Learn how to paint oak cabinets with this detailed tutorial that includes tips and tricks for filling in the oak grain for a super smooth finish!
Be sure to check out our How To Paint Furniture page for more great painting ideas, tips and techniques.
Are you tired of your dated orange oak cabinets? Painting your oak cabinets is the best, budget-friendly way to update your kitchen!
One of the best things about painting your cabinets, is that you can choose any color you want!
I love the look of white painted cabinets. I’ve been pinning pictures of kitchens on Pinterest for a while now, and most of the pins are of white kitchens with white cabinets. So, that was one of our easiest renovation decisions – the cabinets would be painted white.
Here are the cabinets before we painted them.
Here are the cabinets after they were painted. I absolutely love how light and bright our kitchen is now!
When we decided to upgrade the cabinets with a soffit, I quickly realized that the heavy grain of the painted oak would look a lot different than the painted smooth MDF that was used for the soffit right above the cabinets.
S0, we decided to have the doors of the cabinets sprayed to get the best finish. I found a wonderful guy who was up for trying to fill in the oak grain too.
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HOW TO PAINT OAK CABINETS – TIPS FOR FILLING GRAIN
The painter took the doors to his shop to spray paint them, so I don’t have step-by-step pictures of the process that he used to fill in the grain and paint the cabinet doors, but I do have the steps that he took, and the products that he used.
MATERIALS AND STEPS FOR FILLING IN OAK GRAIN
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- Clean all doors and drawers with TSP substitute. Making sure to rinse very well.
- Apply a Muralo Spackle Paste to the cabinet doors with a putty knife. Let dry. The putty fills in the oak grain.
- Sand doors and drawers until smooth.
- Apply a coat of Zinsser BIN Primer. Lightly sand after dry. Clean with tack cloth.
- Apply a coat of of Pittsburgh Paint Undercoater. Lightly sand after dry. Clean with tack cloth.
- Apply 3 coats of Pittsburgh Paint Breakthrough paint.
HOW TO PAINT OAK CABINETS – USING A BRUSH AND ROLLER
*If you don’t mind a little of the oak grain showing after the cabinets are painted, you can skip the steps above for filling in the oak grain, and use the steps below to paint your oak cabinets using a good quality paint brush and roller.
This is the painting method I used to paint our kitchen cabinet boxes and the cabinets in two of our bathrooms.
Here’s a picture of the cabinets in one of our bathrooms. The cabinets are oak and the grain has not been filled in.
MATERIALS
- Pittsburgh Paints Breakthrough paint (in the color of your choice) – This is the paint that we used to paint all of our cabinets, trim and most of the furniture we painted. Very durable and adheres extremely well. Our color is actually Benjamin Moore’s White that I had our local Pittsburgh Paint retailer mix for me. On the lid of the can it says the color mixture is L4.
- Oil-based primer that has stain blocking in the title.
- TSP Liquid Substitute cleaner
- Rags
- Dropcloths
- Screwdriver
- Dust mask and/or respirator
- 100 grit sanding block
- 220 grit sandpaper
- Tack cloths
- Painters’ tape
- Painters’ tripods – you could also use paint cans or boxes
- Nylon/polyester paintbrush
- Paintable caulk
- Small paint trays
- Wooster Shortcut paint brush
- Whizz 4″ microfiber roller with 3/8″ nap
- Whizz roller handle
- Small felt pads
INSTRUCTIONS
I’ve created a step-by-step video to show how to paint cabinets, and I’ve also included written instructions under the video:
The Prep – There are a lot of preparation steps before you can start priming and painting. Don’t get discouraged! Doing them will help you have a great painted finish on your cabinets.
- Empty cabinets and drawers, and number each cabinet. Put the same number on the corresponding door or drawer
- Remove the doors and drawer fronts. Put the tape with door number in the hinge hole after taking off hinges, so that it doesn’t get painted.
- Remove the knobs or handles.
- Tape off the inside of the cabinets and any wall areas next to cabinets with painters’ tape.
- Use dropcloths to protect floors and counter tops.
- Scrape any pads off the backs of drawers and doors.
- Clean the cabinet boxes, doors and drawers with TSP Liquid Substitute cleaner. Following the directions on the bottle. I like to rinse with clean water, and dry with a dry cloth.
- Sand the cabinet boxes, doors and drawers with 100 grit sanding block or sandpaper to get the shiny finish off. If you have laminate on the sides of the cabinet boxes, sand carefully so that you don’t go clear through the laminate finish to the particle board underneath. I recommend wearing a dust mask or respirator.
- Wipe the sanding dust off with a tack cloth.
