• Home
  • Start Here
  • About
  • My Home
    • My Home Tour
    • Paint Colors
  • DIY/Decor
    • Decorating
      • Rental Ideas
      • Budget Decorating
      • My eBook
      • Decorating Tips
      • The Florida House
    • DIY
      • Before & Afters
    • Crafts
    • Organization
    • Holidays
  • Shop
    • Shop my Christmas Decor
    • Shop Our Home
    • Shop My Instagram
    • Favorite Throw Pillows
  • Media
    • Contact Me
    • Advertise
    • Disclosure
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter

Making Home Base

  • Home Tour
  • DIY Projects
  • Shop Our Home
    • Shop My Instagram
    • Favorite Throw Pillows
  • Shop My Holiday Decor

Decorating Freebies

Sign up for FREE access to the vault of a dozen decorating freebies from planning printables to decorative wall prints.

December 8, 2015 44 Comments

How to Paint Kitchen Cabinets

Filed Under: before and after, budget decorating, DIY, Florida House, kitchen, My Home, My projects, Paint, sponsored, tutorial 44 Comments

7570shares
  • Share
  • Tweet

We’ve now painted oak cabinets about three different times so I thought I would share some time-saving tips and tricks to painting oak cabinets that will also help your newly painted cabinets last. There are hundreds of cabinet painting tutorials out there and I’m not convinced that one way is the best but I can share what’s worked for us. The first home we owned we painted our oak cabinets white, by hand, with foam rollers and it was a long slog. This go around we opted to try spraying them and it was a total time saver! If you are interested in painting your cabinets check out these quick tips for painting cabinets without showing the grain below.

Big thanks to HomeRight for sponsoring this post! My positive opinion of their high quality, time saving equipment is totally my own. For your convenience, this post includes affiliate links. At no additional cost to you, Making Home Base may receive a small commission on anything you purchase. Check out my disclosure policy for more information.

How to paint oak cabinets the easy way. Time saving tips and tricks

Clean the surface of the cabinets really well

It’s important to clean the cabinets thoroughly before you begin. Our cabinets were filthy and filled with gunk. Gross! We used a product called Murphy’s Oil to clean the cabinets.

Pick a paint with good coverage

What’s the best paint for kitchen cabinets? That’s a great question – I chose Behr Marquee because i love the formula and have used it on all of our walls so I knew that it had great coverage. I tried out a few colors and I ended up selecting a paint color called Still Gray by Behr and had it mixed into the Marquee line formula. Picking a good paint is a huge time saver and potentially money saver. Since our paint had great coverage, we didn’t have to prime the cabinets, and they still only needed two coats of paint.

How to paint oak cabinets the easy way. Time saving tips and tricks Don’t skip sanding

I know it’s tempting to pick an option that allows you to skip sanding and just paint over the cabinets but it was a crucial step to getting the paint to bond well to the cabinets. We sanded all of the cabinets really well with an electric sander, then used our shop vac to remove any dust and debris from the cabinets. The initial sand is to just get any varnish off the cabinets and get to the wood.

Fill in the wood grain

How to paint oak cabinets the easy way. Time saving tips and tricks One of the biggest questions I get asked in relation to the cabinets is if we have any grain showing. Oak cabinets are notorious for showing wood grain even after being painting so we did take some extra steps to ensure that you would see minimal grain. We used a product called DAP Drydex spackling to fill the wood grain.

How to paint oak cabinets the easy way. Time saving tips and tricks To apply it, we took a spackling knife and ran it all the way down the length of the cabinet door, filling in every little crack, then removing any excess. Then, we ran the knife the width of the cabinet, again removing any excess. We allowed the Drydex to dry, then gave it another good sand until the cabinets were completely smooth. After sanding – we vacuumed up all the dust and debris before beginning the painting process.

Use a sprayer for a smooth finish

Since we couldn’t avoid sanding the cabinets it was a relief to know that the actual painting process would be a breeze. When we painted the cabinets in our first home we hand painted them and there was a lot more to paint that time around. It was an exhausted and long process so I knew I wanted to avoid it, if possible.

