Biggest Project of the Year….Prepping to Paint Kitchen Cabinets

I gotta tell ya, this project has me sweating. As long as I have waited to do this, I feel a lot of anxiety.  

Inside my head I am hearing “I can not screw this up, or  I am in trouble”.
“If I screw this up I will have a lot of re-sanding to do”.
“Oh man, please don’t let it look like crap…. me and the cabinets”.

This is without a doubt one of the most intense painting projects that I have done in our house.

But I after all the painting jobs that I have done, I realize that Prepping is the key to a beautiful outcome… and this job is no different.

I have decided on two colors for the cabinets. Pure White (SW) on the wall cabinets and Nimbus Grey on the island, breakfast room cabinets and the mantels. Below is a peek at what I have finished so far on the breakfast room cabinets. After a month of looking at the color, I decided it’s a go.

I did get some new lighting in the kitchen. I have been thinking about these lights ever since I saw them in my pals kitchen here.  So, I pooled together my manicure and pedicure money for the month, and bought two lights from Joss & Main. I believe Lamps Plus may carry them as well.  They were very affordable.


Last month when the professional painters were here finishing up some ceilings, I inquired on the cost to paint the cabinets. Let’s just say in lieu of not having to sell my first born to pay for the job….I am doing it myself.

Here’s 5 tips that I am doing to prep and make sure the job gets done right…just like a professional and without the cost.

1. Removing all the hardware prior to painting. You will save more time not having to negotiate around your hardware while you are painting or having to remove paint off of the hardware when you are finished, if you take the time to remove all the hinges, knobs and pulls prior to starting the job.

2. Prep your floors. Apply paper and tape off every inch of your floor to avoid spills or over spray. Takes a bit of time, but not as long as it will to remove the paint off of your floors when you are done painting.

3. Prepare your painting surface. I am using an orbital sander on most of the cabinets. My cabinets are stained with a clear protective coat on them so I will use 150 grit first, and then 220 grit to finish. FYI- the higher the number, the finer the finish. For the cracks and crevices, I will use a sanding block. 


4. Prime and paint. I have decided to use a paint sprayer to apply my primer and paint, so that I can have one consistent finish on everything including the inside of the cabinets. I will share more about those steps as I get to them. 

5. Be prepared for kitchen chaos. Expect it with this type of project. Keep things you use daily, close by and easy to get at during the chaos. It will keep the frustration levels manageable.
Most importantly, take your time…although with stuff stacked up on the tables and floors, let’s just say that I am extremely motivated to get it done!

What kind of chaos do you have going on right now?

PS- Click here for an update to the kitchen

Grateful for~
Shelter 




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32 Comments

  1. Oh you just know I am glued to this post! My cabinets go up Thursday and I am painting them next week. I'm a nervous wreck too. Glad you are going first! LOL! I love your new lighting …just gorgeous!

  2. You know the saying "the price we pay for beauty …" well I think its really about what women go through to transform kitchens 😉 All I can say is *gulp*, your kitchen is fairly large and the task looks a bit daunting from my office chair, but I can already see amazing changes from the sneak-peaks you shared. Your end result will be gorgeous and from what I've learned about you from reading your blog, there won't be any mess-up's either. OK, maybe along the way …. things happen … but you'll catch it if it does. I've been complaining for over 2 years I want some of my (basically new) cabinets painted cause the finish isn't doing anything for me, you never know, you could be the final inspiration to push me into picking up a paint brush! Enjoy your little project 🙂

  3. The prepping stinks, but, so worth it! They're going to look amazing. And, I'm truly impressed with the whole paint sprayer idea … I want video of that, not just pictures, of you in action. If I used one, surely, I'd end up accidentally spraying everything!

  4. I will be watching as you go! My husband will not let me paint our cabinets. Sometimes I really want to, but I know it's alot of work. Can't wait to see them all finished, Good luck!

