Kitchen design
Painting Kitchen Cabinets: Preparation, Primer and Paint
How to repaint wood, MDF and laminate kitchen doors so the finish lasts, step by step.
Painting cupboard doors is the cheapest way to change a kitchen. Kitchen paint has a hard life, with grease, steam and constant handling, so preparation matters more than the paint.
Where to buy
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What your doors are made of
| Surface | Preparation | Primer |
|---|---|---|
| Bare or oiled wood | Degrease, sand with 120–180 grit | Wood primer (knotting solution on knots) |
| Previously painted | Degrease, sand to dull the old paint | Only on bare patches, unless changing from dark to light |
| Painted MDF | Degrease, light sand | Usually none, unless bare MDF shows |
| Laminate or melamine | Degrease, scuff with fine sandpaper | Adhesion primer made for shiny surfaces |
Step by step
- Take off doors and handles and label them so they go back in the right place.
- Degrease with sugar soap or a degreaser, then rinse. Paint will not stick to kitchen grease.
- Sand and vacuum away the dust, then wipe with a barely damp cloth.
- Prime if the table above says so.
- Paint two or three thin coats with a fine brush or foam roller, sanding lightly between coats.
- Let it cure. Paint is dry to touch within hours but can take a week or more to harden fully: rehang carefully and do not scrub it yet.
Choosing paint
Look for paints sold for kitchen cabinets or furniture, in eggshell or satin. They are tougher than wall paint and wipe clean. For colours, see heritage kitchen colours.
Finishing touch
New handles and knobs make the biggest difference after paint. If you are replacing doors anyway, compare styles in our Shaker kitchen guide.
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