How to paint oak cabinets
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Have you been looking for a great tutorial on how to paint oak cabinets? I have painted cabinets in three different homes. These are the best steps to take to ensure the paint adheres.
This is the before picture of my kitchen. Please don’t judge me.
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Step by step how to prep and paint oak cabinets:
Wash down all doors, drawers, and facings with warm soapy water, rinse and dry
Use TSP (following the manufacturer’s instructions). You can buy it on Amazon. The TSP will clean any remaining grease and help remove some of the shine.
Remove doors and drawer fronts and all hardware. Identify each door and drawer so you know where each goes when it’s time to reinstall.
Fill holes if you are changing out handles. I switched from handles to knobs, so I only filled one hole on each door. To do this, I filled the lower hole on the lower doors, and on the upper doors, I filled the upper hole. I used Elmer’s wood filler. (hint: put a piece of Scotch Blue Painter’s Tape on the inside of the hole to keep the putting from going all the way through) Let dry, and lightly sand.
Tape the inside edge of all doors and drawer fronts. I highly recommend that you do NOT paint the inside of your cabinets. Nobody will see them, and they’re likely to get very scuffed.
Lightly sand doors and drawer fronts to remove any remaining sheen. I used 220 grit sandpaper. I did the doors and drawer fronts outside. Make sure to wipe off ALL dust from sanding.
Lightly sand the front facings and ends of cabinets. I never emptied my cabinets. However, I did cover the items with cheap garbage bags to keep things neat. After I finished sanding, I removed the plastic and threw it away. Wipe down all dust.
Tape off any areas that will be too difficult to keep paint from splattering. I taped the edge where my countertop meets the front of the counter.
I used oil based primer as a base for all of the wood surfaces. For painting outdoors, I used a sprayer from Harbor Freight on the doors and drawer fronts. Please follow all safety precautions using an approved respirator and goggles.
Two coats of primer were used, lightly sanding in between coats. I used an “in-between-coats” sanding sponge. Allow paint to dry thoroughly before moving ahead on any of these steps. I allowed 24 hours in between every coat.
Spray doors and drawer fronts with latex paint. I used Dutch Boy Refresh (quart) Semi-gloss in Sweetened White.
I used a small foam roller for the front facings. Two coats of primer, lightly sanding in between coats. I only bought one little tray for this job, so using a plastic bag allowed me to reuse it without cleaning it with mineral spirits.
Again, I let each coat dry for 24 hours. I did about four light coats on the doors and drawer fronts with my sprayer.
I did three light coats with the foam roller on all the facings and cabinet ends.
Allow all wood surfaces to fully cure before reinstalling. I waited about two weeks, storing the doors and drawer fronts indoors while they cured. Allowing the paint to cure fully is the secret to longevity.
Install all hardware and reinstall all doors and drawer fronts in their original places.
You can see how I painted my utensil holder and my wooden knife block in my post Kitchen Accessories/Krylon Paint
The white cabinets helped to brighten up the room. I get very little natural light in this kitchen.
Edited to add: Over the last 13 years, I’ve made many changes to the kitchen, but the painted oak cabinets still look great.
I also painted my vinyl floor.
Update: I also painted my counter tops.
Another Update: I finally got new appliances, and I painted my kitchen island, plus—have you seen my DIY Barn Doors?
One last update, I installed new laminate wood flooring.
For more great kitchen makeovers, stop by The Kim Six Fix’s How to Paint Your Kitchen Cabinets
My new favorite option for spraying is the HomeRight Finish Max Fine Finish Sprayer.
Looks beautiful! You choose everything including color so well. Love your further additions . . . like your countertops. Question for you… Would you ever consider using chalk paint on your cupboards instead of sanding and priming, etc. Then latex top coat? If so, do you think your outcome would be the same? Your opinions please!
Great Job! Beautiful and elegantly done!
Peggy
I do that kind of paint treatment for my furniture, so I don’t know why it wouldn’t work. I haven’t put latex over REAL chalk paint, only DIY chalk paint made from Plaster of Paris.
Thanks for your kind words on my kitchen cabinets. 🙂
I am planning to paint my oak cabinet but was not sure how to do it, right now I am having a hard time getting the grease off. The more I see the more I am thinking I can do this. Thanks for the inspiration.
Madeline,
I think you can do it as long as you don’t rush it and take the proper prep precautions. 🙂 TSP, sanding, priming, it’s all very important, as is curing time. 🙂
good luck! have fun!
gail
Why didn’t you paint the inside of the cabinet doors?
Wow, this looks beautiful! My kitchen was built in 1957, updated in 1976, and is pretty much frozen at that stage until we figure out what to do to update for low cost. I was considering painting the floor, it’s Terrazo and badly stained. What’s held me back is durability- how has your floor paint held up since you posted this a couple of years ago? Also, how has the countertop paint fared? I am a stay-at-home-mom and my kitchen gets a LOT of heavy cooking use as one necessary way to conserve funds.
Thank you so much for posting this, I am planning to paint my oak cabinet but was not sure how to do it, right now I am having a hard time getting the grease off, I will try the soap and tsd, I hope they come out as good as yours.