  5. I started a major kitchen remodeling project in 2012 including removing a partial wall/bar between the dining room and kitchen. We put in new countertops but kept our old cabinets. I removed the doors and refinished them. We took out a whole section of cabinets and pantry which cut the room in two. The kitchen incorporated a previous porch, so the ceiling has a slant on the end. This house is an old family home which my husband lived in as a child. No place in the whole house is square, and the walls are 7 ft.+ (not quite 8 feet tall)whew, it has and continues to be quite a challenge. We made a kitchen island out of a group of kitchen (base) cabinets and a slab of granite we got at Habitat for Humanity, which we had cut to fit. The granite people we had cut it told us the name of the granite, apparently it is quite expensive but we got the whole piece for $50.00! It turned out great. The kitchen is still a work in progress, I haven't completed the ceiling finish on the part we couldn't cover in beadboard. I have been ill since before Thanksgiving. My original goal was to finish it up before the holidays, which didn't quite turn out like I wanted~~but I'm so glad we started it. My sister-in-law said it looks like something in a magazine. I'm just hoping it's a good magazine, not one of those 'don't do it like this'!

    I agree that the prep work on painting kitchen cabinets is paramount. My doors were not like I wanted, so my husband made a frame like effect and I applied beadboard wallpaper from Lowe's in the center panel and painted them white and antiqued them. I think they turned out well, and such an improvement over the original dark wood.

  6. Girl that sounds like so much work. I have no doubt that you can do it though. More power to you!! Can't wait to see the outcome.

  7. Oh, I'm so anxious to watch this transformation! I've been wanting to take the plunge into my cabinets but fear is overtaking me! I just know it's going to be beautiful!! Can I ask where you bought your new kitchen light? Good luck!~~Ang

  8. I just finished painting my kitchen cabinets!! I waited 12 years to take the plunge – afraid I wouldn't like it or it wouldn't look as good as I hoped. But, I finally settled on a color and dove in head first. I LOVE the outcome and I'm sure you will too. It's a ton of work, but so worth it in the end!! Can't wait to see the after photos 🙂

  9. I am seriously considering painting mine too and I have a lot of them. I have seen where so many of the bloggers have used chalk paint. I am wondering how that would hold up. It would eliminate a lot of work but am afraid of doing that and messing them up. I love your choice of colors.

  10. Mercy that is a real undertaking! You have a large cabinet area within your kitchen too. I know you will love the changes though when you're done! Sounds like you will have a professional looking job when you're done also. Good luck with that. It's not easy having your kitchen is disarray for long periods of time. I love the colors you chose!

  11. Laura, it looks fantastic so far and I am SOOO jealous! I have been dying to do this in my kitchen for eons but my hubby isn't wavering. Drats! I can't wait to hear about how you're spraying everything and what sprayer you use. (I'm gathering all my research just in case I can get him to see the light!) Can't wait to see it all finished! 🙂
    You go girl!!

  12. 25 years ago when I got an exorbitant estimate to paint my kitchen cabinets, I decided to do it myself. By the time I was done, I knew the estimate had been fair for the amount of work it took. It's an enormous job. You are so wise to use a paint sprayer. I can't wait to see how it turns out!

  13. This gives me anxiety just reading about it, heh!! We need to do something to our kitchen cabinets soon but I am not sure I am up to this. I can't wait to see how yours turns out. And I love the light fixture!

  14. Laura all this hard work will be worth it and I have no doubt that it will be beautiful. Love the color choices. Love the new lights!

    Cynthia

  15. Wow, such a big project! I love the color combo you've chosen and can hardly wait to see the finished room. It sounds as though you are being very diligent with your prep work, so the cabinets will turn out fabulous for sure! Best of luck, Laura!

  16. Can’t wait to see the finished results. I someday hope to redo my kitchen and having been leaning towards a white and gray mix as well. Good luck!!!

  17. You have a wonderful kitchen! I love the white color. I think that this is the best color for kitchen. It looks clean and fresh. Thanks a lot for these great ideas!

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