How to Paint an Oak Cabinet Black

Painting cabinets will help blend them into your decor.

Oak is one of the better woods to use for cabinetry. It is a hard wood and resists scratching and dings well. It is normally stained or varnished, but sometimes, because of decor changes, it needs to be painted. Painting an oak cabinet is a fairly easy job.

Things You'll Need

• Philip's screwdriver
• 80-grit sandpaper
• 120-grit sandpaper
• Damp cloth
• 2-inch paintbrush
• Masking tape (optional)
• Quart of black paint
• Quart of clear polyurethane

Instructions

1. Remove the hardware--hinges and door handles--from the cabinet. Set aside the door. Remove the shelves from inside the cabinet. If there is a glass door, make sure to tape it off with masking tape. Simply place the tape on the glass at the very edge of the glass where it meets the wood.

2. Sand the outside of the cabinet and the door with the 80-grit sandpaper. This will remove any previous paint or stain. Make sure not to miss any spots, because this will make the paint uneven. Sand the door and the inside of the cabinet. Repeat the process with the 120-grit sandpaper. This will reduce the roughness of the 80-grit and give a smooth appearance.

3. Wipe the cabinet with the damp cloth to remove all of the dust. Do the same for the door and the inside of the cabinet. Allow to dry.

4. Paint the front of the door and then the inside of the cabinet. After you paint the door, place it with the painted side up so that it will dry. Paint the outside of the cabinet. Paint the shelves. Allow to dry overnight. Apply a second coat if needed. This may depend on the type of paint you use. If you use a satin finish or oil-based paint you may have to use a second coat. If you are using latex, it may not be necessary.

5. Paint the back side of the cabinet door. Place with the freshly painted side up to dry. Apply polyurethane to the inside of the cabinet and the shelves. Then apply the polyurethane to the outside of the cabinet. Allow to dry overnight. Apply a second coat if needed, depending on the type of paint you used; for example, a high-gloss paint may not require a second polyurethane finish coat.

6. Apply the polyurethane to the door and allow to dry overnight. When the door is completely dry, attach the hinges to the door and then attach the door to the cabinet. Reattach the handle.

References

• The Complete Illustrated Guide to Furniture and Cabinet Construction, Andy Rae, 2001
• Refacing Cabinets: Making an Old Kitchen New (Fine Homebuilding); Herrick Kimball; 1997