Painting kitchen cabinets are a great and inexpensive alternative to a complete kitchen renovation. Whether you use a brush or sprayer, follow our steps to achieve the best finish!
For a modern, classic kitchen cabinet finish, we recommend General Finishes Milk Paint. Also known as, General Finishes Furniture Paint. Check out our General Finishes Furniture Paint page to learn more about General Finishes Furniture Paint!
For a designer, layered kitchen cabinet finish, we recommend Jolie Matte Finish Paint. Also known as, Jolie Chalk Finish Paint. Check out our Jolie Matte Finish paint page to learn more about Jolie Chalk Finish Paint.
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For a bright, white modern finish use General Finishes Brushable White Enamel, as you should not topcoat BRIGHT WHITE. GF Brushable white Enamel is a paint and topcoat in one. For more information on General Finishes Brushable White Enamel, visit our product guide HERE.
How to Prep:
- Remove all the doors and hardware. Keep them in an organized system, as many doors can be custom fitted to each space. We recommend using a Sharpie to number the cabinets and base underneath where the hardware lays. You can also use painters tape to number and label with your Sharpie.
- Degrease the surfaces (doors, drawers and cabinet base) by spraying Krud Kutter on then use the scrubby side of a household sponge. Use Suite Shop Towels to wipe all the product off and let dry.
- Lightly sand with a fine grit sandpaper. You are sanding to break the surface tension, not to sand to the original finish. We recommend using 220 Grit, like the General Finishes UltraFlex Sanding Pad. If you have an orbital sander, you can use this instead.
- Next spray the surfaces with a 50:50 mixture of Denatured Alcohol and water in a spray bottle.
- Wipe the surfaces with a tack cloth to remove the dust and mixture.
- Tape off surfaces in the kitchen you do not want painted with Frog Tape.
How to Paint:
- For best results for light and neutral colors, we recommend doing TWO coats of General Finishes Stain Blocker first with a brush or roller. For instructions and more information, check out our product guide on General Finishes Stain Blocker. This step is not necessary for dark and deep colors.
- Once the stain blocker is dry, very lightly sand any imperfection.
- Next, you will paint on your Furniture Paint.
- If you are using brush, we recommend using Cling On Brushes.
- If you are using a sprayer, you must thin your paint with General Finishes Extender or Water. We recommend using 10-20% of Extender to paint. For best results, use drop cloths and spray outside or in a well-ventilated area.
- Paint at least 2 coats for best coverage
- Next, seal with High Performance Topcoat in your choice of sheen.
- If you are using brush, we recommend using Cling On Brushes.
- If you are using a sprayer, you do not need to thin the topcoat. Use the same method as used to paint.
- You can put the cabinets back on and add the hardware once they are dry, but make sure you are gentle with your kitchen for at least 30 days.
To learn more about using General Finishes Furniture Paint for Kitchen Cabinets, watch our video HERE.