How to paint oak cabinets the easy way. Time saving tips and tricks We opted to paint the cabinets using a sprayer with the HomeRight Spray Shelter so we could take the cabinet doors outside and spray them in the open air. The shelter is great for a project like this because you can spray in open air but still protect your surroundings. The best thing about painting cabinets with a sprayer is the smooth finish you get. No brushstrokes – totally smooth.

How to paint oak cabinets the easy way. Time saving tips and tricks There is a bit of a learning curve with the sprayer, we followed the directions to our HomeRight Finish Max Sprayer because you have to get the flow just right. We practiced by first painting the interior side of the cabinets and then once we were confident with the sprayer, we sprayed the outside. It took two coats of the Behr Marquee paint for full coverage – no primer.

Don’t forget a top coat

I have a little secret. We totally forgot to add a top coat on our cabinets. A top coat is important to avoid any damage to the paint. It also makes the cabinets easier to clean. When we painted our cabinets we had multiple other projects going on. It was also right around the holidays, so we wanted to just get the cabinets back up as soon as possible. A year and a half later, we just added a top coat. I will say, I was incredibly impressed with how the paint held up on it’s own. We haven’t gotten a single dent or scratch in the paint, an it’s not impossible to clean. For a top coat, we ended up applying this polycrylic. It’s one that has a true clear finish while some others tend to turn a bit yellow after time.

How to paint oak cabinets without showing the grain

 

Check out the full kitchen reveal!

DIY Kitchen Makeover

How to Paint Kitchen Cabinets Super Fast - Some serious time saving tricks here!

Related Posts

  • How to Add a Peel and Stick Kitchen Backsplash in a RentalHow to Add a Peel and Stick Kitchen Backsplash in a Rental
  • Kids Closet Makeover with an IKEA Closet OrganizerKids Closet Makeover with an IKEA Closet Organizer
  • How to Install Removable WallpaperHow to Install Removable Wallpaper
  • How to Bleach Wood FurnitureHow to Bleach Wood Furniture
  • Family Game Night with Walmart+Family Game Night with Walmart+

About Chelsea

Chelsea Coulston is the resident decorator, baker, and pillow hoarder around these parts. A wife to an active duty Sailor and mom of two girls, Chelsea's got a knack for decorating even the most challenging spaces (just see her military base house!) She's inspired by cool beach tones and warm natural elements that remind you of a day at the beach. After living in a half dozen rentals, she's enjoyed spending the last few years in a cute ranch style home that she and her husband have almost completely renovated themselves. Chelsea lives in sunny Jacksonville, Florida with her husband and two daughters.

Previous Post: « Classic Christmas Home Tour
Next Post: Holiday Gift Basket Ideas »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Krist says

    December 8, 2015 at 8:28 am

    Oh my goodness Chelsea, what a difference! The grey looks so perfect with those countertops and you gotta LOVE the smooth finish that only a sprayer can give! Looks fab my friend!

    Reply
    • Chelsea says

      December 8, 2015 at 10:07 am

      Thank you!! When we painted cabinets once we before we probably went through 100 foam brushes and it took us DAYS. This took us hours and the smooth finish is even better!

      Reply
  2. Rachel Paxton says

    December 8, 2015 at 8:37 am

    What?!?! How are you doing all this? You must be superwoman. The kitchen looks amazing, Chelsea! Love love love it.

    Reply
    • Chelsea says

      December 8, 2015 at 10:08 am

      I’m a crazy woman, totally different 😉 Thank you!! xoxo

      Reply
  3. [email protected] Stroll Thru Life says

    December 8, 2015 at 8:41 am

    Wow, it looks amazing. You guys have really been working hard and it shows. Love that large opening too, perfect.

    Reply
    • Chelsea says

      December 8, 2015 at 10:08 am

      Thanks, Marty! That opening completely changes the feel of the kitchen – we don’t feel so closed off anymore! It’s great!

      Reply
  4. Erica says

    December 8, 2015 at 9:20 am

    I really need to look into that sprayer because painting our kitchen cabinets really overwhelms me! We’ve lived in our house for 16 months, and the kitchen (which was originally our first priority) has turned into our last due to just simply feeling overwhelmed by the time it will take. Thanks for sharing such a detailed post. Everything looks gorgeous, and I love love love that bowl sink!

