How To Paint Kitchen Cabinets

The modern family kitchen has a long list of jobs to fulfil. It’s often where we cook, dine and entertain, meaning beauty and practicality are of equal importance.

Painting cabinets is a fantastic way to bring colour and personality to your kitchen scheme. But it’s essential to choose a paint finish that will also provide the durability you need in this high-traffic environment.

Learn why our Intelligent Satin finish is perfect for painting kitchen cabinets. Read our tips and guidance to help you update your kitchen cabinets with beautiful colour.

Paint kitchen cabinets using Intelligent Satin

At Little Greene, we’ve created a paint finish that is specially designed for a busy kitchen environment and available in our complete colour palette. Intelligent Satin is perfect for painting kitchen cabinets, as well as all household woodwork and joinery.

Its tough formulation is fully washable and extremely hard-wearing. You can use Intelligent Satin with confidence in the busiest areas of the home, knowing it will withstand all the everyday knocks and bumps.

The paint dries to a beautiful mid sheen with a rich depth of colour, providing protection, longevity and a smooth satin finish. Intelligent Satin means you don’t have to compromise on beauty or practicality. You can paint your kitchen in your most-loved Little Greene shades and create an inspiring scheme that is fully compatible with the wear and tear of family life.

Step-by-step guide: How to paint kitchen cabinets

Follow guidance from our experts to help you refresh your kitchen cabinets and achieve beautiful, professional-looking results.

Priming & preparation

When painting cabinetry, preparation is key. Cleaning and de-greasing the surface will ensure that there are no dust particles or anything else which will get caught in your new paint surface. Any impurities can spoil the final look of the project and affect adhesion to the surface.

Remove the kitchen handles first, then remove the whole door from the hinge.
If you’re painting onto new or bare wood, ensure that the doors are completely clean. Seal any resinous knots in softwood and all hardwoods with a knotting compound.
Thoroughly clean and sand any painted woodwork, removing any loose or flaking paint. Wipe down the surface with a lint free cloth so it’s ready for painting.
For significant colour changes, apply one coat of ‘Intelligent ASP’ (All Surface Primer). This will help you to achieve your desired colour with fewer topcoats, as well as priming the surface ready for painting. Once applied, the surface will dry within two hours.

Painting

Once the surface is properly prepared, you can begin transforming your cabinets with colour. Intelligent Satin is available in our complete colour palette, so there are endless options when it comes to selecting the perfect shade. For colour inspiration, explore our gallery of beautiful kitchen schemes.

Ensure the wood is completely dry before painting. Stir ‘Intelligent Satin’ paint thoroughly before use.
Evenly apply the first coat and allow to dry. Paint the panels in smooth, even strokes in the direction of the grain, rather than against it.
The cabinet doors will be dry to the touch within 2-4 hours. You will need to wait four hours before applying the second coat.
Apply a second coat of ‘Intelligent Satin’. We recommend applying two full coats of ‘Intelligent Satin’ to achieve full depth of colour.
Once the paint is fully dry, re-attach your doors to the hinges, followed by the handles for the finishing touch.

Painting tips from our experts

Paint the panels in smooth, even strokes in the direction of the grain, rather than against it.
Ensure the final strokes are all in the same direction and maintain a wet edge throughout.
Never be tempted to go over already drying paint, as this may lead to marking and flashing.
For flat kitchen doors, we recommend using a short nap, wool blend sleeve for best appearance on smooth surfaces.
Increase the nap length for more textured doors, as appropriate, to ensure even and thorough coverage.

FAQs about painting kitchen cabinets

Do I need to use a primer or undercoat for painting kitchen cabinets?

Our Intelligent Satin has a self-priming formula which means – in most cases – you can apply the paint directly to the surface. Thanks to our Intelligent Grip™ technology, the paint will adhere to both unpainted and previously painted surfaces, providing excellent durability without needing a separate primer.

For projects where you are undertaking a big colour change, we recommend using a primer to achieve full depth of colour. Apply one coat of Intelligent All Surface Primer (ASP), which comes tinted to a slightly lighter shade than the topcoat.

If you’re painting knotty or resinous wood, you should always seal the surface first with a knotting compound. This will prevent any resins from bleeding through the topcoat of your chosen finish.

If you are painting the cabinets in Interior Oil Eggshell or Traditional Oil Gloss, we always recommend priming with Intelligent ASP first. Although the ASP is water based, it works in conjunction with both our Intelligent and oil-based finishes.

Can I use Little Greene on vinyl, MDF or previously painted doors?

Yes, you can use our Intelligent Paints on vinyl, MDF or previously painted doors without needing to use a primer. These groundbreaking finishes are underpinned by Intelligent Grip™ technology, which means they adhere to almost all household surface with no need to prime first.

You can use our Intelligent Paints to transform all kinds of cabinetry, including wood, MDF, Formica, melamine and vinyl. Before painting, it’s important to make sure the surface is in good condition by filling any imperfections, sanding and cleaning.

MDF is extremely porous and requires slightly different preparation steps. We recommend rubbing down the surface and applying a first coat of Intelligent Satin, thinned down with 10% water. Once dry, sand down the surface again to avoid the grain showing through before applying two full coats.

Discover our guide to choosing colours for your kitchen.

For more kitchen and dining room decor ideas, browse our inspiration gallery.