DIY

The right cabinet painting supplies are a large part of a successful cabinet painting project! Here’s an overview of supplies needed to paint cabinets to start you on your painting journey.

I’ve painted a lot of cabinets in my day (like these painted oak kitchen cabinets and these painted wood cabinets), and I’ve used many different paints and processes.  No matter these differences, the supplies needed to paint cabinets are generally the same. 

And with the right cabinet painting tools, you’ll achieve beautifully painted cabinetry that looks professionally done!

Before you start reading through this list of cabinet painting supplies, understand that it may seem like a lot.  Don’t be overwhelmed!  You may already have some of these cabinet painting supplies and tools, and if you don’t, many of these things are inexpensive and can be used again in the future.

Also, I have broken the supplies into sections of the job to help you prioritize what you might need to prep your cabinets for painting and to actually paint the cabinets.

Now that you know all of those important details, let me answer your question of “what supplies do I need to paint my cabinets?”

This post contains affiliate links.  Please read my disclosure policy for more information. 

Supplies Needed to Prepare Cabinets for Painting

Prep work is arguably the most important step in the cabinet painting process.  It’s the foundation of the whole job, so you want to do it right! 

These cabinet painting prep materials will get the job done right, no matter which type of paint you use:

1. Screwdriver or drill:  you’ll need one of these tools to remove the cabinet doors and drawers, to remove the hinges, and also to remove the hardware from the doors and drawers.
2. Ziploc bags: use Ziploc bags to store the hardware and hinges.
3. Permanent marker: use a permanent marker or Sharpie to label the Ziploc bags and/or the doors and drawers so you know what hardware goes with what drawer when it’s time to put things back together.

Materials Needed to Clean Cabinets Before Painting

Think about the grease and grime that accumulates in the kitchen, and then you’ll understand why proper cabinet cleaning is essential prior to painting!  If you paint over grease, for example, the paint will not stick and your hard work will wipe right off.  Don’t make that mistake!

Here are the supplies you need to clean your cabinets prior to painting:

1. Dropcloths or plastic sheeting: use these to cover areas surrounding cabinet boxes and to set the doors and drawers that you’re going to clean on top of.
2. Rubber gloves: to protect your hands while cleaning cabinets, obviously.
3. Krud Kutter Concentrated Cleaner / Degreaser: this cleaning solution is the best! It’s non-toxic and it removes all that nasty grease and grime from cabinets.  Also, it works with no issues whether you’re using oil-based primers and paints or latex.
4. Scotch Brite Heavy Duty Scour Pads: cut these scour pads into smaller pieces and use them to scrub off the grease and grime.  They have a little grit to them so they help loosen stuck-on food, but they’re not so rough as to scratch surfaces.
5. Scissors: to cut the Scotch Brite Heavy Duty Scour Pads
6. Denatured Alcohol: this is amazing for cutting through really tough grease, and it doesn’t leave any residue.  I follow up cleaning with Krud Kutter with a spray of 50% denatured alcohol and 50% water, and then wipe it off.
7. Spray Bottle: use a spray bottle to apply the denatured alcohol and water mix.
8. Water: mix with denatured alcohol to clean cabinets.
9. Towel (clean and soft): use clean towels (like shop towels – not bath towels), to dry off cabinets so that Krud Kutter and/or denatured alcohol doesn’t sit too long and ruin the finish.  They don’t have to be bone dry, but they need to be wiped down.
10. Mask: you absolutely need to wear a mask when working with denatured alcohol.

Supplies for Repairing Cabinets Before Painting

Because cabinets get used daily, they tend to show signs of wear and tear over time.  Those dents and dings and other imperfections will show up if you paint over them without repairing first.  Because of that, it’s worth it to spend a little extra time repairing cabinets before painting them.

