Cabinet Makeover Magic
When we bought our first home in 2016 everything was oak and yellow laminate! My dream kitchen was bright, airy, and white. Going over yellow oak was terrifying for me, especially going from a yellow oak to bright white with a vintage looking touch! I knew I would need extra sealant for the 4 little hands that touch everything in my home. I experimented with several different brands of paints, failed once or twice, and finally found the perfect formula that I must share with you for the easiest cabinet painting experience.
You do not need the cabinet painting kit. (For the Paint.)
However this is where you need the kit for everything else unless you want to be sanding until you send your 3 year old off to college. Hell to the no? Buy the kit!
I have roughly 30 cabinet fronts and was not about to attempt which one went where so I did one section at a time! For example: The top two over the fridge I would destain, prime, paint, and seal as a set. There is no right or wrong just find a smooth system where you will not forget which one goes where!
Step One: Remove your first section of cabinet and take off all screws (Place in a ziplock bag so you do not lose any pieces along the way.)
Step Two: Use the Stain Remover and a green scrub sponge to take off any previous paint or sealant on cabinet. This is where the sweat part comes into play. (Lets hope we don’t include blood and tears in this process.) I am probally the most inpatient person….well like ever… I attempted to half ass this step on my cabinets. DO NOT DO IT!!! RESIST THE URGE!!! The paint will not set properly if the previous sealant is not completely removed.
Step Three: Wipe down the cabinet and make sure remover is completely removed. (I used baby wipes for this because… well mom life.)
Step Four: Paint. YASSSSS! Use any color you want for this step! It must be an interior paint though. Cabinet Paint, a Benjamin Moore, you can get creative here! Make sure it’s semi gloss if your not using a cabinet paint though. (This is far easier to clean and wipe down.) Go with the grain of the wood! I started on the outside and then painted the inside. The different dimensions created some drips, which I could easily clean up by going out to in. DO THREE COATS. Not two….THREE. Especially if you are doing a bright light color.
Step Five: Seal. Seal and Seal some more! MAKE SURE you use a Cabinet sealer and not a polyurethane as this can turn your white a yellow. Wait a full 24 hours before putting on the hardware and hanging up again.
Step Six: While the Cabinet faces are drying paint the cabinet base and repeat steps 1 through 5.
Tips and Tricks – If you are doing an accent or vintage look on the cabinet use a paint brush and lightly rub in the wax base with your finger wrapped in a soft cloth, it creates a grainey look and brings out the natural wood grain which turns out gorgeous and looks like a $10,000 cabinet!