to just rinse off your brushes, you’re wasting your time. Also, don’t try to dilute the paint thinner with water…it doesn’t work and if you leave your brushes sitting in the mixture for a couple days because you forgot about them, they will be ruined. Use straight paint thinner in a bucket (or a milk jug cut in half) and set your brushes in the thinner for at least an hour, then take the brushes out back and rinse with your garden sprayer in an area that you don’t mind getting paint all over. I also dip my fingers (and most of my hand) into the thinner to loosen the paint that I have splattered all over myself and rub the paint until it’s a milky color and use soap and water to clean. I’m not sure if it’s that great for your hands, but it’s the only way to get the paint off.

10. Have Fun! 

Painting cabinetry can really suck the life out of you, but for me it is totally worth it. I hit shuffle on my iPod, hook Tequila up on a long chain in the front yard and start rocking out with my brush. My music taste is a bit eclectic and I tend to get lost in the music so the people driving down our street and exercising on our trail have probably had a few laughs at my expense while I am rapping & shaking it to some old school Salt-N-Peppa and Trina (Steph – you know what’s up), rocking out to some Wolfmother and bustin’ out some smooth moves to MJ, but it does make the work a lot more fun!