In June of 2011, I painted my kitchen cabinets. I had been itching to since I first walked through the house that became our home. Several things stopped me. Number one was my husband. He just wasn’t ready for me to paint over perfectly nice wood cabinets. Number two was that we had two babies 19 months apart. I was willing to refinish floors, paint walls, slipcover furniture and start a business, but painting the cabinets was a bit more than I wanted to tackle.
So, I settled for painting the walls a pale yellow to brighten up the space and waited for the right time to make my move. You know the move. The “Hon, I’ve been thinking…” conversation.
(Nothing like a toddler in underwear streaking through a photo shoot. This was a common thing when my boys were smaller.)
I finally got my chance when I was asked to partner with True Value as a part of their blog squad. The walls went from pale yellow to pale blue and I repainted the ceilings in the family room and kitchen. I also bought primer and paint for the cabinets as well as new hardware.
The project was a bear. I think I have 51 cabinets doors…I haven’t counted since I put them back on after painting them. It took me about two weeks from start to finish, but it made a huge difference in the look of the room. Huge.
Paint is amazing.
I used Zinsser Primer, which is water, based followed by Benjamin Moore’s Satin Impervo, which is oil based, in off-the-shelf white. That’s not the name of the color. It’s just the default white sold off the shelf. (This isn’t a paid review or featured post, by the way.)
Oil is very different to work with if you’ve only used latex, Chalk Paint, Milk Paint, etc. I wouldn’t say it’s my favorite to work with, but it has worn so well and I would use oil on kitchen cabinets again in a heartbeat. (Here’s a video on how I painted my cabinets, if you’re interested.)
(I misspoke at one point in this video. I say it took me “three coats”, but I meant “three quarts” of primer. I only applied one coat.)
Anyway, even though it’s oil based, it hasn’t yellowed. It’s still bright white. The paint has not chipped at all. It has held up to scrubbing, sticky fingers, coffee and soda spills, an orange juice explosion (courtesy of Mini Mustard Seed), and everything we’ve thrown at it (like stretchy super heroes, gummy snacks and mushy Cheerios ) The only place the paint has worn away is on the door to the cabinet under the sink…
We’re in and out of that cabinet at least 15 times a day, so if that’s all the wear that shows in the entire kitchen, it still gets a thumb’s up in my book.
I’m working on my kitchen now, so I thought I would give an update.
I finished grouting my kitchen back splash today. The grout float tool and I understood each other much better after our bonding experience yesterday. I don’t think I’ll quit my day job, but I have decided that DIY tiling is not so bad.
76 Responses
Thank you for the update and the tutorial. I dread the thought of using oil based paint because of the clean up, but I think I could do it now. Beautiful kitchen and I love the new tile! 🙂
Thank you Marian for your advices!! I love your work in your kitchen. I want to paint white my cabinets as well, but I don´t know what to do with my Laminate Countertops which have an ugly color. I can´t change them because my house is rented, so I wanted to know if its possible to paint them, and how would you do it.
You can change your countertops by painting them. There are plenty of ideas on Pinterest on how to go about it and what you need. I haven’t taken the plunge yet but it’s on my To Do list! Right after painting my cabinets in my kitchen :o)
That change to white really does make a huge difference to the overall look. I really like it.
It looks fabulous! I love the fact that you can touch up if you need to. Ahhh… the beauty of paint!
What a huge difference the paint made! Looks a thousand times better. I am trying to get my hubby to paint my cabinets too. He just painted my dining room though so maybe I better wait a bit to ask again. I don’t know why they can’t get as excited as we do?
I followed your tutorial last October and did my cabinets. They have held up wonderfully and look amazing. When people ask me if they should do it, I tell them it was a huge job. If its done right, it’s great. But it takes a ton of time and patience.
I liked your blog Specially the way of presenting,how beautifully you explain.I think you did a great job.Thanks for sharing…
That’s good to know! I don’t have any cabinets in need of paint right now because we’re renting, but one day….I’m gonna dig this up and buy me some oil paint! Thanks for sharing!
