Over the past few months I’ve been working on updating the kitchen in my new home. I’ve already shared the Painted Tile Backsplash and Kitchen Soffit Makeover, and I’m so excited to share the Painted Oak Kitchen Cabinets Makeover now, too!
Before I show you how painting the oak cabinets made a huge difference in the look and feel of my kitchen, let me tell you that there is still more to be done in here.
We will be updating the lighting in this room (including removing the large ceiling light that’s visible in these photos), and plan to install new countertops (and possibly backsplash) next spring.
So, we’re almost finished, but not totally done yet! Just want you guys to keep coming back for more – ha!!
Painted Oak Kitchen Cabinets – a DIY Makeover
Okay, so take a trip down memory lane with me real quick . . . here’s the “before” of the kitchen. This is the real estate listing photo from December 2019.
Orange oak or honey oak cabinets, brown and cream granite countertops, and a brown and cream glass mosaic backsplash were all relics of a 1990s kitchen renovation.
And here’s the new look so far, with just the wood cabinets painted so far! (Yes, there are Christmas decorations in these photos. It’s almost Christmas. :-)).
The cabinet painting process was long and involved. I started on October 17, 2020 and finished on November 25, 2020 – yes, the day before Thanksgiving!
Here’s why it took me so long: I used a cabinet painting process that professional cabinet painters use.
I did extensive research in painters’ forums and consulted professional painters to find out how to paint oak cabinets to last. This included finding out which products professional painters use to paint oak cabinets.
No, they don’t use chalk paint (they use high quality paint), and yes, you have to sand.
I did a trial run with all of the products and methods in my Oak China Cabinet Makeover. Then I refined the process for this kitchen cabinets makeover.
If you’re interested in painting wood kitchen cabinets or laminate kitchen cabinets and want to learn about this cabinet painting process, check out my ebook, DIY Cabinet Painting Pro! It is a totally in-depth guide on painting kitchen cabinets, and gives step-by-step instructions, as well as supply lists, planning documents, checklists, and more.
Because I used a professional quality of workmanship and painted my kitchen cabinets section by section (as opposed to all at once), it took me a while.
I did not have the space to paint all 30-something doors and drawers at once, and I didn’t want my kitchen to be a total mess during the process, so breaking it up worked best for me.
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Taupe Cabinets – Benjamin Moore Hampsire Taupe
For my kitchen makeover, I decided to do taupe cabinets with the cream painted backsplash. I wanted a color that works with the current brown and cream granite countertops, as well as a color that will work with the new quartz countertops we plan to install next year.
Painting these oak cabinets white would not have worked in my kitchen (though it is entirely possible in other kitchens)!
(May 2021 UPDATE: our new backsplash and countertops are in! See the completed DIY Kitchen Makeover in that post!). So, Benjamin Moore Hampshire Taupe was the winning color!
I never thought I would have taupe kitchen cabinets, but here we are. I like that they’re neutral but not white. I think white would have been too stark with the current countertops, and much too bright for my home once we install the new countertops (which will primarily be white).
Does Oak Grain Show Through Paint?
Now, one question I’ve been getting a lot on my TikTok videos about this painting process is whether the grain shows on painted oak kitchen cabinets.
The answer is yes, to an extent the grain is visible. That is because I did not use any type of grain filler product. I decided it was not worth it to me to go through that added step, so I painted without filling the grain.
Here is what the painted oak grain looks like in certain spots. The edges of drawers and details around the flat panels of the cabinet doors are the most visible spots, in my opinion.
If this type of visible wood grain bothers you and you want to paint your oak cabinets, you will need to use a grain filler or wood filler product. (Yes, I talk about that in my cabinet painting ebook, DIY Cabinet Painting Pro, too!)
You can see that the paint fills in the grain, but it does not “level up” with the rest of the wood, so the marks remain.
Is It Worth It To Paint Kitchen Cabinets Yourself?
I will not lie to you – painting cabinets is a huge project that can feel like it will never end at times. Even though I did not love the process, I believe it was 100% worth it to paint my kitchen cabinets myself.
I saved thousands of dollars with a DIY cabinet painting job, and can use that money for other improvements in this space! (CHECK OUT ALL OF THE IMPROVEMENTS in this final reveal of my DIY Kitchen Makeover!)
Plus, I feel really proud of myself that I accomplished this huge painting job all by myself.
Let me know what you think of my kitchen transformation so far. I hope you like it! Make sure to check out my new countertops, new backsplash, and more in this DIY Kitchen Makeover post!
-Bre
Elizabeth says
Great update to hold you over until the full remodel! I am planning on doing the same…with almost the exact same kitchen. We also have busy granite but it has more copper/orange tones. can I ask what cabinet hardware you purchased? with the cathedral style, I want something with a little more curve to it. Thanks!
Bre says
Hello and thank you! Good luck with your project! It really is a wonderful way to make the space better for yourself! :-). Here is my affiliate link to the handles I purchased: https://amzn.to/3XZDl8f
Carlena says
beautiful work! curious, we hope to something similar this fall…where your counter top over hangs for the bar…are the pullout drawers functional?
Bre says
Hello and thank you!! So, only one of those drawers works – it’s the one all the way next to the wall. The other two are faux drawer fronts (though there are drawers in there – they open on the other side). Good luck with your project!
Stacie says
I’ve been thinking about doing this to my soffits, but my walls and soffit have slight texture to them. almost like sand. Knowing how yours look finished, do you think the texture in the middle would stand out? I guess I could cover the entire sofit with a luaun, but I wasn’t sure.