Here are the repair supplies needed to paint cabinets:

1. Painters tape: if you plan to fill holes in cabinet doors or drawers (like to move hardware), place a piece of painters tape on the back side of the hole before filling it.
2. Paintable wood filler: acrylic wood filler works on all types of cabinets (wood and laminate), so use it to fill in gouges, dents, and dings on cabinet surfaces.  Once dry, lightly sand any excess wood filler.
3. Putty knife: use a putty knife to get a smooth application of wood filler.
4. Sandpaper: use this in connection with the wood filler just discussed.
5. Caulk: use this to fill gaps between molding and the ceiling, the cabinet boxes and the walls, and more!
6. Caulk gun
7. Aqua Coat Grain Filler or Spackle:  optional!  Use these products to fill in undesired wood grain.

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Materials Needed to Sand Cabinets Prior to Painting (and During the Painting Process)

OK . . . I don’t care if you bought paint that says you don’t need to sand your cabinets before priming or painting – you should still do it.  Sanding really is the best way to scuff up the surface a bit and get the primer or paint to stick better! 

A lot of people seem to be intimidated by sanding, but there’s nothing to be scared of.  You don’t need to sand down to bare wood or anything – you’re just sanding to remove topcoat and make a better surface for the paint and primer to come!

With that said, here are the materials you need to sand cabinets before painting them:

1. Small electric sander: you could get by without one of these, but they’re inexpensive and will make the job much easier and more even.  If you don’t already have an electric sander, you should consider getting one.
2. Sandpaper: I recommend several different sandpaper grits for the various steps in the cabinet painting process: 100-150 for sanding after cleaning, 220 grit in between primer and paint, and 400 for in between coats of paint (if necessary).  If you are using an electric sander, make sure to get sandpaper sheets that work with your particular sander.
3. Vacuum with brush attachment:  use a vacuum to remove as much of the dust from the surfaces.
4. Tack cloth: use tack cloth to get up the fine particles of dust that are left after vacuuming.

Cabinet Painting Workspace Prep Supplies

For the area where you’ll be painting the cabinet doors and drawers, as well as the cabinet boxes, you need certain materials to protect the surfaces and make it easy to paint.

1. Dropcloths
2. Rosin paper: this is also known as contractor paper.  It’s perfect for taping down on floors to protect them from drips or overspray.
3. Painters tape: use painters tape to hold down rosin paper or plastic drop cloths.
4. Tables or 5 gallon paint buckets:  set up folding tables or 5 gallon paint buckets to paint cabinet doors and drawers on.  This will be easier than painting them on the ground.

Supplies Needed to Prime and Paint Cabinets

And finally, when you’re ready to get started painting cabinets, you’ll have a host of other supplies you need, too!

1. Primer: choose the right type of primer for your cabinet surface.  Speak with a professional at the paint store to help you decide which primer is right for you, based on cabinet type and paint being used.
2. Shellac-based primer: If you’re not using a shellac-based primer to prime all of your cabinets, you may want to purchase some as a backup in case you experience bleed through.  Check out my post on how to fix paint bleed through for more information! 
3. Paint:  there are many paints on the market.  Do you research and choose one that’s formulated to withstand the wear and tear of daily kitchen or bathroom use.  I like Benjamin Moore Advance for painting cabinets.
4. Door risers or Painters Pyramids: these are a must!  You do not want cabinet doors and drawers to lie flat on the table or painting surface.  Make sure to elevate them on these pyramids to decrease the points of contact with the table or painting surface.  Use four pyramids per door.
5. Stir sticks:  I never remember to ask for paint stir sticks when I buy paint!  If you’re like me, maybe a reusable one is a good idea!
6. Paint pour spout:  take it from me – using one of these pour spouts is so much better than trying to pour paint from a gallon into a smaller working container or spray painter, and then getting it all over the gallon.  This keeps the paint can and the rim clean.
7. Working paint container: Instead of painting from the can and potentially contaminating the paint inside with dust and debris, transfer some paint to a working container and paint from that.
8. Paint can opener:  some paint stores will give you one for free.  If you don’t have one, you can use a flat head screwdriver instead.
9. Face mask:  safety first! Wear a mask when working with oil-based paints and/or spray painting!
10. Paint roller:  A small roller is helpful for cabinet boxes; a larger roller is helpful for sides of cabinets and flat cabinet doors.  Check the paint can to see which nap is best to use for your project.
11. Roller paint tray
12. High-quality paint brushes:  Don’t skimp on the brushes you use!  Consider using a different brush for the final coat of paint – this may give you an even better finish.
13. Paint brush cleaner:  I love paint brush cleaner to get a really clean brush.  If you’re in a pinch and your paint brush has hardened, check out my post on how to soften hard paint brushes without chemicals.
14. Paint sprayer: If you can afford to buy a paint sprayer for your cabinet painting project, DO IT! I would not have survived painting my kitchen cabinets if it weren’t for my paint sprayer.  I love my affordable sprayer and recommend it to everyone.  Sprayed cabinets generally look much better than those painted with brushes or rollers.

