After years of painting cabinets, I’ve been keeping one of my top tips from you: the finish. It’s one of my go-to secrets to ensure that no matter the color you choose, you’ll have the perfect paint for cabinets without fail. Combine this with prep and patience, you’re looking at gorgeous cabinets that are refreshed for a fraction of the price of a brand-new installation.
Today on the blog, I want to chat about the prep and best paint for cabinets to get that manufacturer finish! While this project is a labor of love, you can get the perfect finish with the right paint choices.
Is There A Paint for Cabinets That Mimics A Manufacturer’s Finish?
Yes and no. Since manufacturers paint cabinets in an industrial setting with high-powered machines for an even coat, you obviously cannot replicate this at home.
That being said, I’ve painted cabinets several times and they look amazing! It all comes down to prep, paint, and patience. Here’s how to make each step perfect:
Start By Prepping the Surface
I want to emphasize the importance of prep work before we dive in. You can choose the best paint in the world, but if you do not prep your surface correctly, you will never get an even finish. My two favorite prep tools for kitchen cabinets are liquid sandpaper and an orbital sander.
Typically, I start by using a microfiber towel and the liquid sandpaper and just get to scrubbing. This gets off a lot of grease, grime, and the original finish of your cabinets. If your cabinets are really old (no judgment!), from here the orbital sander will be a great tool to finish everything off and make sure the surface is smooth.
Use Primer
Primer has such a bad reputation in the design community and honestly, I feel the same. Primer is yet another step before you actually get to the fun stuff and start painting your project. That being said, it’s so important to make sure you have a smooth surface before starting to add in the color.
I like to paint 1-2 coats of primer onto kitchen cabinets before starting to make sure I get a perfect base before color. This helps create that manufacturer finish that we all want when DIYing at home.
Best Paint For Cabinets: My Top Tips
- Satin finish
- Choose a color based on the statement you want to make
When it comes to choosing the right paint, it’s not about the brand as much as the finish. Yes, I love and personally use Behr and Sherwin-Williams a lot, but even with these brands, the finish is crucial. If you choose a finish with not enough sheen, it allows for scratching, peeling, and overall wear to come through.
I highly recommend choosing a satin finish because it’s the perfect balance between not too much gloss, but still allows for a lot of wear and tear without a problem. If you want to see a breakdown of each paint finish and where to use it, check out my post – Paint Finish FAQs.
Now that the finish is decided (satin) – it’s time to choose the color. This all comes down to personal preference and what kind of impression you want to make. Darker or brighter colors can make a gorgeous statement, but you can never go wrong with a neutral color for that classic touch.
If you’re looking at paint for cabinets inspiration, here are the links to some of my favorite colors for the home no matter where you choose to use them:
- Sherwin Williams Accessible Beige
- 2024 Colors of the Year
- All About Greige
- Best Blue Paint Colors For Your Home
- Should You Paint A Room All-Black?
I Picked The Best Paint For Cabinets… How Do I Paint Them Evenly?
Painting cabinets evenly is a combination of patience and the right tools. You can achieve a quality finish with both a roller and paint sprayer, but I prefer a paint sprayer to make sure I’m not overdoing it with the paint I use on each coat.
From here – let your paint sit and fully dry! I mean 100% dry, no curing needs to occur. Typically, this means you need to apply one coat of paint a day and I typically like to use 2-3 coats on either side. While the time can be frustrating (especially for me, because I love to do a project in one day), this is how you get that manufacturer finish that makes it look brand new.
To see a complete walkthrough on the start-to-finish process of painting your cabinets once you’ve chosen the best paint, check out my guide – How To Paint Kitchen Cabinets in Five Steps.
Do you have recommendations for the best paint for cabinets? Let me know in the comments! And to keep up with all the latest on the blog, check out my recent posts:
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