Hugs,
Gail
Amazing transformation. Brought the kitchen right into 2013, even tho you may have painted it previously to that date. Now it’s timeless ~
We have wooden cabinets that have been painted apple red and I want to re-paint them white. Would I have to sand all that paint off and then put primer on and then paint. Also do you need to lightly sand after the first coat of paint dries in case you need to apply a second coat? I’m all new at this. I did not paint the red color, but now want to change it. Also did you paint you base cabinets on the inside?
I would scuff them up lightly with sandpaper then prime them with a colour blocking/stain blocking primer as the red will bleed through otherwise. The old alternative, which is messy, is to prime red with silver or galvanized paint (do they make this any more?)
We’ve used that primer, both the older alkyd based primer (reeks!) and the newer water based one. Best we’ve used. It covers anything. We redid a 100 year old house with porous plaster walls and scarred (and patched) woodwork. Priming always works better than not. We saved the Zinnser for the spots where nothing else would work because they only had alkyd at the time.
I am glad to hear that your painted cabinets are holding up well since I am getting ready to paint my kitchen island. It is not a big job but not one I want to re-do every year.
Traci
Your kitchen makeover really does look amazing! It gives it a totally different atmosphere. Thanks for sharing your painting tips and best of luck with the rest of your kitchen. Looking forward to seeing the results!
It’s been 6 years since I’ve painted my cabinets from dark wood to white
and I’m thinking it’s time to paint again. Like yours it’s showing wear
witch I like but there are spots that need help. I may not have kids
at home any more but they come at least once a year with their kids
and at different times so my house is always hosting a total family
all year long.. (I love it)
I need to re read your post and see what paint you used..
Thanks for sharing
Sandy
Your kitchen makeover does make your kitchen very different, much lighter and brighter but a lot of work painting all those cupboards.
I have to paint all my window frames and I will have to use a oil base paint to keep the moisture out.
Merle…..
Hi MMS
I was wondering if you know anyone who painted their cabinets with Annie Sloan Chalk paint? I’m thinking about doing my kitchen with chalk paint, My biggest worry would be durability and grease. Thanks so much
Susan
I’m not MMS, Susan, but I did and love it. It’s not yet been a year though–so I can’t personally speak to longevity! Still, the process included a coat of clear wax and then we did a coat of dark wax to age them and every spill and dribble so far just wipes right off, even if we don’t notice the original dribble for a while. Not worried at all!
I painted my ugly yellow oak cupboards a few years ago and loved the transformation although it was a LOT of work. I didn’t use oil paint and regretted it a couple of years later when I had quite a bit of chipping. I got a new kitchen last year and went with dark cupboards because that was my husbands choice (and the only way I’d get a new kitchen). I love it, but really miss the white. I don’t think I could talk him into letting me paint though!
I have been wanting to paint our dark, varnished, outdated cabinets since we moved into our house 3 years ago. What stops me is the fact that we have 24 cupboards and 28 drawers (huge kitchen, obviously, lol)….would be such a massive undertaking! However, this post has me considering having the “Honey, I’ve been thinking….” talk with my own husband, lol……
Would you recommend this same formula on painting a kitchen with white laminate?
Thanks,
Janie
The change is wonderful! We also started ( a few homes back) with plain oak cabinets. With two young children I painted ours a deep mossy green and put some sort of stain over them for an aged look. We added crown molding and beadboard to the sides of each cabinet and the island. The builders made a boo-boo and we had an overhang on our island (but no room for chairs in the walkway!) so we had my father in law build a narrow bookshelf that filled out the overhang space. It went from blah to character! I even kept the doors on when I painted! What did I know…
I have not been brave enough to follow through with a deep desire to paint my Kraft Maid Cherry kitchen cabinets. Our house is a very modest 1970’s era ranch and the older couple who owned the home paid so much money renovating the kitchen, laundry room and main bath with these fancy Kraft Maid Cherry cabinetry. It is just to formal, fussy, and dark to go with the house. I have seen some re-do’s of dark cabinetry like this with the AS chalk paint, which requires very little prep (I was told to first wipe them down with “TSP”, which is available at any hardware store, then clean off with water. What are your thoughts on this?