    Reply
    • Chelsea says

      December 8, 2015 at 10:11 am

      I know what you mean! The sprayer makes a huge difference. It just took us a couple of hours to do the cabinets doors, then the next day we knocked out the cabinet bases. So basically a weekend project but we don’t have a huge kitchen. I definitely recommend going with really good quality paint. I love the Behr Marquee because it gets great coverage so we didn’t have to worry about priming. Huge time saver!

      Reply
  5. Sarah says

    December 8, 2015 at 9:21 am

    Absolutely gorgeous! I am loving the gray and white combo. You may have convinced me to try the sprayer on my cabinets too. You make it sound so easy and worth the work in the end!

    Reply
    • Chelsea says

      December 8, 2015 at 10:14 am

      Thanks, Sarah! I love the power of paint! It was totally worth the work and way less labor intensive than I remember it being the last time we did this (hand painted with like a 100 foam brushes).

      Reply
  6. Krista says

    December 8, 2015 at 10:22 am

    They look amazing Chelsea!! I love the colour you chose and they look so smooth. And the quartz!!! Stunning!!

    Reply
  7. Jenna says

    December 8, 2015 at 12:12 pm

    Chelsea, the cabinets look amazing! Such a huge difference. I love the color you chose – could work with so many other accent colors. The whole transformation is just awesome! Way to kill it, girl!

    Reply
  8. Amy | Delineate Your Dwelling says

    December 9, 2015 at 3:15 pm

    What a difference those cabinets made! I love the color you choose, too.

    Reply
  9. Jamie says

    December 16, 2015 at 2:02 am

    I love your kitchen! You did a great job, Chelsea. I need that spray painter.
    Hugs, Jamie

    Reply
  10. Alex says

    December 18, 2015 at 5:26 am

    The before photo looks eerily similar to my parents’ house in Miami. From the paint color, or cabinets, to appliances, to crappy galley style. Absolutely love the after photos!

    Reply
  11. Sarah Anderson says

    April 11, 2016 at 2:31 pm

    Speckling the kitchen cabinets before painting is an interesting idea. I’ve never thought to do that before. It probably helps keep the paint all smooth so there is no gaps or bubbles.

    Reply
    • Chelsea says

      April 11, 2016 at 8:47 pm

      Hi Sarah, we added spackling avoid seeing the wood grain after the cabinets were painted. It leaves a really smooth finish.

      Reply
  12. Mary says

    November 3, 2016 at 8:02 pm

    so how did you finish the outer parts of the cabinets…did you sand them all?

    Reply
    • Chelsea says

      November 3, 2016 at 10:31 pm

      Hey Mary,

      Yes – we used an electric sander and gave them all a quick sand just to roughen them up. We used a shopvac to vacuum up all of the dust. Then, we cleaned them really well and painted them up with a brush. You certainly could spray them but it would require you to tape off quite a bit.

      Reply
  13. Anna says

    December 3, 2016 at 8:36 pm

    How far into the cabinet bases did you paint?? All the way inside or just the frames? Looks amazing!

    Reply
    • Chelsea says

      December 4, 2016 at 8:02 pm

      Hi Anna – do you mean did we paint the inside? No, we didn’t. We painted the outside of the cabinets and then just the lip of the cabinet that way when they are open you didn’t notice a color difference. Does that make sense? The cabinets on the inside were a raw wood anyway.

      Reply
  14. Kathleen M says

    January 3, 2017 at 9:52 pm

    how many hours and days did this take?

    also,
    You didn’t use the sprayer on the cabinet frame since no way to really protect surrounding surfaces, so how did you paint?

    Reply
  15. Kathleen M says

    January 3, 2017 at 10:02 pm

    Matte finish or satin, gloss, etc?

    Reply
  16. P says

    May 8, 2017 at 5:26 pm

    How are the cabinets holding up? I am surprised you used murphys oil soap and did not prime them first or use some type of cabinet paint. Seems like latex paint would not adhere very well in the long haul. They look nice though.
    P

    Reply
    • Chelsea says

      May 8, 2017 at 11:07 pm

      Hey P, they actually have held up incredibly well – almost two years later they have absolutely zero flaws. 🙂

      Reply
  17. Janelle says

    July 25, 2017 at 8:13 am

    Your polycrilic link doesn’t take me to the product? Could you relink or offer the product name? About to begin our project with Marquee paint this Thursday! Your wisdom is helping me finally jump into this long-awaited project!!!

