DIY How to Paint Your Kitchen Cabinets 

You guys owe me two new arms, shoulders, hands and fingers after this but here is my truthful DIY process of painting outdated cabinets xx.

Thanks for the honesty!!!! I'm in the middle of painting my kitchen cabinets and its a long process! I swear no one else online is sharing how much work it actually is! Thanks for being so open and honest about it.

I painted my cabinets a few years ago, and I can totally relate. It is the most un-fun DIY I've ever done! 2 tips I found are 1. Fill & sand the flat areas if you want to see less wood grain & 2. If you're using a light color, prime with an oil based primer so the orange tannin from the wood doesn't seep through and discolor the paint.

Tip: you don't need to heavy duty sand before striping. We use an "eco friendly" stripper that is sold at any hardware store and only lightly sand before using it. Also a plastic putty knife is good for scrapping and wont damage the cabinets. And a mole skin roller will leave a smoother finish. You did a wonderful job and have such a beautiful attention to detail! P.S. I hate painting cabinets as a painter by trade 😩

Omg hello early squad! Who else has to click on a new Rachel Metz upload and ignore everything else? ✋

"I just got a dog that stares at me every 30 seconds" lol 😆

It's the listening to Crime Junkies while being productive for me.

Thank you for being so truthful about the journey. Seeing all the idyllic transformation videos on youtube, my little sister took on a massive kitchen cabinet reno process all by herself (and then of course her husband helped too) and it took her so long and she was so demoralized at how long it was taking and how much harder it was to complete than she had anticipated. at the end she had to hire someone off of task rabbit to help them get past the finish line. this video and especially your narration is definitely more in line with what she told us her experience was.

This is the most perfect timing! Just bought a house and my first project is to paint the **entire** kitchen.

Helpful tip: when using a paint stripper, it best to keep it wet and not let it dry down like you have. When wet, the stripper glides off the the wood instead of scrapping like crazy. I also know this is hard to do because we have to do this outside and the wind is what dries it out. But if it looks like it’s starting to dry, just spray on a little more trying not to disturber what you already put down:))

I am a lazy af lady so when I updated my kitchen all I did was wash the cabinets and spray-paint them with rust-oleum chalk spray paint. It worked like a charm. I haven't even sealed it with wax and it still looks immaculate after a year. All you have to do is to tape and cover everything beforehand because the spray does fly everywhere. Afterwards you have to open the windows for hours to get rid of the smell but the whole project took me 2 hours and that includes all the prep. (I taped the handles, too, couldn't be bothered to remove and reattach them I am terrible I know, but it came out beautiful)

YOOOOO! I love this full-on talkative Vlog style Rachel! It's better than that stupid slow music everyone throws in nowadays... so awesome! you are an inspiration!

Just really want to say woot woot for the single ladies with only a furbaby that eye stalks you all day! ❤❤

i adore green kitchens so much! i know its a little "trendy" right now, but i really think they'll stand the test of time

My boyfriend and I just painted our entire kitchen. It looks like a completely different space and I’m so excited about it.

I love that this was such a real look at painting kitchen cabinets! I was considering a kitchen cabinet paint-over this year. So many DIY videos and before-after posts made it look so easy, and the final results speak for themselves -- such a transformation!! But then I started calculating the materials, the number of "layers" (sanding, stripping, painting, sealing), and overall volume of work. It wasn't in my wheelhouse this time (we're looking to move in a year), but still something I want to tackle in the future ♥ THANK YOU for being honest!! It is certainly worth the work if you're staying in your space for awhile, but it is a BIG project and needs alot of time and workspace committed to it.

I've watched a lot of diy home reno stuff, and it's always presented as suuuper easy. Honestly I appreciate how real you were about the struggle, especially for me who isn't a DIY-er by nature... In conclusion, I'll be hiring people to do my kitchen cabinets :)

I painted all the builders grade cabinets in my house that look like the ones you redid. I used a standard kitchen spray to clean them and then liquid sander to strip the finish. The paint has held up in the bathroom but is chipping on one heavily used drawer in the kitchen. Your paint will no doubt hold up better the way you did it but I was exhausted after just my few steps I can't imagine having done all those additional steps! The most torturous and tedious project I ever did was peel and stick vinyl tiles. All the reviews were like "i'm 90 years old and I did this in 20 minutes by myself, so easy". It took me 2 days to do a super tiny bathroom,my entire body hurt like it's never hurt before, and I developed carpal tunnel from it which I still have 2 years later. Floors are the one thing I will never attempt again and will just pay someone next time. Thanks for showing the reality of DIY home updates!