The Priming – Priming your cabinets with a good stain blocking oil-primer will help to keep any staining from the wood cabinets from showing through to the painted finish. If you have laminate sides on the ends of your boxes and you’re using the Pittsburgh Paints Breakthrough paint, then you can skip this priming step on the laminate surfaces.
- Lay the doors and drawers flat. Use painters’ tripods or something else like paint cans to lift the doors and drawers off of the painting surface.
- Paint the cabinet boxes, drawers and doors with the oil-based primer using a nylon/polyester brush. I like to do the backs of the doors and drawers first. Let them dry, and then turn them over and prime the fronts. Be sure to paint in the direction of the grain of the wood.
- After the primer is dry (usually around an hour, but read the directions on your primer), lightly sand all of the cabinet boxes, doors and drawers with a 220 grit sandpaper.
- Caulk any gaps in the cabinet doors or boxes with a paintable caulk. Let the caulk dry for 20 minutes.
The Painting – Finally, we’re ready to paint! Again, I highly recommend using Pittsburgh Paints Breakthrough paint. They aren’t paying me a penny to say this, I really love this paint! It’s held up for us extremely well – very durable.
Again, I like to paint the backs of the doors and drawers first, let them dry, and then turn them over and paint the fronts.
- Put some of the paint in a small roller tray. Using the Wooster Shortcut paint brush, paint any areas of the cabinet boxes, doors and drawers that will be hard to paint with the roller.
- Using the roller, paint all of the rest of the surfaces. To prep the Whizz roller, use a piece of tape to get the extra lint off. Also, get the roller slightly damp.
- Let the paint dry for 2 hours.
- Apply a second coat of paint to all of the cabinet boxes, doors and drawers. Following steps 1 – 3.
- Apply a third coat of paint to all of the cabinet boxes, doors and drawers. Following steps 1 – 3.
- Let the cabinet boxes, doors and drawers dry for at least 24 hours, and then re-hang the doors and drawer fronts. To protect the cabinets, apply felt pads to the backs of the doors and drawers.
- Put the knobs or handles back on the doors and drawers.
Congratulations – you’re done!
I hope you’ve enjoyed this how to paint oak cabinets tutorial!
Here’s what we changed in the kitchen (and the posts with further details):
Soffit
Painted Cabinets
Painted Cabinets Update
Cabinet Knobs
Pantry
Microwave Cabinet
Countertops
Backsplash
Stools
Peninsula
Roman Shade Valance
Hardwood Floors
Painted Trim
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We have oak cabinets that I plan on painting — whenever I can decide on a color. So thanks for the tips! Your kitchen is gorgeous!
Thanks Dee! Good luck with your project!
I wouldn’t have thought that the wood grain would show so much and having them sprayed was brilliant. You kitchen looks so nice. I love the green as well.
Thanks Michelle! I’m very glad that we went to the extra trouble to have the wood grain filled in!
Thanks so much for this post and the details. I have the same cabinets and the grain is what has always stopped me in my tracks when considering having them painted. So, your post really hits home. :0) May I ask about how much the cabinets cost to give us an idea for budgeting. I like the idea of having the doors professionally done and doing the boxes myself. I just don’t know what to expect budget-wise.
Thanks again for the details!
Thanks Colleen! It’s been a year since we had them done, and the painter’s bill included spraying all of our 6 panel doors, the bathroom cabinets and two sets of bi-fold doors. So, I don’t know how much just the kitchen doors were. I would get some good recommendations of painters and see if you can get some quotes.
Was it less expensive to paint them then to replace with new white cabinets? If so, how much would you say you saved in rough numbers. They look great by the way.
Thanks Gus. I’m sure it was less expensive to paint than buying new cabinets, but I don’t have any idea on how much money we saved.
I’m painting an oak desk. Would recommend putting a polyurethane coat on top
Connie, I would finish at least the top of the desk with a coat of polycrylic. It dries clear and won’t yellow.
I meant to say would a polyurethane coat be recomended
Wow, that’s a lot of work! It really paid off though, the cabinets look amazing and so does your window treatment. Gorgeous overall! Enjoy the space!
Thanks Kim!
The kitchen cabinets look great. What a transformation! Great tips!
Thanks RandiG!
Beautiful! Will you please share your wall color?
Thanks Julie! The wall color is Benjamin Moore’s Ballet White. I love it! It seems to go with everything.
Are the cabinets also painted BM ‘Ballet White’? Do you find that color goes well with the white subway tile? Thanks!
No, the cabinets are Benjamin Moore’s White. I like it with our subway tile. Our subway tile is not from the big box store though and is not as yellow. I wrote a post about our subway tile a while back, and it shows a comparison of two different tiles.