Bre says
Stacie – this is SO SMART that you thought of this!!! I can actually answer this question perfectly because my soffit does have texture. What I did was paint the original drywall part of it with flat paint so that the light doesn’t reflect off of that part and accentuate the texture. This definitely works, but if I were to do it again, I would have used luaun to make it look even better. It was not anything I thought of until I got to painting. So glad you asked this!
Dawn says
Hello, Everything looks great! I’m working on a similar project and have a question about door trim. I notice you left the oak window untouched, did you also leave kitchen access door frames untouched? Or did you paint them to match your cupboards? Thanks
Laura says
Hi! Thanks so much for letting me know. Yes, light is amazing in how it can change color in a room. Looking at paint colors is so hard for me, I just don’t have that eye. I would never peg the Hampshire Taupe color on the Benjamin Moore site as being the same color on your cabinets. This is why I need help like on your blog! Thank you again!
Laura G says
Hello,
Stumbled across your post when searching for examples of updating/painting kitchen cabinets. I have a very similar “before” kitchen with the oak cabinets and brown/cream granite countertops so very fun to see your before and after photos (all the way to your new backsplash and quartz countertop). We plan to go in stages too as we update, so nice to see how it could flow and still look nice as we take our time. Sorry if I missed this – are your top cabinets painted the same color as your bottom cabinets? Are they all painted Benjamin Moore Hampshire Taupe? At 100%? The photos are a little tricky for me to tell. Thanks so much for sharing your projects. It is very helpful!
Bre says
Hi, Laura! YAY! I’m so glad these posts were helpful to you!! :-). Yes, the uppers and lowers are the same color (Hampshire Taupe). I think that just with how the lighting is, they can look a little different than one another, but I did use the same color on both. Good luck with your projects!!
Landry says
Hi! Love how the colors go together in this. Very similar counter colors to my own so I’m just copying your paint colors 🙂 You don’t have much plain wall in the kitchen but of the wall you do have, do you know what paint color that was? Thanks!
Bre says
Hi, Landry! That is awesome!! OK yes, the paint color on my kitchen walls is Arctic White by PPG paint. Honestly, the paint is terrible. I feel like if you even look at it funny, it falls right off the wall. Ha! It’s what the owners painted the entire house with before listing. I think if you did a creamy white from Benjamin Moore, like even Dove White, you’d be good to go!
Rachel says
I’m so excited to have found your blog! I am about to paint my cabinets too. Took all the doors down yesterday. I have a very similar situation: warm granite, picked a Ben Moore taupe (Pale Oak). I just love your style and seeing your beautiful kitchen really encourages me that I can do this!
How did you match your backsplash to your cabinets? I need to paint my backsplash too.
Bre says
Hi, Rachel – aaaah! Thank you! I’m so excited for you to redo your kitchen. You’ll love it. Pale Oak is a great color! I had a sample of that for my walls in my old house. ;-). You can definitely do this!!! OK so the backsplash paint was just leftover paint I had from my built-in bookcase makeover. I didn’t match it too closely because I knew I was ripping it out in the future (I ripped it out as part of my countertop replacement project). So I’m in the process of installing a new backsplash now. ANYWAY – I would suggest going on Benjamin Moore’s website and looking at their suggested colors that coordinate with Pale Oak, and then seeing if those colors are found in your countertop anywhere. OR you could pull a lighter or darker color from the countertops that will work with the Pale Oak. I hope that helps!! Let me know how your project goes!
Rose says
What color are your walls? I adore your kitchen!!!
Bre says
Hi, Rose – thank you!! My walls are Arctic Cotton by PPG Paints.
HVAC contractors says
Fantasy! I’m really shocked at what the difference is between what came before and what happened after! The new kitchen looks just enchanting. I can say that it has become 100 times better. Now I look at my gray kitchen and realize that there is probably nothing better than a white kitchen, white kitchens are really beautiful. I especially like the fact that all the lockers would be completely new and not redesigned. You have done an amazing job and it deserves attention. Thank you for the inspiration and for the fact that we will now also do repairs in the kitchen!
Dawn says
Hi….Your cabinets turned out beautiful!!!! I see you used Ben Moore advance paint. Did you spray on or brush/roll on? Just recently did the top cabinets in my kitchen, and taking a little breather before I begin the bottoms.
Bre says
Hi, Dawn – thank you!! I did a combo of spraying and brushing/rolling. I rolled the boxes because I didn’t empty the cabinets of their contents, but I sprayed the doors! Good luck with your project!
Robin says
It looks great. Love the grain through the paint. Doing it yourself is well worth it!
Marva Stehens says
Your kitchen looks really nice! My brother and I did the same thing in April of this year. It is had and consuming work. We sand the cabinets, but did not use a filler. You can see the difference in some places. We will start on the counter tops soon.
Bre says
Hi, Marva – thank you!! You know about this job!!!! You are so nice to have helped your brother!
Nancy @ Artsy Chicks Rule says
Your new kitchen is stunning! I love all your choices, the taupe paint and painted backslash is perfect. Great job!! xo
Bre says
Hi, Nancy!! Thank you!!! I really appreciate it.
Ginger says
Beautiful work! Seeing your wonderful job makes me think I can (maybe) revamp my kitchen, saving money to use elsewhere in the house, too. Looking forward to your next projects!!
Bre says
Hi, Ginger! YES YOU CAN!! It’s time-consuming, but ANYBODY can do it. 100%! Thank you for your nice note!