How Do I Paint My Kitchen Cabinets?

Remodeling your kitchen can be a costly and time-consuming process. Painting your kitchen cabinets is a much easier way to give your kitchen a fresh and updated look. Here’s how to paint your cabinets.

Prepping the Cabinets & Kitchen

Remove all hinges, cabinet doors, drawer pulls and cabinet knobs. Use numbered pieces of tape to mark everything so it can go back in its original position (Cabinet door ‘A’ goes back in cabinet space ‘A’, and so on.) Apply rosin paper and painter’s tape to cover and protect the kitchen countertops. Make sure you have a flat surface reserved for where you’ll be painting, to allow the pieces to dry. Cover the floor beneath the area where you’ll be painting. Wipe down every surface you’ll be painting with a sponge and cleaner, and allow it to dry.

Sand & Prime the Cabinets

Rough up the finish on the cabinets with 100-grit sandpaper. You’re not trying to sand all the original paint off — just rough it up a little, so it will hold the primer. With your cabinet doors facedown, apply a coat of primer on one side. Let it dry to the touch, then flip them over and prime the other side. Apply the primer using a 2.5″ brush, using brushstrokes against the grain and then with the grain. Once the primer dries, you can create a really smooth finish for your cabinets by going over the primer with an orbital sander, using 220-grit sandpaper to smooth out any brushstrokes.

Paint the Cabinets

Use a new paintbrush to apply your new finish color. Paint one side of the cabinet doors and drawer faces, then allow them to dry on that side. Keep the pieces flat, so the paint dries evenly. When it’s dry to the touch, flip everything over and paint the opposite sides. Let everything dry for at least two hours before applying a second coat.

Once your cabinets have a new look, it will take one or two days for the paint to cure, depending on the weather. When everything is ready, reinstall the hinges, cabinet doors and knobs. And of course, if you don’t feel like taking on a do-it-yourself project that’s this involved, you can always give us a call at Two Brothers Painting at (401) 742-2237. We’re ready to paint your kitchen cabinets or tackle any other interior painting projects that you need!