How to Paint Inside Laminate Cabinets

Remove the hinges from your cabinets and take off the doors. It's simply easier to paint inside the cabinet if you don't have to deal with doors swinging back and forth.

Sand the laminate with 150-grit sandpaper. This sandpaper helps de-gloss the surface for better adhesion.

Sand the laminate again with 220-grit sandpaper. Once the gloss is roughed up, the finer 220-grit sandpaper helps buff the surface for a cleaner, more even look.

Use a synthetic-bristle brush to apply bonding primer to the cabinet interior. Bonding primer is specially designed to stick to sleek surfaces like laminate, glass and ceramics. If your cabinets are large enough to accommodate a paint roller, you can use a medium-nap roller, but you'll still need a paintbrush for the inside corners and edges.

Paint inside your laminate cabinets using oil-based gloss or semigloss paint once the primer dries. As with the primer, use a regular clean synthetic brush or a medium-nap roller.

Apply a second coat of paint if needed after the first coat dries.

Reattach the cabinet doors after the final coat has cured for 24 hours. The paint will be dry within just one or two hours, but it does not fully cure for a durable finish until the next day.