Mary, when I painted the paneling in my Mother’s family room a couple of years ago, the salesman at Sherwin Williams told me to clean the walls with a diluted solution of Simple Green. He said that because the EPA had them change the strength of the TSP you can buy, it does not work as well.
Last year when I painted my paneling (yes, I used Mom’s house as a guinea pig), the sales girl at Lowes talked me into spending more and buying the paint that had the primer in it. It was SO much easier than when I painted at Mom’s house. I also painted the acoustical tile ceiling, it too two, yes TWO coats. I love that paint. It is holding up well, too.
It’s nice to hear your review on the oil based… I have wondered. I painted ours with latex (I was pregnant at the time) and although they have held up considerably well the past almost two years, it’s time to repaint them and this time I’ll be sealing them too. I can hardly wait to see your back splash… I’m hoping to get the courage to do some DIY tiling! 🙂
Good to know that you’ve only had that little bit of wear! Tthere’s a convo going on over on Hometalk about painting cabinets. I’ll be sure to add a link to your post.
I painted my first cabinets in California over 27 years ago. Since I moved from the east coast the paint I used had to be shipped. It was my favorite oil paint ever, Old Sturbridge Village Richardson House Red. You can just imagine what it cost, even back then. Anyhoo they turned out fabulous and I’ve done it in every home since. I’ve been back in Northern Virginia for 26 years now. My taste is still primitive and high country on the lower level. The present home I’m in I used milk paint and a sealer on the kitchen cabinets. CAUTION Cabinets from the 90’s on should be patch tested. The cabinet makers seal with a penetrating finish , which MUST be sanded! My cabinets to date, have not chipped nor worn anywhere! This has been fantastic and I’m still enjoying the fruits of my labor! My upstairs is more cottage and I’m about to paint the custom cabinets in the bath. I’m tempted to patch test your paint, without a prep, to see if it will stick. These are the cabinets that needed sanding…we’ll see how it works!
I appreciate all of the great information on painting the cabinets and can’t wait to give it a try! Did you sand before using the primer and use a topcoat after you applied the oil base paint? Thanks so much, Kenda
Amazing what a change in color will do…love the new look of your kitchen! and everytime I see that “Tourists” sign, I drool…you found the perfect place for that! I’m guessing that sign is the real deal, but I just may have to make a replica of it to hang in my house!
We did ours last Winter, thankfully it was mild so we could keep the windows open. I actually enjoyed the smell of the paint compared to that oil primer! I spent two weeks painting until midnight after kids had gone to bed, then cursing at the cat who’d walked over them during the night…good times. Best and most transformative project I’ve ever done! And the Impervo really does hold up nicely.
Love the worn look!
What a difference in the kitchen, from wood to white! We did ours over a year ago and I couldn’t love them more! It brightened up both rooms, kitchen and the room I turned into an office.
We just got back from Winston Salem, North Caroling, I’ve read your book but on the trip home I decided to read it again. Love your home and the blue and apple green, so much that I’ve decided to use those colors too. I’ve always had blue in my home but didn’t know it I should get rid of it. Now I’ve decided to keep it and add the green. When I clicked on your post I really couldn’t believe I bought the same kitchen rug that you have the other day at Target on sale.
Thanks for all that you do for your readers, always enjoy stopping by!
Great help. We’re about to paint ours, which are already painted! But why on earth did you buy your paint in quarts when you had so much to paint? I’m buying by the gallon!
Great tute! I’ve painted the cabs in 4 houses now, and the home we used the oil-based outlasted the latex by far…..I only use oil paints for kitchen and bath cabs, though, because it is really stinky 🙂 I don’t do stinky very well.
We painted our cabinets using the same BM oil base paint over 12 years ago and they still show very little distressing. Just like you, we are amazed at how durable the paint is even with kids.
