We get a lot of calls asking if we repaint kitchen cabinets.  Although our specialty is to apply fun designs and finishes, pretty much everybody just wants a solid color.  Yeah, we do that too.  As DIY people, we’ve done this on homes we’re renovating and it’s worked out great.  As “contractors” who charge for this service, we have to be waaaayyy more meticulous about the job.

Let’s be honest here. Painting cabinets the correct way is a pain in the arse. The right way means taking off that gloss completely and furthermore,  it’s best to sand it right down to bare wood.  Going from a dark to light color, any raised panels and holes need to be caulked or they’ll show up against the new bright color.

Although we often work with water based finishes and then polyurethane over them,  oil based paints are really the way to go for solid colors.  So dry time is overnight, which also means that the painting/drying area needs to be completely dust free.  That is, after you create dust by sanding between each coat.

Is it a DIY job that you can do for a couple of hundred bucks?  Can it be done quickly and easily?  Sure!  If you’re up for it, put aside a room where you can set up saw horses for a week. Cheater way….Use deglosser and/or sand it enough so that there’s no shine. Go with water based paint and shellac primer. Don’t bother sanding between coats. Will it look professional and last?  It will look good enough for the dough you’re saving and last a few years.

There’s a Rustoleum refinishing kit that gets mixed reviews from commenters over at Retro Renovation.

As with any project, if you’re bothering to hire someone, make sure they are doing it right.  Otherwise just do it yourself. Here’s a step by step guide from This Old House.