Our family purchased a lake home a few years ago and I always knew I wanted my kitchen and bathrooms to have white cabinets. Here I show you how to paint your wood cabinets so that it lasts and does not scratch off.
Items you will need
- Drill or Screw Driver
- Simple Green
- Paper Towels
- Sand Paper or Sand Sponge
- Foam Paint Roller & Velour Paint Roller
- Angled Paint Brush
- C2 Paint Cabinet & Trim (Benjamin Moore Simply White)
- C2 Paint Hardener
- Zinsser BIN Paint Primer
Step 1 (Prep)
Remove all cabinets and drawers with a drill or screw driver. Place them in a spot where you have plenty of room to spread them out and allow them dry. Spray all cabinets and drawers with simple green cleaner and wipe them down. Next rough up all cabinets with steel wool. This is optional, but I also sanded drawers and cabinets with a sand sponge. It helps the paint adhere better. Follow up with a portable vacuum to clean off any dust or debris from the steel wool and sanding. Wipe down one last time with the simple green to make sure cabinets and drawers are clean and ready to be painted. You also want to repeat these steps on the built ins, that are not removable.
Step 2 (Prime & Paint)
Use Zinsser BIN Primer to prime the cabinets and drawers. I used a velour or foam cabinet roller and an angled paint brush to get the spots the roller couldn’t reach. After the Zinsser primer dries we are ready to paint the cabinets with our C2 Cabinet & Trim Paint. We need to mix our C2 Cabinet & Trim Paint with the C2 Paint Hardener (follow directions on the can). Mix really well and allow the paint and hardener to set up for around 15 minutes. Apply the first coat to all cabinets, drawers and built ins with the roller as well as angled brush to get spots the roller cannot reach. Once the first coat completely dries I went in with a second coat of paint.
Step 3 (Re-install and add hardware)
Once cabinets are fully painted and dried, it’s time to reinstall cabinets and drawers. I switched out the old exterior hinges to hidden soft close hinges. I also switched up the handles to match our updated bathrooms and kitchens.
I have also included a video at the bottom of the page, which shows step by step and helps explain in more detail.
Before
After (C2 Paint, Benjamin Moore Simply White)
After (C2 Paint, Benjamin Moore Simply White)