Phew! It takes a lot of materials to paint cabinets!  But again, many of these supplies are things you have or that you’ll use again in the future.  Comment below and let me know if any of these supplies surprised you, or if you have anything to add to the list!

As I’ve been talking non-stop, I painted my oak kitchen cabinets and freshened up the space! Part of the kitchen makeover was enhancing the lighting, and I’m pumped to show you the EASIEST DIY under cabinet lighting that absolutely anybody can add to his or her kitchen for a little mood lighting and general fancy-pantsness.

This post contains affiliate links.  To read my full disclosure policy, please click here.

Now, being totally honest with you, I’d like to have hardwired under cabinet lighting that was installed by an electrician.  

But, I had to pick and choose where I spent my budget for this project, and I decided that this luxury had to go.  Never one to let a dream die easily, however, I figured out a way to add under cabinet lighting all by myself- and at a fraction of the price!

Because technology is amazing nowadays, I was able to purchase these remote-controlled wireless under cabinet lights and install them myself – in about ten minutes!

And I am obsessed!

Let me tell you a little bit about the benefits of these wireless LED under cabinet lights.

How Do You Install Wireless Under Cabinet Lights?

You mount them to the underside of your cabinets with a self-adhesive magnet.  So the sticky part of the magnet goes on the underside of the cabinet, and the light attaches to the magnet.  

This makes the under cabinet lights super easy to remove for charging.

Are Wireless Under Cabinet Lights Rechargeable?

Yes! These lights are rechargeable!  No swapping batteries.

You just plug in each of the under cabinet lights to recharge them.  I find that each light lasts between 8-10 hours before needing charging.

I purchased this 6-port USB charger so that I can charge all of my wireless under cabinet lights at one time.  This is SUPER convenient.  It would be annoying to have to charge each one individually or to find different outlets for each of the lights to charge at.

How Do You Turn On the Under Cabinet Lights?

Did I mention that these wireless under cabinet lights come with a remote control?  It’s awesome! When I stumble into the kitchen each morning, I just grab the remote from the drawer and turn them all on at once! 

This means you do not need to turn on each under cabinet light individually, though you could do that if you lose the remote.

The remote also allows you to set a timer so that the lights turn off after a set period of time.  I love this feature because I never have to think about turning off the lights or wasting the charge.

How Bright is This DIY Under Cabinet Lighting?

You can choose the color of the lighting (bright white light, warm white light, or a mix of the two for a hybrid look) on each of the individual wireless lights.  I usually have mine set to warm white light. 

You can also set the intensity of light, from 50% power to 100% intensity.

What are the Negatives of Wireless Under Cabinet Lights?

Well, the biggest negative of these under cabinet lights is that you have to recharge them.  It’s not a huge deal to me, but it would be nice to never have to do that!  

That being said, I’m totally happy that I was able to add under cabinet lighting to my kitchen without hiring an electrician or blowing my budget in here! 