Nice help full info here. Could you use your process of refinishing furniture and use the Benjamin Moore Advance paint for the kitchen cabinets too? thanks!
Jack, I was going to have the painter who filled in the oak grain and spray painted the doors use the BM Advance paint, but he had never used it before and wanted to use the PP Breakthrough. The Breakthrough is thinner, and dries super quickly. It has held up very well. In fact, I’m getting ready to write a post about how well the cabinets have held up.
I am interested in painting my oak cabinets white. You mentioned that you had a professional paint the doors. I would love a ballpark amount for that service if you are willing to share. Having someone paint the doors would make it a less overwhelming project. Thank you- Joanne M
Joanne, I honestly can’t even tell you how much just having him spray the doors was. He also sprayed the bathroom cabinet doors and 12 of our big 6 panel doors. He didn’t price out the items separately. I would call some painters, and get some estimates.
When you say to rinse well after the TSP, does that mean with a damp rag or how did you rinse?
Kris, dip a clean rag in clean water and wipe down the cabinets.
Hi there. Your kitchen is beautiful! I am curious how you like your faucet. It looks like the Linden collection. Thank you for your time! I am going to paint my cabinets and cannot wait.
Thanks Jen! We love our faucet! It is not from Linden, I believe it’s Delta. We bought it about 3 1/2 years ago.
Did you put a polyacrylic coat on your kitchen cabinets? Everything I read says how important this is in the high traffic cabinets of a kitchen.
I did not put a coat of polycrylic on the cabinets. This paint is very durable, and we haven’t had any problems. If you feel the need, you could always apply the polycrylic for more protection.
Do you just paint the faces of your cabinet or so you paint the shelves and interior areas as well?
I did not paint the insides of the cabinets.
What about the inside, did your painter spray the inside of the cabinets as well?…Looks great, thanks for the tips.
Thanks Ray! The painter only sprayed the back side of the doors. He didn’t fill in the oak grain on the back side of the doors, since they aren’t seen very much.
What a wonderful looking change and cost saving as well. Love how you did this.
Thanks Candy! Yes, it did save us a lot of money to fill in the grain and paint the cabinets!
Looks great! My daughter will be painting her cabinets soon, I will be sure to share your post with her. Thank you!
Lori Jo – 50 With Flair
http://www.50withflair.com
Thanks Lori Jo! I wish your daughter luck on her project!
I am planning on painting my cabinets next year so this post will be very helpful. Pinned.
Good luck with your project!
Wow! Your kitchen looks fabulous!!
Thanks Nancy!
That is one amazing transformation! Love the ALL white look (praying my LL will allow me to do this someday soon!). Thanks for the detailed tutorial on both processes! Pinning to two boards!
Thanks Julie!
I love our green and white kitchen! I painted my front door that green color and just loved it. I also want to paint my kitchen cabinets but have not bitten that bullet yet. Thanks for the instructions.
🙂 gwingal
Thanks Nikki! I’m trying to talk my sister into painting her front door this green color!
Love how your cabinets turned out, Jann! Great job by both you and your painter!!! We did ours kitchen cabinets about a year before we moved out of the house and I wish I had painted them sooner. Same thing, a little grain showing through but what a difference just adding new white paint makes!!! Pinned and G+ for you and for our future house. Thanks! <3
Thanks Barbara!
Wow your kitchen looks amazing. I love all the detailed tips and feel like I could tackle this in my own home. Thanks you for sharing!!
Thanks Sonya! You can do it!
Not sure what state you reside in but if it is in Southern California can you tell me who you used to do your cabinets as they look beautiful
Sorry Marion, I live in Illinois. Good luck!
Your kitchen is beautiful! We are hoping to have our ’80s golden oak cabinets painted soon. The local pros are telling me the grain will still show through, that if we really want the grain eliminated it would be cost prohibitive. Do you have any close-up photos of your kitchen and/or bathroom cabinets in which you say you can still see the grain showing through?
Julie, this link is for another post I wrote about how to paint cabinets. In the How To Paint Cabinets video, there is a section at the end where I show a close up of what the oak cabinet door looks like when the oak grain isn’t filled in. https://www.newtoncustominteriors.com/how-to-paint-cabinets/ . Good luck!
This is such a helpful blog post, thank you very much Jann! I had my bathroom cabinets redone last year by a cabinet refinishing company in my area and they did a good job, but I want to go the DIY route for my oak kitchen cabinets this spring and I will definitely be referencing this post!
Thanks for your kind words! Good luck with your painting project!