    Reply
  18. Marychris says

    August 8, 2017 at 3:15 pm

    I also couldn’t get the polycrylic information. Please advise. Thanks. Your kitchen looks great!

    Reply
    • Chelsea says

      August 8, 2017 at 4:39 pm

      Hi Marychris, I recently updated this post and included the polyclic info – we used polyclric but didn’t apply until later because we had totally forgot. I link the stuff we used in this post under the “top coat” section.

      Reply
  19. Raja says

    October 7, 2017 at 2:32 pm

    Awesome job. One question, did you have to thin the paint?

    Reply
    • Chelsea says

      October 7, 2017 at 4:59 pm

      We did not thin the paint.

      Reply
  20. Corie says

    October 9, 2017 at 2:19 pm

    I’m wondering if you sanded before the spakle (after cleaning) AND after the spakle…..or was it just after the spakle??

    Also, I think someone else asked this question but I did t see a response. What type of the Marque paint did you use? Satin? Semi gloss??

    Thanks

    Reply
    • Chelsea says

      October 10, 2017 at 9:54 pm

      Lots of sanding! We sanded before spackle to remove the gloss on the cabinets, then spackled, then sanded again then painted! Great question on finish of the paint. It was semi gloss.

      Reply
  21. angie says

    October 19, 2017 at 1:15 pm

    Looking for the name of the top coat. The link is not working. Thanks!

    Reply
    • Chelsea says

      October 30, 2017 at 9:12 pm

      Hi Angie – it’s a Minwax product – try this affiliate link: http://rstyle.me/n/ctrdqs27yw

      Reply
  22. Jon says

    July 1, 2018 at 4:39 pm

    What grit of sandpaper did you use before and after the spackling?

    Reply
  23. Tony says

    October 18, 2019 at 6:27 pm

    Hi! It’s been a few years now. Did the Polycrylic yellow the white paint at all? How has it held up? Thanks!

    Reply
    • Chelsea says

      October 21, 2019 at 12:53 am

      We painted the cabs gray so no, there was no yellowing or any discoloration at all.

      Reply
  24. Cade says

    March 4, 2020 at 10:27 am

    Thank you for stepping through the details. I am going to attempt painting cabinets next weekend. In looking at the top coat, would you recommend brushing it on, spraying it on with a spray gun or spraying it on with their aerosol can?

    Reply
    • Chelsea says

      March 5, 2020 at 12:38 am

      We brushed the top coat on with foam brushes but I think I’d be interested in trying the spray can.

      Reply
  25. Haylie says

    April 6, 2020 at 5:05 pm

    Could you spackle after putting a coat of primer on already? I just found this tip after begining my cabinet project and quickly realizing the grain still showing through. I’d really like to avoid stripping.

    Reply
    • Chelsea says

      April 7, 2020 at 1:22 am

      Hi Haylie, sure can!

      Reply
      • Haylie Lloyd says

        April 7, 2020 at 5:12 pm

        Thank you! I am going to try this

        Reply
      • Jill Stephens says

        July 19, 2020 at 8:49 pm

        I did the same thing as above! Two coats of primer and there are a few areas that are really bad. If I spackled after the primer, would I need anorith coat of primer or could I jump to top coat?

        Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

Hi! I’m Chelsea!

I'm Chelsea. Wife to Matt, and mama to P and Millie. I'm a fan of making and decorating things and everything blue + white. I believe that there is no such thing as too many throw pillows. Lover of iced coffee and cocktail Fridays. I'm glad you're here.