We cheated and used a paint sprayer to paint to doors. It was a huge time saver, however, it does take a little more paint.
Thanks for sharing and thanks for writing such a great blog!
I think your kitchen looks so much nicer painted. You did an amazing job.
I love using oil based paint and our kitchen was painted in Farrow and Ball oil based eggshell about 8 years ago and has lasted really well. At the time our kids were young, we have a totally open house with kids back and forth every day and have two retrievers who sleep in the kitchen every night so the cupboards are wiped down pretty much every day. I probably will repaint them in the next year or two but just to freshen them up, not because the paint has worn off. Two of my friends have had their kitchens painted in the same colour (white tie) and love them. It’s held up great for them too.
Thanks for posting this. I’ve been wanting to paint our kitchen cabinets for a few years….always getting protests from my husband. I think I’ll have him read your blog! Just to prepare him.
we painted our cabinets about 6 years ago (country blue) and they are still holding up really well like yours… except for the doors under the sink and to the trash:) loving your blog!
I love the painted cabinets! So funny that so many men recoil at the thought of painting wood – as if it were a cardinal sin. I’ve lived with painted cabinets for years. All they need is an occasional touch up and voila’ – good as new.
Your cabinets look beautiful and the room a hundred times lighter and happier! Many people think painting natural (or natural looking) wood is a decorating sin. Personally, I think ALL woodwork should be glossy white.White is so reflective and pretty with almost any color and it is unifying to the house. I have recommended painting paneling many times and after the initial shock wears off, some people actually DO it. They find that paint is a GREAT quick fix for DARK and DREARY. The paneling immediately translates into a cottage-y look and almost any light color looks amazing. Paneling and natural wood are NOT SACRED; they are more often than not, culprits in dragging a room down.
Great post! We painted our vintage kitchen cabinets 4 years ago with the exact same paint. My husband was a former painting contractor and he SWEARS by Impervo!! We’ve also used this on baseboard trim throughout the house and staircase treads and it’s held up beautifully. I’m not a fan of oil, due to the smell…but after a few days it’s gone. Impervo really is one of the best products out there!!
Last summer, I took the plunge and used Rustoleum’s Cabinet Transformations kit to do mine. I chose white with a stain on top to antique them to a creamy white. They turned out great and I was sooo proud until I pulled off the BLUE PAINTER’S TAPE around the edges and found that it pulled the paint off the walls in 3 places! Arrrgh! Now I have to paint the walls in the kitchen. Think I’ll call in a pro for that.
I have painted kitchen cabinet doors several times, and after taking them off and laying them flat the first time with dismal results (sanding runs and sticking to under material), I have since done them as they hang on the cabinet with much better results. You can do the front and back at the same time and they dry faster. I used latex primer & enamel and put acrylic poly over paint and they held up well. The hinges can be carefully painted around and scrape paint off after they dry. Each time I painted only the doors and left the frames of the cabinets natural, but it might be worth it to take doors off to paint frames and put them back on to paint doors??
Oh boy that’s a lot of doors! LOL I only have 19 plus a few drawers and thought it would never end the time I sanded them, primed them, painted them a dark green base, crackle coated them, with a very small sea sponge sponged white over the crackle, washed them with an Italian sage green, then antiqued them with apple butter brown to give them a worn appearance. I was then going to wax them but had out of country company arriving in two days and just didn’t get around to it – and that was probably nearly 15 years ago. Since then they’ve been painted over with a light tan which I absolutely despise. So I’ve been thinking about going white. I love yours but I’d probably have to sand them down to the wood in order to do oil based – maybe not though if I primed them again like yours. Hmmmm one of these days when I get some extra energy LOLOLOL Your kitchen looks fabulous!
I love white cabinets, it is me. Right now there are yucky oak cabinets ……
I’d love to paint my oak cabinets, but my in-laws put them in only 10 years ago and I think it would offend them if I painted them. We just bought the house from them last month. I’ll give it a few more years until we have to replace the green Corian counters. Love the brightness the WHITE gives to the kitchen.