If you’d like to add lights under your kitchen cabinets but don’t want to spend a lot of money to do so, consider adding wireless under cabinet lights.  I give them my stamp of approval!

-Bre

Check Out the Other Kitchen Makeover Posts in This Series!

• How to Paint a Kitchen Tile Backsplash
• How to Disguise a Kitchen Soffit With Trim
• DIY Painted Oak Cabinets
• How to Convert a Kitchen Desk to Pull-Out Trash

Looking for a way to repurpose kitchen desk space? Here’s how we converted a kitchen desk area into pull out trash!

Back in the day (like 20 or 30 years ago), the hot trend in design was to plop a desk in the middle of every home’s most valuable area: the kitchen.  Nowadays, most people don’t use the kitchen desk space, and it’s just a dumping ground for junk and clutter.  

Of course, my new house had a kitchen desk.  We put my dog’s food and water bowl where the chair should be, and created a pseudo coffee bar area on the countertop. 

But when it was time for me to revamp the kitchen and paint the oak cabinets, we decided to convert the kitchen desk area into pull-out trash, and it was the BEST thing we did in here!

This kitchen desk repurposing idea is a total win because it lets you hide your trash cans, and it ends up looking like it was meant to be this way all along!  

Supplies Needed to Convert a Kitchen Desk to Pull-Out Trash

This post contains affiliate links.  To read my full disclosure policy, please click here.

• Rev-a-Shelf pull out trash can system 
• Custom-size cabinet door (we ordered from Fast Cabinet Doors)
• Level
• Drill
• Circular Saw
• Miter Saw or hand saw with miter box
• Brad nailer
• Lumber (2×4 lumber; 1×4 lumber; shoe trim; veneer pieces; MDF sheet). *NOTE: if you’re painting the cabinets once finished, the type of lumber does not really matter.  We used what we could get.  At the time we did this, there was a bit of a lumber shortage, so we had to buy some nicer wood than necessary.

How to Convert a Kitchen Desk to Hidden Trash

To start, you have to understand that all kitchen desks are not created equal – they all have different measurements and shapes!  Because of that, I will not share any measurements here, but instead, will give you a basic overview of what needs to happen to convert your desk to pull out trash cans.

Also, if you have inset cabinet doors (fancy!), the building steps listed here won’t work quite right for you.  And unless you’re an experienced carpenter, you would probably want to hire out this job.

Step One: Build the New Cabinet Box

The photo collage below shows the basic process of building the new cabinet box to fill in the desk part of the cabinets.  Again, depending on your set up, the process might be slightly different.  This should give you an idea of how to get started at least!

We started by cutting 2×4 lumber to fit in the front and back of the desk chair gap.  We used the brad nailer to attach that to the sides of the cabinet (attach through the pre-existing cabinets into the new wood).  This is the first photo in the collage (top left).

Then we added two more 2×4 lumber pieces vertically in that space, and shimmed them up to get them level.  We attached them to the horizontal 2×4 pieces with the brad nailer.  This is the second photo in the collage (top right).

Then, we cut a sheet of MDF to fit in that opening and used the brad nailer to attach it to the 2×4 base.  This is photo 3 in the collage (bottom left).

Because we removed a desk drawer from this space, we also had to fill in the gap on the side of the cabinet box, from underneath the old drawer to the new cabinet box base.  To do that, we cut a 1×4 to size and used the brad nailer to attach it to the existing cabinet box.

Then, we covered that piece with a piece of veneer, and we also added a piece of veneer to the front of the MDF panel to make that flush with the existing cabinet box base.  This is photo 4 in the collage (bottom right).

We finished this off with paint-grade shoe trim molding at the base.

Step Two: Measure and Order The Trash System and a Custom Cabinet Door

Once we had the new cabinet box built to fill in the gap meant for the desk chair, it was time to order both the pull-out trash mechanism and a new cabinet door.  

