Materials!  My favorite.  Before you get started, you’re going to need to do a little shopping and gather up the following items:

  1. Paint – Oil based OR 100% acrylic latex, semi-gloss, or gloss. We went with acrylic latex, and semi-gloss.
  2. Primer – Don’t skip this! If you can, try to use a primer labeled “high build” or “sandable”.
  3. Degreaser or TSP
  4. An angled brush OR rent/buy a paint sprayer. Using a sprayer will probably save you about one (of our five) weekends.
  5. Sandpaper – You’re going to need 100 grit (medium) and 220 grit (extra fine/fine).
  6. Sponge (to use with your degreaser/TSP)
  7. Gloves (to use with your degreaser/TSP)
  8. Tack Cloth

Other items you will need: rosin paper OR plastic sheeting to protect your counters, painters’ pyramids OR 2x4s with nails hammered through (to set your cabinet doors on while drying), and a shop vacuum.  And that’s it.  Let’s start painting!

How To Paint Kitchen Cabinets White Yourself 

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Remove the doors

Step 1

Remove cabinet doors and drawer fronts, plus any hardware that might be attached.  (If you’re protecting your countertops, now’s the time to cover them with your rosin paper/plastic sheeting.)

Step 2

Take your degreaser/TSP and thoroughly clean all areas of your cabinet doors/drawer fronts as well as the cabinet boxes.  If you have sensitive skin (or don’t want chemicals all over your hands) wear gloves!

Sand the surfaces

Step 3

If your cabinets have dings or you’re replacing your hardware with something different, fill in all the holes/divots with wood putty.  (We didn’t have this issue.)  Next, sand your cabinets and cabinet boxes with 100 grit sandpaper, going with the grain.  Really get in there and rough up that surface.

Step 4

Vacuum up as much sawdust as you can.

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Step 5

Using your tack cloth, wipe off any remaining sawdust.  You want your surface to be as clean and dust-free as possible.  Taking the time to adequately prep is KEY.

Step 6

Prime time!  Apply your primer, starting with the inner panel.  Go against the grain first, then with it.  This will help to fill in the grain and create a smoother surface.  Allow the primer to dry thoroughly; consider priming your cabinet boxes while you wait.

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Step 7

Once your primer is dry, it’s time to sand again!  Using a fine or extra-fine grit sandpaper (around 220 or so), sand away any brush strokes or uneven primer.  Create as smooth a surface as you possibly can.  Like I said, taking the time to adequately prep your surface is KEY.

Step 8

Vacuum off all the sawdust.

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Step 9

Wipe everything down with your tack cloth, making sure to get any remaining sawdust.

Repeat steps 6-9 again at least once, if not twice.  That means you’ll be applying 2-3 coats of primer, sanding in between each, and once more before painting.  DO THIS.  Remember what I said about surface prep.

Step 10

It’s finally time to paint!  Using your angled brush, start on the back panels of your cabinets as you did with the primer.  This time, go with the grain only.  Apply a relatively thin coat, don’t slop it on there.  Let this coat dry to the touch before flipping it over and painting the other side.  Allow this coat to dry thoroughly, on a level surface.  Meanwhile, go paint your cabinet boxes, following the same technique.

Once dry, make a quick pass with your tack cloth to get any dust, then repeat Step 10 to apply a second coat.  (A third coat will probably not be necessary, but if it is, you know what to do now!)

Optional Step: Some people suggest finishing your cabinets with a coat (or two) of water-based polyurethane, sanding once between coats.  This is semi-controversial, as others claim it will cause your cabinets to yellow over time.  It’s up to you; we didn’t do this. 

After your cabinets have completely dried and cured (which takes a day or two), you can reattach them and install the hardware.

And now?  Now you celebrate, because you just spent 4-5 weekends creating the prettiest, most properly-prepped painted kitchen cabinets on the planet!  Go wild, you earned it.

The Process:

Above: Alexa started with Ikea’s solid-pine Tarva 5-Drawer Chest. She prepared each piece individually before assembling the dresser; not having to contend with constructed corners made far quicker work of the project.

Above: Alexa first primed each piece with Farrow & Ball’s Interior Wood Primer & Undercoat, which comes in four tints suited to the final paint color; Alexa used the tint for “Mid Tones.” She says that the extra time she devoted to priming the wood was critical to achieving the smooth finish she was after.

Above: She next applied spackle to the pre-drilled holes meant for drawer pulls, since she wanted a totally flat front. She then painted each dresser piece in two coats of Worsted—a color named for the English village known for producing worsted wool suiting fabric.

Above: Next, Alexa purchased a simple vintage wood stool on Etsy to use as a bedside table.

Above: She didn’t want to sand it, so two coats of Farrow & Ball’s Interior Wood Primer & Undercoat did the trick.

Above: She painted the stool in two coats of Farrow & Ball’s Salon Drab, a brown color with a lot of depth. “It has a great olive undertone,” says Alexa, “that actually feels very Mediterranean.”