How to Paint Kitchen Cabinets

Number each door and its corresponding hinge location with painter's tape and a marker (e.g., "L1," "L2," "R1"). Remove all doors, drawer fronts, and hardware. Place hinges and screws in labeled ziplock bags. Remove shelves if possible. You'll paint the cabinet boxes in place and the doors and drawers on sawhorses or a drying rack in the garage.

Mix TSP (trisodium phosphate) with warm water according to the label and scrub every surface you plan to paint — cabinet boxes, doors, drawer fronts. Kitchen cabinets accumulate years of cooking grease that you can't see but paint can't bond to. Scrub with a sponge, rinse with clean water, and let everything dry completely. This step is non-negotiable — skip it and your paint will peel within months.

Sand every surface to be painted with 120-grit sandpaper or sanding sponges. You're not removing the finish — you're scuffing it to give the primer something to grip. Sand with the grain on flat surfaces and use sanding sponges on profiles and edges. Wipe all surfaces with a tack cloth to remove every speck of dust. Any dust left on the surface will be trapped under the primer.

Apply one coat of shellac-based primer (Zinsser BIN is the gold standard for cabinets). Use a foam roller on flat surfaces and a brush on edges and profiles. Shellac primer blocks stains, adheres to any surface (even slick factory finishes), and provides a perfect base for cabinet paint. Let it dry 1 hour, then lightly sand with 220-grit and tack cloth again.

With the doors and drawers removed, paint the visible parts of the cabinet boxes in place. Use a 4-inch foam roller on flat panel areas and a 2-inch brush on edges and corners. Apply thin coats — two thin coats are better than one thick coat. Thick paint runs, sags, and takes days to cure. Let the first coat dry 4-6 hours, then apply the second coat.

Lay doors flat on sawhorses (flat surfaces dry with fewer runs). Paint the back side first: roll the flat panel, then brush the raised profiles. Let the backs dry overnight, flip, and paint the fronts. Apply two thin coats on each side, sanding lightly with 220-grit between coats for the smoothest possible finish. Don't rush — thin coats cure harder and smoother.

Cabinet paint needs to CURE, not just dry. It may feel dry in 4 hours, but it takes 2-3 weeks to reach full hardness. Wait at least 3 days before rehanging doors (longer in humid conditions). Install new hardware if you're upgrading — this is the cheapest way to modernize the look further. Rehang doors using your numbered labels. Adjust hinges so doors hang evenly.