I too love my white painted cabinets and yours. I watched the video when you originally posted it and used your advice on some more cabinets I was painting. Great DYI video. As far as the DYI tiling being not so bad, that is E-x-a-c-t-l-y what I think after it is over. Then I get back into another project and I wonder how in the world could I forget this pain and trauma?? Kinda like having babies…it is all worth it in the end. 🙂
I love painted cabinets–that’s all I’ve ever had. I painted our first two sets, inside and out, and you’re right–it is a serious job to paint them! Although it’s a “pain” to cleanup after oil base, it does leave the best finish; if done properly, it holds up for a very, very time.
Now in house number 3 with cabinets that were already painted on the outside; I had to paint the inside to make them usable enough to set my dishes in them. So, we’re getting ready to gut our tiny little kitchen (less than 80 sq. ft.) and i’m going to order new cabinets tomorrow . Guess what finish I’ve chosen?–PAINTED, of course! SO excited about having wood cabinets with a factory painted finished.
Thank you for sharing your steps and progress. it looks good and I appreciate your work ethic and enthusiasm.
I just finished painting my laminate kitchen countertops to look like copper and they look amazing. It involves lots of steps and isn’t a project for the faint of heart .It isn’t difficult just time consuming. I googled how to paint laminate countertops and found lots of tutorials. My advice, sand them as much as you can, use BIN primer, then use the color of your choice in latex, and finish with whatever look you want. I have also done granite and it was much easier to make it look real than the copper. Finish with a good quality oil base poly. I don’t think polycrylic which is waterbased will hold up as well. Good luck! Oh and I have wanted to paint my nice oak cabinets for years. I will have to get rid of the hubby first and he has been cleaning the snow off my car every day, driving me to work when the roads are bad and cooking dinner.. Guess I better keep him unitl spring at least. LOL!
painted my oak cabs off white using Set Coat by Faux Effects. Fabulous stuff! I have a very busy kitchen and a large family and NO ONE is careful with cabinets! No scuffing, cracking, chipping, etc. Worth looking into. (this also is not a paid ad).
I love the before and after pictures! The tutorial video was great too. Good tips for using the oil based paint.
The pictures are great but where is the redo of the bar area or did you not redo it? Also I would like to see how the fridge side turned out! Love your site you are a busy woman!
Marion!!!!
Benjamin Moore White is the white I have been specifying for eons!
I’d tell the painter I wanted Benjamin Moore “white”, and he’d ask, what color white?
And I’d say, “that’s the name of the color, White!”
And he say, ” But which white?”
AND I’D SAY…… “IT’S CALLED W H I T E!!!”
It was like an Abbot and Costello routine…..
With all this cabinet painting going on everywhere, I just wanted to add my two cents on painting my own cabinets white. I did it a little different than most people, I decided to paint them just like I do furniture. With flat white paint and dark wax to distress then clear wax to protect. A lot of work, and I have lots of cabinets too! But they turned out great! Not bright white, more rustic, which is what I wanted. A year later and they still look as good as day 1! No chips or dings or anything! The wax creates such a hard finish, I can scrub these babies when something spills and it doesn’t disturb the finish at all! Not even on the most used cabinets.
I’m so glad you you posted about this. I painted my cabinets a couple years ago too, and it DID make a huge difference. I used latex paint and they are showing some wear, mostly just like yours, on the doors we use the most. They are now officially distressed! I think it’s funny that we spend time distressing things, but when our painted cabinets get distressed, well, is that cool, or is that a big faux pas!?
Cindy
Hi….just wanted to tell you that I am a professional cabinet painter / faux finisher. I’ve done MANY kitchen and bathroom cabinets with great success! Been at it for over a decade, just me and my friend. I am FINALLY getting ready to makeover my own…YAY! I can give you pointers on how we finish them so the paint doesn’t wear off…some folks don’t want the distressed look. It is a lot of work but it is worth it and a huge money saver!
