Well friends- I finally took the plunge!! I painted my kitchen cabinets WHITE! Sweet people, I have been wanting to paint them for almost two years now. With each passing month, my desire to lighten and brighten our cooking and eating space has grown stronger and stronger! I knew I wanted my kitchen gleaming white and I finally gave it a go and I could not be happier! Join me as I show you how to paint kitchen cabinets and not lose your mind! It is an INCREDIBLE journey!

Here is my kitchen before:

Okay, with you, my friends, I always want to be honest. I did not hate my cabinets brown. I did not hate the color or style of my cabinets, and I was not mad about the style of the handles. Totally not kidding when I share I have been wanting to paint my cabinets for almost two years. So what kept me- a girl prone to impromptu painting of rooms, walls, and furniture- from actually making it happen? Let’s explore this a little bit later! For now, let’s talk about the task!

Step One for How to Paint Kitchen Cabinets and Not Lose Your Mind

My real step one was doing research. Lots and lots of research! Even though I dragged my feet to get this project started, the one thing I was super diligent about was doing research- looking up articles and reading blog posts written by people who had painted their kitchen cabinets. I highly encourage you to do this too! I pinned dozens of Pinterest posts on the topic, from everything from chalk painting, gel staining, sanding, and priming cabinets. Blog post after blog posts about how people are making masterpieces of their beautiful cabinetry. The courage was building, slowly.

The real step one, however, is to remove the hardware and clean your cabinets. And by cleaning your cabinets, I do not mean wipe them down and move on! The type of cleaning involved requires muscle- like really using some good old elbow grease and scrubbing those bad boys clean! The best primer and paint in the world will not stick to grease, remember that. Your cabinets need to be clean like they were when they were brand new, and it is no small task to get them this way! But trust me, the time you invest now in cleaning them will pay off later when your cabinets are gorgeous and the paint LASTS!

To really clean my cabinets, I used a 1:1 mixture of vinegar and water. I poured one cup vinegar and one cup water in a bowl and got scrubbing! It took a couple of hours, and my house smelled like I was coloring Easter eggs, but my cabinets were shining like diamonds when I was done! Whoop whoop!

Step Two for How to Paint Kitchen Cabinets and Not Lose Your Mind

For step two, you are going to gather your supplies. I made one trip to Home Depot to get the supplies for priming of the cabinets, not the actual painting yet. Here is what I scored:

Ever post a picture like this and wish you would have included a CLEAN towel, and not a nasty one- like in this picture! I mean, come on, it looks so gross! This is my painting towel and as you can tell, it has weathered a lot of projects with me! And I swear it is not this creepy in person! My new camera just makes it look disgusting. It will do the job, though, you can bet!

My cabinets are a smooth maple. I knew I needed a really good primer to cover my cabinets and secure the paint- this girl does not want chipping cabinets a year down the road! I settled on this Glidden white primer and sealer. Some might frown on this, but I am opting not to sand my cabinets.  I do not want the mess! And I have had great luck on furniture projects that I did not sand. I invested in a primer that I have used before and know it will hold up to every day use.

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Here are some pics of the cabinets before priming.

I would also include in step two removing all of your décor items, like those above the cabinets and on the countertops.

As I mentioned earlier, I did a lot of research prior to starting this project. I read in some blogs people painted their cabinets without removing the doors from their hinges. Decided to try this technique myself. I opted not to remove the doors, and instead, use a fine brush to get both the primer and the paint in the tiny crevice between the door and the base of the cabinet.

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Step Three to Paint Kitchen Cabinets and Not Lose Your Mind

For the third step, you will apply the primer. Before you apply the primer, you need to tape off your work area. I applied painters tape to all the wall edges that met a cabinet, as well as along the floor- the entire length of the cabinets.

Here’s a shot of the lower cabinets before primer:

I completely underestimated how long it would take to apply the primer! I imagined it would take one weekend. Ba ha ha! I went into this project knowing it would take time, that I would have to get used to living with the kitchen looping a wreck for a while, all for the sake of a beautiful white kitchen when I finish! So many times I start tasks, take my time enjoying the transformation, than go 90 miles an hour near the end just because I want the project done! Finished! This project has to turn out well. I know that cabinets with a flawed paint job would drive me CRAZY! Time and patience is where it is at!

Here are these same cabinets getting their first coat of primer:

I use the three inch roller brush to apply the primer to the cabinet doors and larger surface areas. I use a 2 inch paint brush to apply primer to the areas I cannot roll. A fine crafting brush is used to get the primer into the tiny crevices on the doors and around the hinges.

Here are the cabinets with a second coat of primer:

As you can see, we lived in our kitchen during the project. Because I knew this would project would take weeks to complete, for my own sanity, I needed my kitchen space to be livable!

Step Four to Paint Kitchen Cabinets and Not Lose Your Mind

I LOVE this step! For step four, you begin painting the cabinets. I used Valspar Cabinet Paint, purchased at Lowe’s for $50/gallon. Alabaster was my color and I LOVE, love, love it! I know what you may be thinking- this is pricey for paint- and you are right. Spending this much money on a gallon of paint may sound crazy, and while I am hardly fond of doing it, I promise you it is worth it! Selecting paint specific for cabinets ensures great coverage with minimal drips. If you do not choose Valspar, I encourage you to select a paint specific for cabinets.

Also for this step, I ditched that three inch roller. In its place, I used a regular paint roller. I also invested in a 1.5 inch brush, slightly smaller than the brush I used for the primer. I used the roller to apply the paint to each cabinet door and then smoothed all the paint with the brush. This allowed for fewer drips than I got with the primer.

I painted two coats of Valspar cabinet paint on the doors and surfaces, and three coats on the corner crevices to ensure very full coverage. I allowed 48 hours minimum between each of the coats, even though the guy at Lowe’s told me 24 hours was sufficient.

My cabinets after two coats of Valspar cabinet paint in Alabaster!

Reflective Thoughts on Painting My Kitchen Cabinets

First, I want to begin by saying I absolutely love my white cabinets!! I first started considering painting the cabinets almost two years ago, and it was probably one year ago that I made up my mind I would do it. I am kind of embarrassed to admit that it took me a year to work up the courage to start! This girl paints furniture and walls at the drop of a hat, but this project felt so intimidating! Are you thinking of painting your cabinets? Do you wonder what your home would feel like with a lighter, brighter kitchen?

If you are thinking you want to paint your cabinets, I encourage you to GO FOR IT!! You will love the results, and you will be so proud of your work! My cabinets are a labor of love, and every time I look at them I cannot help but stare in amazement.

I encourage you not to be intimidated! My cabinets are far from perfect! If you came to my home now and studied them intently, you would see flaws. You would see a drip here and there, or a spot that is not even. Who cares! The white cabinets are a reflection of my personal style and I am proud that I transformed them myself!

Like most things, the success of one project inspires you to begin another! Next up for Home on Arbor Pointe is the create an awesome, faux brick backsplash! I hope to have that project complete in a couple of weeks. Be sure to subscribe to Home on Arbor Pointe for updates and inspiration on DIY projects you can easily do around your home!

Chat soon, friends!