Cabinet painting follows a clean–sand–prime–enamel routine, with careful dry and cure time before reassembly.
New paint sticks only when surfaces are clean, dull, and dust-free. The cabinet finish you see in magazines comes from a simple order: remove parts, label everything, clean away grease, scuff sand, prime, then lay two thin coats of cabinet enamel. Dry, cure, and reinstall without rushing. This guide breaks the job into plain steps so you can plan time, tools, and a mess-free workflow.
How Kitchen Cabinets Get Painted Step By Step
Every set starts with setup. Clear counters, set up a work zone, and protect floors with rosin paper or drop cloths. Number doors and drawers. Bag hinges and screws. Take photos of hinge positions so alignment stays easy later.
Prep Comes First
Degrease doors, drawer fronts, and frames. Use a cabinet-safe cleaner or warm water with a little dish soap. Rinse and dry. Tape the box interiors if you are only coating faces. Fill dings with wood filler and let dry. Sand filler flush.
Next, scuff sand to give the primer a tooth. A 120- to 150-grit pass on doors and frames is plenty for sound finishes. Break sharp edges lightly so paint does not pull back from corners. Vacuum, then tack-cloth to remove dust.
Prime For Bond And Stain Block
Use a high-adhesion bonding primer on slick finishes and a stain-blocking primer on knotty or tannin-rich woods. Many pros mix both needs by choosing a bonding primer that also seals. Roll the flat areas with a mini microfiber roller and tip off with a quality brush. Spray if you have the setup and a place to contain overspray. Let the primer dry as directed and sand lightly with 220-grit to knock down nibs.
Choose The Right Topcoat
Cabinets take hits, so choose a durable enamel made for trim or cabinets. Waterborne alkyds and acrylic urethanes are common picks because they level and cure hard. Gloss level changes maintenance and look: satin hides more, semi-gloss wipes faster, high gloss shows every speck but looks sharp when the prep is perfect.
Apply Thin, Even Coats
Plan on two color coats. Load a mini roller, stretch each pass, then lay off in one direction. Brush profiles and inside edges, then smooth the last pass. If you spray, keep the gun square to the surface, overlap by a third, and keep your wrist locked to avoid arcs. Watch for sags on rails and stiles. Fix runs right away with a clean brush.
Tools, Materials, And Grits You Will Use
The list below keeps the process simple. You can swap brands, but the categories stay the same.
| Item | Purpose | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Degreaser + Rinse | Remove oils/film | Rinse before sanding |
| 120–150 Grit | Scuff sand | Creates tooth for primer |
| Wood Filler | Repair dings | Sand flush when dry |
| Bonding Primer | Adhesion | Helps on slick finishes |
| Stain-Blocking Primer | Seal knots/tannins | Use on oak, pine, cherry |
| Cabinet Enamel | Color coats | Waterborne alkyd or acrylic urethane |
| Mini Rollers + Brush | Apply and tip off | Foam or microfiber sleeves |
| HVLP/Airless (Optional) | Spray finish | Mask room fully |
| 220–320 Grit | Between coats | Light touch only |
| Tack Cloth + Vacuum | Dust removal | After each sand |
| Rosin Paper/Plastic | Protection | Floors, counters, appliances |
| Painters Tape | Masking | Seal edges cleanly |
| Labels/Marker | Tracking parts | Door numbers and hinge spots |
Site Prep Keeps The Finish Clean
Mask the room like a small paint booth. Cover the fridge and range. Paper the counters. Tape vents and set a box fan in a window to move air out. Place a clean rack for doors to dry. A simple wood frame with screws as standoffs works well. Keep pets and cooking out of the zone until the job is done.
Remove Doors And Drawers The Easy Way
Work left to right, top to bottom. Number every hinge side with painter’s tape and a marker. Bag hinges and screws by cabinet. Pull shelf pins and store them in the same bag. Photograph any odd hardware so reassembly is quick.
Clean And Sand Without Gouging
Kitchen air carries oils. If you skip washing, sandpaper will just push that film around. Scrub, rinse, then sand by hand or with a sander on low speed. Keep the pad flat and apply light pressure. The goal is a dull, even sheen, not bare wood. Feather chipped spots so they do not telegraph through the finish.