I would LOVE some pointers to paint my kitchen cabinets. I have the “70” style with the plain front on them, I think just the plywood, were made by hand but has no design or trim on the front. My husband thinks if I paint them all would be really ugly!! Can you advise? My opinion is to paint and get rid of the wood tones to brighten the kitchen with an off white or cream color and maybe put a trim in the espresso or chocolate. Any help here is needed before I just gut it up and tackle something I haven’t a clue as to WHAT or WHERE I start:))
I LOVE MMS kitchen and wish she would come here to do this with my assistance, than I could learn face to face and have no regrets, unless you and your friend want to do this:))
I am really dying to read your tips. Where can I find them? Thank you so much.
Where can we find your tips about painting kitchen cabinets? I have a 1957 ranch with plain cupboards. Thanks!
Getting ready to repaint my cabinets and would be thrilled for tips!!! WHERE???
I’m getting ready to paint my cabinets very soon, and I would love to know what your tips are for no chipping paint!
I love following your blog, love your kitchen and your style. (Wish I lived closer to visit Locketts) You have inspired me to try so projects on my own, not quite up to painting my kitchen cabinets yet but thought I would start on a smaller scale . Maybe not the best choice to start with but if I bomb it would not be the end of the world. I bought a table and chair set mostly because I loved the shape of the chairs. The table on the other hand is not my fav, it has a shinny finish like a really formal dining table. I need some professional advice as to weather I could refinish to be more country distressed (milk paint it) or if I should scape the table and find another to go with the chairs? Thanks
Best part of this whole post was the picture of your little one streaking through the kitchen 🙂 Made me smile, thanks for always being real. with love from a fellow antique dealin’ mom of 3 little boys 🙂
What wax can be used after painting furniture with chalk paint? I want it to have a nice sheen, and be protective, but I don’t want to spend a lot. thank you
What a great tutorial! I have cabinets just like yours and am dying to paint them! Did you sand your cabinets first? If so how did you do it??
did you have to get off the finish on the wood before you primed them?……
getting ready to paint cabinets in my utility room. Just wondering who you didn’t use milk paint.
Did you sand your cabinets prior to priming them and in between priming and painting? Also, did you seal the doors after painting them. And finally, in regard to the base of your cabinets, were they solid wood or veneer? Thanks so much!
Julie
I love, love how your kitchen turned out! I am in the middle of a re-modeling nightmare and could use some advice. We went to the Benjamin Moore paint shop and instead of buying a primer and oil based paint like you did – the people at the store recommended the Benjamin Moore “CabinetCoat trim & Cabinet Enamel” in white. They told us no primer needed and covers like a dream. Well………..we scrubbed and clean the wood cabinets very well before we started and we are on coat number 5 and the wood & a yellowing is STILL bleeding through???? At 57.99 a can we’re thinking we are definitely gonna need a few more cans to finish the job – YIKES! Any suggestions are welcomed – thank you!!
Does your kitchen peninsula have a countertop overhang or did you just put the stools up against the peninsula when the children sit in them? Thanks for answering me.
In hind sight will you still recommend this paint and method for painting kitchen cabinets? We are about to embarque on our first ever custom painted kitchen job. The client (a retired interior designer – persure is on) likes our work, but wants just a plain (non distressed) repaint of her factory finished white cabinets, that has held up for the past 30 years.
Can one use milk paint or antiquing wax over this type of paint for a washed or antiqued look?
Thank you for sharing
I am hiring someone to spray my cabinets in Satin with no sealer.
Would you advise using the oil based improve do because it helps with the cleaning up on cabinets vs latex satin paint without a sealed?
Beautiful kitchen makeover. I’m also mentally (and emotionally) preparing myself and the hubby for a kitchen cabinet paint re-do. Love the inspiration here. Can you also tell me what is the color you used on the kitchen walls in the final pic? It looks beautiful with the light colored cabinets. Thank you!
What an incredible difference. I was looking at the first few photos thinking this was the last thing I expected your kitchen to look like. The after pictures are more what I imagined. Great job.