With our dimensions, we were able to use this Rev-A-Shelf double trash can system, which is great because we can put both trash and recycling in the same space.  

If you do this project, you’ll most likely need a custom size cabinet door, because the space meant for the desk chair is likely wider than a standard door.  We ordered a door from Fast Cabinet Doors because they could make a door in the same style as the existing cabinet doors, and it wasn’t that expensive.  

Note that because I was going to paint everything, I did not order an oak door (like the rest of the cabinets), but instead maple.  My husband wanted a wood door, but I like the smooth grain of maple better – it looks better painted than oak does.  Also, maple was cheaper.

Step Three: Install the Pull-Out Trash Mechanism

For this step, we followed the instructions that came with the pull-out trash system.  Since you may order a different one than I did, I won’t go through step-by-step of how to install the in-cabinet trash can system.

Step Four: Install the New Cabinet Door

Again, the specifics of this step depend on what type of trash system you chose.

The system and door we ordered had us screw the door to the front of the trash can system.  In this photo you can see that we didn’t get the placement exactly right . . . a couple of times. Ha!

Since these holes are only visible on the inside of the door, I didn’t bother filling them prior to painting.

Step Five: Paint or Stain Everything

And the last step in your kitchen desk repurposing journey is painting or staining the new door to match the surrounding cabinetry.

Because I did this project as part of my larger oak kitchen cabinet painting project, I painted the new door along with everything else. You can get more details on the kitchen cabinet painting process at that link.

My Repurposed Kitchen Desk Idea Come to Life: Transforming the Desk to Pull-Out Trash

I have to say that I am beyond thrilled with this new use for an old space!  We LOVE our pull-out trash can (how funny is it to love a trash can?!), and you cannot tell from looking at the space that it was not always here! 

This is one of those projects that exceeded my expectations.  It has improved the space dramatically for us, and I am so thankful to have my trash and recycling out of sight now.

Other Kitchen Desk Repurposing Ideas

If you want to convert a kitchen desk but hidden trash isn’t going to work for you, there are lots of other ways to change up the desk area!

If you’re a wine connoisseur, consider installing a wine fridge. You could turn the entire area into a functional beverage bar with minimal effort! Shelves over the countertop are a perfect spot to store wine glasses, wine bottles, and more.

Or maybe you prefer to use the area as a coffee bar. The lower countertop is a perfect spot to set the coffee maker and a cute tray holding things like coasters, mugs, and a sugar bowl. Shirred fabric hanging from a tension rod could conceal the opening for the chair and create a design moment in your kitchen.

Another idea is to install shelves in the gap and fill them with cookbooks, baskets, easy-to-reach snacks for the kids, small appliances (like a stand mixer, Instant Pot, or crock pot), and more! The desk area could easily gain new storage space and function with a decorative twist.

If you prefer to close off the area with doors but can’t find replacement doors to match those already on your cabinets, consider using glass doors.

***

Whatever you decide to do, I hope you find a way to repurpose that kitchen desk into a space you love!

About one year ago my family packed up our beloved home in Illinois and moved to a suburb of Milwaukee, Wisconsin.  We moved here not knowing what insanity 2020 would bring, and we were thrilled to have found a home in time to get our kids into school right after winter break.  

The home is a 1970s style that is completely different from the beautiful 1920s architecture we were used to in Illinois.  It had a lot of brown, a lot of mirrors (so many mirrors! practically every surface was mirrored!), and a lot of carpeting.  But what it lacked in style, it made up for in space and location.  Because of that, we knew it was the house for us, and that with time, we’d turn it into a home that reflects our style.

Although 2020 was an extraordinarily difficult year, one of its blessings was extra time at home, which allowed me to accomplish many more house makeover projects than I would have in a “regular” year.

Because I accomplished so much, I thought it would be fun to do a recap of my 1970s home updates in 2020.  I worked very hard, learned a lot, and am proud of the transformation so far.  Looking back on these changes has me feeling excited for even more projects in 2021!

