How to Paint: Unfinished Cabinets
Painting cabinets in general can seem like a really big task, but painting unfinished cabinets for me seemed even scarier. However, I knew I wanted a specific color for our basement built-ins and I did not want to pay a fortune for a custom order. So, naturally, there I was, figuring out how to paint these cabinets.
I will tell you, this process is not for the faint of heart - it was a journey that took multiple days between everything, but I’m SO so glad that I did it. I got the exact color I wanted without breaking the bank for custom cabinets that potentially could have taken a long time to be delivered. I also learned a few things I wish I would’ve known after the fact that hopefully will help you. Let’s get started!
Step 1: Pick Your Unfinished Cabinets
I ultimately decided to do unfinished maple cabinets (You can find them here!). You typically will see the oak cabinets in stock and available at your local home improvement store to take home with you the same day, but I wasn’t thrilled with oak because of the deep wood grain it has. When you paint them, you still get the feeling that they are wood and it can appear textured, and I knew I wanted a flat, seamless look. Maple is a really hard wood that has tight grain and after painting, you can’t even see the wood pattern. I also was happy with the maple cabinets that we got because they had the shaker style doors versus the more traditional cabinet fronts. These were “special order” in the sense that they do not typically keep them in store, but it was just a quick ship from a Menards warehouse and we had them in under two weeks.
Note: If you are building these in between two walls, make sure to also buy the filler panels that go with your cabinets to fill in between cabinets or between your cabinet and the wall. This is what truly gives the “built in” look!
Step 2: Pick you Paint
Like I said previously, I knew what paint color I wanted for these because I also was painting a wall on the opposite side of the basement the same color, and selected Ebony Sky. It is like a charcoal color that pulls both grays and browns to be versatile with every look. The sheen for your cabinets is also important - you want to make sure that you don’t go with flat paint - it is the least durable paint out there and not very scratch resistant. While satin paint finish may be the most durable, I didn’t want shiny cabinets, so I selected eggshell because I knew these cabinets were not going to get a lot of wear and tear, but still wanted some durability because…kids.
If you are placing these cabinets in a high traffic area, I would go with satin or something similar to ensure you aren’t getting the cabinets all scuffed up a few months after you paint them, especially if they are floor cabinets.
I went with just a brand from Menards for paint, but I much prefer Behr paint from Home Depot - we just don’t have one super close to our home - but if you have one close, go to Home depot and spend the extra money on Behr paint - it won’t let you down.
Step 3: Prep your Cabinets & Space
Sometimes prep is worse than the actual process! I was painting these in the middle of winter of Wisconsin, so I took these to my parent’s heated garage so I could maintain temperature in order for them to dry quicker. We took off the cabinet doors and laid them flat on some cardboard, and then I taped the inside of the cabinet faces to make sure I didn’t get paint past the front of the cabinet face.
Because the inside of the cabinets looked really nice already, I decided that the inside did not need to be painted at all, but some people do - completely up to you and what the inside of your cabinets look like!
I also then took some 220 grit sandpaper and went over everything with that just to get rid of any splinters or rough patches - typically pre-fab cabinets are decent but they are not super high quality and may not be entirely sanded to perfection, so it doesn’t hurt to take care of it a little bit better.
PRO TIP #1: I bought a piece of maple drawer front to test everything out on first to make sure I liked the color and how it looked finished. If you aren’t quite sure - give this a try if you aren’t sure about the finish or color - you could try a few different variations to make sure it’s exactly what you want!
PRO TIP #2: I wish I would have known about this before I painted these, but I wish I would have used a paintable caulk around the inside seams of the shaker cabinet doors to give it a more finished look after the paint goes on. After I painted, some beads of paint went in the seams and it looks a little more unfinished, in addition to dust also getting in the seams and showing. So if you are looking for a totally finished cabinet, I would caulk the seams before starting to prime.
Step 3: Prime your Cabinets!
I probably shouldn’t admit this, but a few years ago, I didn’t get the point of primer and I didn’t use it. If you get anything from this - USE THE PRIMER! I went for years without it making a difference until I painted some wood with white paint for shiplap and the tannin from the wood kept seeping through, discoloring the wood even after like 7 layers. Primer seals everything in the wood in case there is discoloration AND it helps the paint adhere better to the wood to prevent chipping or peeling. So, in short, use the PRIMER.
Before priming, I wiped everything down to make sure all the saw dust was off and then went on to priming the cabinets. Because the cabinet doors had two sides, I did one side completely through the three coats of paint, and then started over with the primer on the other side. If I had to do it again, I would prime the whole door right away and then just do the paint one side at a time. I can’t quite remember why, but I remember that being a thing! I also only did one coat of primer, but looking back, I maybe should have done two? Go with your gut - I did one and it seemed to have turned out fine so far!
I used this primer here, but once again, Behr has a good primer out there that I will always recommend if you have a Home Depot close by!
For painting supplies, I just got a cheapo paint brush for a couple of bucks for all the corners, and then a 4 inch foam paint roller for both the paint and the primer - rolls on smooth, easy to control and there is just something satisfying about a foam roller!
Step 4: Time to Paint!!
It took a lot of prep work to get to the actual painting portion! Yikes!
Now, make sure to sand with 220 grit sandpaper between primer and paint first to keep your surface smooth and use a tack cloth to remove any dust. Then get your paint out with your paint brush and foam roller. Here’s my tips for applying the paint:
Paint brush first in the corners/edges you can’t get with your foam roller, then come in with your foam roller over everything you can - it reduces the chances you will see brush marks.
Watch for drips, especially in your door seams and on the edges of the doors.
Watch for any hair, sawdust or other items that may fall in when you paint - it is extremely noticeable on cabinets, so you have to pay really close attention to it all.
Step 4a: Sand In-between Coats of Paint
These cabinets took 3 solid coats of paint. The first coat is always the worst and takes the longest, so know if you made it through the first coat, it only gets easier. (Also, make sure your paint is fully dry every time before moving on to the next coat- I know sometimes you may want to rush it, but don’t do it! Enjoy the process… :D )
I decided to sand before the last coat of paint (for what reason, I’m not sure), and I wish I would have done it between the first and second as well, but you can do a light sand in between each coat to continue to keep things smooth. VERY LIGHT. I was worried that it would ruin the look, but it definitely helped in a few areas that had gotten dust on them that was just unavoidable.
After everything is done, don’t forget to go back and paint the other side of your doors - follow the same process, prime, paint x3.
Step 5: Put Everything Back Together!
After it is all painted, you are done! Take the tape off, screw the doors back on, and you have fully painted cabinets. Once again - make sure you give them enough time to fully dry (and maybe even a bit extra) to make sure that the finish is rock solid.
Coming soon - let’s make these wall cabinets into built-ins for our basement! You don’t need to buy anything fancy to make a space feel “built in!
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