Primer And Paint Application That Lasts
Stir primer. Strain if needed. Coat backs of doors first, then fronts. Balance time so pieces rest long enough to set before flipping. After primer dries, sand lightly with 220-grit, vacuum, tack, and then apply color coat one. Let it dry, sand with 320-grit, and apply coat two.
Brush/Roll Method
Set doors on standoffs. Roll the flats, brush profiles, then tip off with long strokes. Keep a wet edge. Reload often. Check edges for drips before walking away. On frames, start with the rails and stiles, then do the wider fields so the texture matches.
Spray Method
Fit a fine-finish tip or an HVLP needle that matches the product. Test on cardboard to dial pattern and flow. Hold steady distance, overlap passes, and move from the hinge side to the handle side so overspray lands on wet paint. Strain paint to keep the nozzle clear. Clean the gun as soon as you wrap for the day.
Dry Time, Cure Time, And Recoat Windows
Dry to touch and full cure are different. A surface may feel dry yet still be soft inside. Respect the maker’s times for recoat and early use. See the label’s guidance on recoat and cure, and give doors space with steady airflow. Keep humidity in check for an even cure. Many cabinet paints recoat the next day and reach near-full hardness in a week, with full cure taking several weeks in cool or damp rooms.
| Product Type | Typical Recoat | Early Use/Cure |
|---|---|---|
| Waterborne Alkyd | ~16 hours | Light use in 5–7 days; full cure in 2–4 weeks |
| Acrylic Urethane | 4–6 hours | Light use in 3–5 days; full cure in 1–3 weeks |
| Oil Alkyd (Solvent) | 24 hours | Light use in 7–10 days; full cure in 3–6 weeks |
Safety, Lead, And Ventilation
Homes built before 1978 can have lead-based coatings under newer layers. Disturbing those layers creates dust that needs special handling. If you plan to hire the work out, ask for a lead-safe certified firm. If you are DIY in an older house, read the basics of lead-safe setup, containment, and cleanup and follow them to the letter.
Color, Sheen, And Finish Choices
Color sets the mood and affects upkeep. White reflects light and pairs with many counters. Mid-tone greens and blues bring calm and hide smudges better. Deep colors look rich but show dust sooner. Sheen changes everything: satin is forgiving, semi-gloss is easy to wipe, high gloss is showy and demands perfect prep. Paint a sample door and live with it under your kitchen lights before you commit.
Timeline And Workflow That Saves Headaches
Day 1: set up, label, remove doors and drawers, and degrease. Day 2: fill, sand, and mask. Day 3: prime and sand. Day 4: first color coat. Day 5: light sand and second coat. Days 6–7: let doors sit on racks with airflow. Rehang gently and leave bumpers off for a few days so faces do not touch other surfaces. Avoid cleaners until the finish hardens.
Common Pitfalls To Avoid
Skipping wash time leads to adhesion trouble. Thick coats sag and chip. Recoating too soon traps solvent and slows cure. Skipping primer on oak allows tannins to bleed. Forgetting to label hardware turns reassembly into guesswork. Rushing the cure marks the sheen with imprints from fingers, racks, and door bumpers.
Pro Tips For A Factory-Smooth Result
Control Dust
Vacuum after every sanding step. Wipe with a damp microfiber. Change tack cloths often. Keep the work zone closed and pull air out with a fan.
Level, Don’t Load
Thin, even coats level better than heavy ones. If the paint allows a little water reduction by label, measure it the same way every batch so sheen stays consistent across doors.
Mind Temperature And Humidity
Most cabinet coatings like room-temp air and moderate humidity. Cold rooms slow dry time and can dull the sheen. Damp air stretches cure time. Give the finish the conditions it expects and it will reward you with a hard shell.
Care And Cleaning After The Paint Job
Once the finish reaches early use, rehang and handle with care. Add soft bumpers. Open with clean hands. For cleaning, use a mild soap and water. Skip harsh scrub pads. If a nick appears, sand the spot gently, touch up, and let it cure again.
Quick Planning Checklist
Before You Start
Set up a clean zone, gather labels and bags, stock abrasives from 120 through 320, and choose a primer and enamel that play well together.
During The Job
Wash, sand, prime, sand, coat, sand, coat. Keep dust down and give each layer time. Watch edges for runs. Keep notes on times, temps, and humidity so the second half matches the first.
After You Finish
Let the doors sit for several days with airflow. Rehang gently, add bumpers, and hold off on aggressive cleaners until cure reaches its end point.