I really want to take some time to thank you for sharing this wonderful post and all the details. I can’t tell you whole many times I looked through this before I had the courage to attack my kitchen. Again, thank you so much! If it wasn’t for this blog, then I dont know if I would have remodeled my kitchen.
Here is a link to my blog that shows my b&a pics-
http://www.mrsshayne.com/2012/08/kitchen-remodel-its-finished-before.html
Thanks for the instructions! I have been considering painting my cabinets for a while now, wondering how to go about it where they wouldn’t chip. Now I know! Now just can’t decide if I want white or black! Want to paint my walls gray and I have a vinyl floor that looks like gray marbled tile. Wanting metal or black table and chairs. Any suggestions?
I think I have those exact cabinets!
I have been thinking about re-painting for years since the cabinets are in good condition–just really dark in a small kitchen. I don’t know if I’d do white, but I do like the lighter color.
Thanks for the tips–now I just need to do it! I’ll bookmark your page. 🙂
Wow!! I have super-ugly oak cabinets that I would love to paint. (Or better yet, I’d love to have *you* paint them 😉
Nicely done!
My only question was how well the pressure sprayer worked with the latex paint. I prefer to use latex, but have had terrible luck with pressure sprayers in the past for latex. Did you dilute the paint? If so to what extent? Even with Flotrol I have always seen my sprayer clogging. Thanks!
Beautiful job! Is there a clear coat used over the paint? I have the same cabinets and would like to updated without replacing. I have bathroom cabinets that were painted and now paint is wearing from washing and I can imagine the kitchen would be worse in less time. Thanks!
GORGEOUS … love the painted floor … came out spectacular …
That floor is gorgeous! I love the colors!
Gail,
What was your total start to finish time? I want to do this but there is someone in our house who it would drive crazy to have the doors off for that amount of time. Thanks!
I keep going back and forth on if I want to paint my cabinets – your before look just like my now. The more I see the more I am thinking I can do this. Thanks for the inspiration.
The power of paint! I am hoping to paint my oak cabinets this Summer. I don’t get much natural light in my kitchen either, so I’m hoping white cabinets will brighten it up. You did an amazing job! Thanks for all the tips!
That is the paint sprayer I am looking at purchasing. Do you like it? Would you recommend it? I will be using it less frequently than you do, but often enough that I think the $20 would be worth it, so long as it works as it is supposed to! 🙂
I love your kitchen redo!!! I’m not sure I could pull that off but I’m getting motivated 🙂 Did you paint your hinges too? What did you use?
sharvp (at) hotmail (dot) com
great job, my kitchen desperately needs this!
I also have oak cabinets and I am DYING to paint them but have been too afraid. Thank you for giving me the know-how and inspiration to get them painted!!
Looks so much better.
I have this high on my to-do list. Thanks for the tips!
I really want to paint my cabinets white next summer. They are faux maple, blah, cheap
Wow ~ just GORGEOUS transformation Gail! I love the fresh clean look and color palette. The floor too is amazing. Your patience is clear and yielded awesome dividends. Congrats! Hope you’re enjoying it all with friends n family this Christmas!
hugs,
Leslie
Whoa! that’s a lot of work! You did such a good job, it looks amazing!
It is absolutely gorgeous…you’d never guess this was a DIY job…absolutely fabulously executed. YOu should be so darned proud of yourself.
(Thanks for the tip about curing 24 hours between EVERY coat. I think it made all the difference.)
Oh how I would love to do what you just did. I have the 90s oak cabinets that are so 90ish and not so pretty.
Great for you! I don’t know that my hubby will let me attempt this. I may have to try to convince him, though.
boy, that was a lot of work. but so worth it!
boy, that was a lot of work. but so worth it!
The guy at our hardware store could stand to take a few classes from you. He left out some steps when he told me how to paint our kitchen cabinets, so now they’re starting to chip.
Your cabinets, however, look fabulous! And I’d be very surprised if they ever chip.
I just did mine as well. It is quite the job but so worth it for the cost!! You did such an awesome job!
I am having a giveaway if you would like to enter! Have a great week!
Ooooh, there’s MORE? I want you to hurry!
I must say your kitchen is absolutely gorgeous! Each time I look at it I just can’t get over the difference! Is it highly visible from the other rooms? Because it now flows so nicely with your living room! Great job Gail! You never cease to amaze me!! I have to admit I really want to paint my cabinets but am always intimidated by the amount of time it is going to take….
What size compressor do you use with your spray gun? I’ve been thinking of investing in a compressor/spray gun to help with my furniture refinishing but am so confused by all the options out there!
Thank you for posting these directions. Even I could try this after reading these detailed steps. Your cabinets are incredible. Love the white.
Good directions, I’m so bad about prepping. It’s the most important step but I’m always too impatient to get started and skip over some of the important details.
Your kitchen paint job is just fabulous, what a difference that paint made! Well done!
I love how your whole kitchen turned out! I have been planning to paint my cupboards for a while. I will just print out your step by step instructions. Appreciate all your wisdom.
Oh my goodness, that really makes your kitchen look so much bigger, I guess its all the wonderful chrisp and clean white paint, and I am digging the silver knobs on the cabinet doors! Great job, projects that take the longest always look the best!
– Kim
Upcycle On Everyone!
http://www.mrgnomesblog.com/