Looking for cabinet painting tips? Well, you’ve come to the right place! Painting your own cabinets can save you a lot of money and give you a unique look that is all your own. But, there are some things to know before going in headfirst.
After painting hundreds of cabinets, I have come up with my top 10 tips for painting cabinets! These will ensure that everything goes smoothly when it comes time for prepping and painting those beautiful new cabinets!
Use These Tips To Paint Beautiful Cabinets!
Here are my top ten tips for painting kitchen cabinets that will help you get a beautiful long-lasting finish:
1. To do it right, it’s going to take some time.
Could you paint your kitchen cabinets in one weekend (or less?) Sure you can! I’ve seen plenty of Instagram stories where influencers tackle their cabinets in the span of 48 or so hours! And, the thought of such a huge transformation in a short span of time is hyper-appealing, there’s no doubt!
However, if you’re a person who actually cares what the paint finish looks like in real life, what the finish feels like when you touch it, or how long the paint will actually last before looking like trash…then you’re gonna need to know that getting nice painted cabinets correctly is gonna take some time. Sorry!
But, it’s worth it.
Take your time, do the job right, and reap the rewards for years to come!
I’ve painted cabinets in hundreds of kitchens over the years and I’ve tried nearly every combination of finishing schedules my mind can conceive! Having this amount of experience gives me the unique perspective of knowing the quickest way to get a kitchen painted, but cutting exactly zero corners in the process.
My momma always said, “Anything worth doing is worth doing RIGHT”. And, as always, momma knows best. 😉
2. How long should it take to paint kitchen cabinets?
To get the best possible results, painting your kitchen cabinets simply takes time. I and one helper can complete an average size kitchen (which is approx 35 total pieces, including doors and drawers) in 5 or 6 workdays.
This equates to roughly 40-50 total man-hours, which consists of us spraying the doors and drawers and brushing the frames.
I know that seems like a lot, but don’t worry – I’ve distilled my painting experience into the quickest possible timeline/finish schedule for the members of my cabinet painting course!
Save Time With DIY Cabinet Painting Tips 101
The homeowners who go through my DIY Cabinet Painting 101 course can typically complete their cabinet painting project anywhere from 50-100 total hours. If you think of it, that’s not bad for a quality set of painted cabinets!
3. To do it right, it’s going to cost a little bit of money.
Along with taking some time, it’s gonna take a little bit of money too. It might be super tempting to buy the cheaper items (i.e., brushes, roller covers, paint, etc.). DON’T DO IT. Doing so will absolutely bite you in the rear.
I know exactly what it feels like to be shopping for a painting project and all you can do is watch the total going higher and higher as you add items to your cart! After all, the whole reason you’re doing this project on your own is to SAVE money, right?
But, going the cheap route on your paint and supplies will result in making you work harder, taking you more time, and sacrificing your finish in the end.
4. You need to choose your paint color LAST
After helping hundreds of homeowners with painting kitchen cabinets, I’ve realized that nearly everyone wants to start by choosing their paint color. But, this only works if the cabinet color is the ONLY thing you’ll be changing in the space.
If anything else is going to change, like the flooring, countertops, backsplash, decor and/or wall color, you will need to choose all of those other finishes FIRST then choose your cabinet paint color LAST.
Why?
It’s infinitely easier to choose the paint color for your cabinets after all of the other finishes are chosen because there are many, many more paint color options than there are countertop options or backsplash choices.
Don’t get sucked into scrolling through Pinterest, looking room after room painted various Benjamin Moore shades. You need to pick out your paint color based on YOUR space and YOUR finishes!
I like to start with choosing the countertops, then the flooring, the backsplash, and the cabinet and wall colors. Doing it this way is so much faster and easier!
5. Sample your color before committing
When you are finally ready to choose your color, always sample first! Again, it’s wonderful to get color ideas from Pinterest and magazines, but never just commit to a color without first seeing it in real life inside of your space!
2 Ways To Sample Color
You can do this the old-fashioned way by going to the paint store, buying the sample size paint pots then brushing two coats of it onto a white poster board (let me just tell you, this is a pain in the rear!) Or, you can do it the new and less annoying way and order your color samples from Samplize.
This is one of my FAVORITE cabinet painting tips! Samplize is so much easier and less costly in the long run! You just pick what colors you want to sample and they will send you a large sheet of the ACTUAL paint so you can be assured that the color is 100% spot on.
Pro tip: Choose 2 colors at the very least when you order that way you’ll have something to compare it to. Just getting one color won’t help too much.
6. Your paint finish will not be bulletproof
Hate to break it to ya. But, it’s true.
After going through the time and expense of painting your cabinets (or even after you pay a professional to do it for you), it’s only natural to expect the painted kitchen cabinets to look perfect foreverrrr!
But, you need to know that ANY and ALL painted surfaces will not be perfect and last forever. If you use your kitchen at all (and I hope you do!), there will be some dents and dings along the way. This is true for any paint job, whether it’s ceilings, walls, cars, furniture – literally anything that has been painted.