Limewash Stone Fireplace Makeover

Read about my limewash fireplace makeover!

The first project I tackled was making over our 1970s rock fireplace.  The orange color scheme did not work with my furniture, and I wanted to refresh it.  Using limewash to give the fireplace a facelift was a very inexpensive project, and actually very easy, too!  

Mirrored Built-In Makeover

Read about using peel and stick wallpaper to make over a built-in!

Once the fireplace was complete, I had to tackle the flanking built-ins.  They were oak wood with mirrored backs.  I did not enjoy seeing my reflection all the time. Ha!  Paint and peel and stick wallpaper gave the built-ins a whole new life!

Luxury Vinyl Plank Flooring Installation

Read my review of luxury vinyl plank flooring!

Next up, we replaced the carpeting in the living room area and basement with luxury vinyl plank flooring, which matched the flooring already installed throughout the first floor of the home.  With kids and a dog, this flooring has been amazing, and we’re thankful we were able to get this installed before the world shut down in March.

Powder Room Makeover & Painted Countertop

Read about how I painted a countertop to look like marble!

After a couple of weeks of being stuck in the house in the early spring, I decided to make over the powder room on a whim.  I painted the vanity and baseboards with paint I already had, and then I ordered a paint kit online and painted my countertop!  I was very nervous about this project, but surprisingly it turned out really well!  I am a full advocate of painting a countertop if you’re on a budget.  It’s holding up great and looks really nice.

Built-In China Cabinet Makeover & Dining Room Makeover

Read about how I overhauled the built-in china cabinet and gave my dining room a beautiful makeover!

In the spring, my kids took over our empty dining room as their e-learning classroom.  But they quickly abandoned it for more comfortable locations.  When they moved out, I got to work redoing the built-in oak china cabinet and fixing up the dining room.  It turned out beautifully and is now one of my favorite spots in the house!

Limewash Stone Exterior & New Exterior Paint

Read about how to limewash exterior stone and about our exterior paint job and makeover.

As soon as the Wisconsin weather turned nice, I rented scaffolding and got to work limewashing the large exterior stone column – using the same method and products as I used the limewash the interior fireplace.  Once I finished that, professional painters took over and gave our house new life with a fresh coat of paint in Sherwin-Williams Pewter Green.

Faux Wood Finish on the Front Door

Read about how to paint a door to look like wood.

In what was one of my biggest DIY fails of all time, I tried to paint my front door to look like wood, and it went horribly wrong!  But I persevered and figured out how to get a convincing finish.  Now the front door coordinates with the garage door, and it looks very cohesive.

Kitchen Makeover

Finally, the last part of 2020 has been devoted to making over the kitchen!  It’s taken me months (approximately 3.5 months) because this job had many parts:

• Painting the kitchen backsplash
• Trimming out the soffit to blend it with the cabinets; and
• Painting the oak cabinets all by myself

Seeing this all laid out in the blog post makes me realize how busy I’ve been this year . . . and how much I love painting!  

I’m excited to share my DIY plans for 2021 with you soon, too!  I’ve got a long list going already, and I think they’re going to be so good!

Tell me in the comments what’s on your home update list for 2021?

-Bre

Oak cabinets painted in Benjamin Moore’s Hampshire Taupe were a budget-friendly way to update a dated kitchen.

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.

Save Thousands by Painting Your Cabinets Yourself!

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• Step-by-step instructions
• Complete supply list & product recommendations
• Workflow checklist
• Confidence to do the job right

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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.

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.

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. 

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

• How to Paint a Tile Backsplash
• How to Disguise a Kitchen Soffit
• How to Convert a Kitchen Desk to Pull-Out Trash
• The Easiest DIY Under Cabinet Lighting
• Complete Cabinet Painting Supply List
• How to Paint a Countertop
• DIY Kitchen Makeover Reveal!