How to Paint Outdated Kitchen Cabinets

Remove items from the countertops, inside of drawers and inside of cabinets. Lay down a drop cloth over the countertops and floors to protect them from spills and drips. Place another drop cloth in a well-ventilated area for painting. Use painter’s tape to tape off the area where the wall meets the cabinet frame.

Remove doors from the cabinet frame working from the right to left in the kitchen. Place a small piece of painter’s tape on the backside of each cabinet door and cabinet frame. Use a marker to number the cabinets, with a “1” being the first cabinet you take apart. Write the same number on the corresponding frame you removed the door from. Take off the handles, knobs and other hardware using a screwdriver. Set hardware in a safe spot to reattach later.

Purchase TSP cleaner at a local hardware or paint supply store. Mix the TSP cleaner according to the manufacturer’s instructions for painted surfaces. Use a sponge to clean the doors, drawers and cabinet frame. Do not oversaturate the cabinets, but clean them thoroughly. Allow them to dry.

Sand the surface of the cabinets with 150-grit sandpaper. Work in the same direction as the wood grain and never go side-to-side against the grain. Clean off the sanded cabinets with a washcloth dampened in warm water.

Look for cracks, dents or other imperfections on the cabinet doors, frame and drawers. Fill in imperfections using a putty knife and wood filler. Press the wood filler into the imperfection and smooth it onto the surface with the edge of the putty knife. Allow the wood filler to dry, and sand smooth.

Apply a thin coat of a latex-based primer to all the cabinet surfaces. Use a cabinet roller for large areas and a 2-inch paintbrush for hard-to-reach corners or narrow areas on the cabinet frame. Allow the cabinets to dry overnight.

Lightly sand the surface of the cabinets with 320-grit sandpaper to smooth the primer. Wipe clean with a tack cloth or washcloth.

Apply a coat of the latex-based semi-gloss paint to the cabinet frame, doors and drawers. Allow the coat to dry and apply a second. Allow the paint to dry overnight before reattaching hardware and reinstalling the cabinet doors and drawers.