Yes, following the best processes, prepping thoroughly with primer, and using the highest quality coatings will increase the durability and longevity of the paint finish. However, it will still be susceptible to damage in extreme or excessive conditions.
If the drawer fronts are hit hard enough with an object, it can chip (edges and corners are most susceptible to this). If a sharp object meets the surface of your cabinet doors, it can scratch. And, if a painted surface is touched by hands in the exact same spot enough times over the years, it’s possible that the paint can wear.
(Side note, this is why knobs and pulls are always recommended!)
How long will painted kitchen cabinets last?
So how long will painted cabinets last? How do they hold up over time?
Well, it’s hard to give a blanket statement on this because many variables come into play. But, with the painting process, advice, and products I show you in the cabinet painting course, I tell my clients they can expect 7-10 years from their painted cabinets under normal conditions.
That’s not a bad return for 50 hours-ish of your time!
7. It’s imperative that you start off with a clean slate for a lasting finish
Perhaps this is the most crucial of all my cabinet painting tips. Let’s compare painted kitchen cabinets to building a house.
Pretend that you’ve just built your dream house, and it cost you like $500 per square foot (that is a lot in case unfamiliar with home building prices). It has the best of everything. Marble floors and countertops, 12’ ceilings throughout, custom millwork on all the walls…you get my drift, right?
But…that really nice, expensive house you built was on sand. We all know what would happen to a home built on sand…it sinks! And all that time, money, and love is gone.
Your cabinets are much the same way.
You could buy the most expensive, best quality primer and paint known to man, but if you put it onto a surface that wasn’t thoroughly cleaned of dust and degreased first, none of it will matter because it will fail.
Putting that great Benjamin Moore (or whatever brand) paint on un-clean cabinets layered with grease is like building your house on sand. You need to know that the very first step to painting cabinets is to make sure the surface is squeaky clean.
All other steps you do (prime, sand, paint, etc) will build off of that clean foundation.
8. You’ll spend more time vacuuming than actually painting
If you don’t have a horsehair brush attachment for your vacuum cleaner, buy one, because you’re gonna need it. After every sanding session, you’ll need to vacuum every single inch of the cabinets to get rid of the dust.
Don’t make the mistake of thinking you can just dust off the surface with a rag, paper towels, or even your hand. Totally wrong. You must vacuum the dust with a brush attachment. It’s a lot of time spent vacuuming, but that’s a big part of the job when you paint kitchen cabinets.
Then, guess what? After you vacuum, I still want you to grab a tack cloth and run it over the cabinet boxes, doors, and drawers, etc. We want to get every single gritty piece of dust off your cabinets!
Tack cloth + a good vacuum is the secret sauce!
9. One of the best-kept pro cabinet painting tips is…sanding (yes, seriously)
You knew this one was coming, right? I like to joke and tell people I’m a professional sander instead of a pro painter, but it’s true in a way. Ask any pro who’s producing quality work, and they will all tell you that sanding is where it’s at when you are painting your kitchen cabinets.
Once you just make peace with the fact that sanding separates the amateurs from the pros, you realize it’s really not THAT bad and doesn’t take all the long! It’s worth it for that smooth finish!
10. You don’t have to use a sprayer for great results
After helping many homeowners with their cabinet painting projects, I’ve come to learn that so many believe that only a sprayed finish is deemed “good enough” or “professional”. That bums them out because they feel that spraying is just out of their reach. They think they’ll never know how to spray therefore they give up before they begin.
I’m here to tell you that if spraying isn’t an option for you, a brushed finish on your cabinet boxes or cabinet door can be REALLY amazing!
Of course, the caveat is this is only true IF you know how to properly brush and what brushes, paints, and techniques to use.
You also don’t have to fear brush marks. Many high-end designers request a hand brushed paint job on their cabinets. This is because they believe that human hands give it an extra special personal touch.
And, there are many painters in European countries that only brush. There, you’d be considered a crazy person to desire a sprayed-on finish!
I’ll admit, it did take me quite a while to appreciate a hand-brushed paint job, but nowadays, I really do admire a properly brushed surface!
If you want to know the tools and materials I use for brushing, you can download my paint supply list here!
Once Finished, You’ll Feel So Much Pride And Happiness!
The last thing you need to know before painting cabinets yourself is that once you’re finished, you’ll feel like a rockstar! The main thing I hear over and over from the DIYers who take my painting course is that they’re SO happy they did it.
They can’t believe the difference it made in the look of their home! More importantly, they’re just so proud of themselves for accomplishing such an arduous task.
Cabinet Painting Tips: Final Thoughts
It really is worth all the hard work to see that smooth finish you get once you finish painting kitchen cabinets the right way!
Have I convinced you to give it a try? By applying these cabinet painting tips, you will save money and have the pride of all your hard work. It’s a great way to get creative and add color or update those tired-looking cabinets in your kitchen!
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