How to Paint Wood Kitchen Cabinets

There are few other ways to quickly and inexpensively rejuvenate a kitchen's appearance than by painting the kitchen's cabinets. Cabinets are frequently subject to abuse since they are used so frequently. For this reason, the cabinets should be painted with a heavy-duty gloss enamel paint rather than a flat wall paint.

Things You'll Need

• Screwdriver Putty knife "Fine" grade sandpaper Roller brush Tapered sash brush

Instructions

1. Remove the drawers, doors and all hardware. Drawers can usually be easily removed by pulling them all the way out and lifting up on them. The doors are secured to the cabinet by two hinges. The hinges can be removed from both the door and the cabinet with a screwdriver.

2. Scrape any loose paint away with a putty knife, then sand all surfaces to be painted with a "fine" grade sandpaper.

3. Paint the actual cabinets using a roller brush, which is readily available at most hardware stores. Be sure to start at the top of the cabinet and work your way down.

4. Paint the interior of the doors with a tapered sash brush.

5. Paint the exterior of each door with a tapered sash brush. With paneled doors, begin by painting the recessed panels, move outward to the horizontal rails, then finish by painting the vertical stiles.

6. Paint the front of the drawers with a tapered sash brush.

7. Allow the paint several days to dry, then reinstall the hardware and rehang the doors.

Tips & Warnings

• When working with paint, always work in a well-ventilated area.