Follow Along

facebook instagram pinterest twitter

Search

Home Tour

Archives

  • Privacy Policy
  • Annie the Brave
  • How To Start A Blog
Removable wallpaper is a game changer! A couple mo Removable wallpaper is a game changer! A couple months ago Matt and I spent an afternoon slapping this up on our bedroom wall and it completely transformed the space. It can be super hard to put your stamp on a rental but I’m pretty pleased with the way this room turned out! #rentalfriendly #bedroom #milspouse #diyprojects #removablewallpaper #coastaldecor 
Download the LIKEtoKNOW.it shopping app to shop this pic via screenshot http://liketk.it/36TCW #liketkit @liketoknow.it @liketoknow.it.home
#ad Homeschool/General parent “pro” tip - buy #ad Homeschool/General parent “pro” tip - buy a shower caddy and stuff it full of art supplies to keep your kids from having their markers and crayons all over the place. For real though, this was a game changer. Previously, I had one hard and heavy caddy for all of our supplies that I would plop on the table during our school day but I found my kids constantly getting up to grab a pink crayon or the blue marker. Or at the end of the day things weren’t getting put away properly and the next day we couldn’t find the glue or the scissors. Now, they each have a caddy that they are responsible for. I’ve partnered with @walmart to share this simple organizing solution. The girls keep their supplies together and carry the caddy around to wherever they choose to school that day/minute. I used my Walmart+ membership again to pull this off. I was able to order all the art caddy necessities online using the W+ free shipping, no order minimum (excludes oversized/freight & Marketplace items) benefit so I can limit my time in stores. #walmartplus
Sitting here thinking about everything that’s go Sitting here thinking about everything that’s gotten me through this last year.
1. My family - having my girls home has been everything I never knew I needed. 
1a. My mom - in those early pandemic days, when we didn’t leave the house, she would meet me halfway between here and Vegas. We would sit in the middle of the desert with our masks on and just visit. I needed that so much and I know she did too.
2. My friends - it’s hard to imagine making it through this year without the friendships I have. They’ve carried me. A small group of neighbors here that would meet at the park for some outdoor fellowship and our weekly dinners made life feel a little more normal. Having regular calls with my best friend in FL was gold especially since we can’t see each other. And regular chats with @bykaithanson got me through especially in those early days.
3. Regular therapy - if I wasn’t already going before all this happened I surely would need to now. This all is very heavy stuff and having someone that is outside your circle to talk to is so important. This saves me again and again.
4. Making bread. I started making last year so when it blew up during that first quarantine I was so excited that we all were baking together. Whenever I’m feeling anxious making dough helps.
5. Exercise - this was the year I finally made exercise a priority. I love how much better I feel when I move my body each day. I’m less anxious and I’m more at peace.
6. All the technology that connects us. Marco Polo, FaceTime, texting, FB Messenger, all of it. Being able to reach all of my loved ones with the tips of my fingers has made it a lot easier when I can’t see them.
7. Television - how many shows have we binged this year? I don’t even know but I remember tackling Friday Night Lights in the beginning of the pandemic and being so sad it was over. 
8. This community. One thing I wanted in 2020 was to CONNECT with you all here and that has happened and its been wonderful getting to know each of you!
💙
We’ve been through a lot this year what has carried you? Tag a friend that’s gotten you through. 
Hoping and praying for a truly happy new year. 💙💙
Merry Christmas from our home to yours! I wish you Merry Christmas from our home to yours! I wish you everything good this Christmas and in the new year. 🎄
#ad Fun festive morning with the girls! My girls l #ad Fun festive morning with the girls! My girls love making and baking anything! We made cinnamon roll Christmas trees then decorated them with m&ms and sprinkles. I bought everything from Walmart, used canned cinnamon rolls to make them quick and easy so we could focus our energy on decorating them. Holiday memories made! How are you making memories with your family this season? @walmart http://liketk.it/34rdO #liketkit @liketoknow.it #walmart
I want to hear about your collections!! I don’t I want to hear about your collections!! I don’t collect much but I do have a few Christmas things that I’ve been collecting over the years. These nutcrackers are one. The girls pick out a new one each year. I have a small collection little white village houses and since the first year we were married we bought a peace dove ornament from Pier 1 (Li Bien brand) - they quit selling them so this will be the first in 14 years that we don’t get one of those. What do you collect???

Copyright © 2021 ·Captivating Theme · Genesis Framework by StudioPress · WordPress · Log in

Privacy Policy
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.Accept Read More
Privacy & Cookies Policy
Necessary
Always Enabled