All You Need
- High-quality acrylic paint made for woodwork
- Scrapers
- Sanding block
- Wood putty
- Alkyd-based primer (for old enamel surfaces)
- Screwdrivers
- Paintbrush
- Roller
- Masking or painter's tape
- Drop cloths
- Wooden support blocks
- Paint remover and fine steel wool or metal polish (if reusing old hardware) OR new hardware
Step-by-Step
1. Decide which parts of each cabinet you will paint. Usually, you need to paint only the stiles (the framing pieces), the drawer faces, and one side of the doors. You may also want to paint the back side of the doors and the insides of the cabinets. (Plan to cover the bottoms of shelves and drawers with shelf paper.)
2. If changing or moving the hardware, choose it prior to painting.
3. Remove doors and drawers from stiles.
4. Fill, sand, and prime. Examine surfaces carefully for cracks and holes; paint will not cover these imperfections. Scrape and sand down high spots and fill scratch marks and cavities with wood putty. If you will be changing the location of pulls or knobs, fill the old screw holes. Sand filler smooth. Prime old enamel surfaces with an alkyd-based primer.
5. Paint doors and drawer faces. Remove every piece of hardware — hinges and knobs or pulls — and set the doors and drawers on drop cloths. Support them with blocks of wood so no painted surface comes in contact with the drop cloths. Paint large areas with a roller and use a brush to touch up hard-to-get-to areas.
6. Strip old hardware, if reusing. Clean it by soaking overnight in paint remover. Buff lightly with steel wool or rub it with metal polish — the kind that leaves a protective film.
7. Paint the stiles. Cover the countertop and other surfaces with masking or painter's tape as needed. Paint the framing pieces with long, smooth strokes. Begin at the least accessible points and work outward. Paint the inner surfaces, then work toward the outer surfaces.
8. Allow paint plenty of time to dry before handling and reassembling cabinets. When done, you'll have a surface that is almost as washable as laminate.
Related articles:
- Choosing the right cabinet wood
- Planning for new kitchen cabinets
- Antiquing wood furniture with paint
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