Painting Kitchen Cabinets From White to Chocolate Brown

Place drop cloths in the kitchen to cover counters and flooring. Using painter's tape, tape off the area where the wall meets the cabinet frame to keep the paint from getting on the wall.

Use a screwdriver to remove hardware from doors and drawers. Set the hardware aside in a safe place. Place the cabinet doors and drawers on a drop cloth in a well-ventilated area.

Wash the cabinet frames, doors and drawers, using a mixture of warm water and trisodium phosphate. You can buy TSP at any home-improvement store in liquid, gel or powder form. Mix the TSP according to the manufacturer's instructions for painted surfaces. Wear gloves to protect your hands. Dip a washcloth into the mixture, and ring it out before wiping the cabinets. Allow the cabinets to dry.

Sand the cabinet frame, both sides of the doors and the drawer fronts, using a lightly grained sanding sponge to rough up the surface. Sanding sponges can be found in home-improvement and paint-supply stores.

Go over the cabinet surfaces with a tack cloth to remove the sanding dust.

Apply a thin coat of a latex-based primer to the cabinet doors, drawers and frame. Use a 2-inch sash paintbrush in corners and on the trim. Use a small paint roller to apply the primer to larger areas. Note that cabinet doors can only be painted one side at a time. Therefore, paint one side and allow it to dry completely before painting the opposite side. Allow the primer to dry overnight.

Apply a latex-based semi-gloss in the shade you've chosen to the cabinet doors, drawer fronts and cabinet frame. Semi-gloss paint is recommended for kitchen cabinets because of its durability, ease of cleaning and resistance to mold and mildew. Use the paintbrush for difficult corners and tight places and the small paint roller for the remainder of the cabinets. For cabinet doors, allow one side to dry until it is no longer tacky to the touch before flipping them over to paint the other side. Note that two coats might be required to cover the primer and provide an even finish. Allow the cabinets to dry overnight before reattaching hardware and reinstalling doors and drawers.