Looks great, you are very thorough. When I did my cabinets I didn’t bother with the stripping since I was painting, I just did a light sanding all over and started with an oil based primer. It was stinky but saved me from having to totally strip the old finish which is a ton of work. And it has still held up great. I would only strip if I was planning on staining the wood a different colour.

This is literally the EXACT same countertop and cabinets that I have in my new home and this is exacccctlyyy how I envision painting it. So so glad I found your video and channel. I can’t wait to give this a try!

Mad respect that you’re listening to Crime Junkie, while doing work around the house 🙌🏻

I really appreciated the comment about how you are able to focus on these projects without kids etc getting in the way. I have been beating myself up about all my unfinished or not even started projects but I have a 1.5 year old and I am 5 months pregnant 😴 Just staying awake all day to keep this kid alive feels like more than a full time job

For anyone out there wanting to paint their cabinets, I recommend getting a paint sprayer. It doesn't have to be an expensive one. Trust me, you'll save a little bit of your sanity.

might have to use this video to convince my brother that he should definitely paint his kitchen cabinets because they would look so much better 👀

Loved to see all your colours for this video's, even when you're frustrated and annoyed you're a great camper!!! Great work as always! 😘

*SHOUT OUT TO WOOD BRAIN* You have a really solid BESTIE. I love my best friend to tears but her helping hand has been in a slang for years. It’s a rare occasion when she lends out some assistance lol

Omg, the before looks like my kitchen cabinets. I've been trying to decide on a color to paint them for a long time lol.

That recommended search "what is actually going on in rachel metz's brain" is SENDING me lmfao

I appreciate that you've shared the struggle and the nitty gritty details. Thanks for keeping it real!

I have a request! I can tell there is so much frustration you experience while making these videos that we don’t see. Can we have a compilation of you just swearing and getting pissed off? That would be EPIC ha!

a new backsplash would change everything! i love the green!

Love your dedication to doing things correctly. Can't wait for part 3. This whole house is looking so good. Still obsessing over your room

It is ok to say your goals? You are what I inspire to be. I love your videos so much

FINALLY yes, yes, yes to all of this!!!! Love the ideas of the shelving as well. Quick questions: what is the paint finish for cabinets and do you recommend using a roller or a sprayer when painting for an even application? Can't wait for more vids!!!!!!!!!!

Definitely convinced about paying someone to do this. 😂😂

Redid my entire kitchen, but sanded them down to completely clean bare wood. I started with the orange stripper, but left it on about an hour before scraping. But you right, having the right scrapers and tools makes a difference. I will offer this suggestion on the nooks and crannies of cabinets though; my cabinets were similar on the beveled inserts, after using the stripper first, and using a small chisel to scrape the nooks and crannies out, I used sheets of fine grit 3M (yes, brand matters here on this....) sandpaper. Cut the paper down to the width of your block, Wrap your sanding block with the angled edge, in that sandpaper, and just get to work - back and forth. Using that great angled pointed edge to really get into the edges. It usually only took me a few minutes on each side to quickly get the wood down to bare nothing and a beautiful smooth finish. I also used a square vibrating sander with the same sandpaper to do the long pieces of that beveled edge. It’s a lot more effective than a orbital sander in many many cases. I actually only just now bought the orbital. But I find that the square one works better for wood projects - going with the grain of the wood I imagine is why. But it makes redoing cabinets a breeze. But YES, definitely double or even triple your time on any project. Quadruple times 6 if you have kiddos in the mix in your life 😂 Love everything you do girl! You have been a huge inspiration in this single mom getting her house to be her own! 😘

One of the main things I have learned through your empowering me to get my tasks done is that the biggest tool for DIY projects is patience!!! I want to get everything done in one day and in a few hours and I often get frustrated when it doesn’t happen that fast/things don’t turn out as they should because I was rushing. It’s ok to break things down over a few days!!!

Painted cabinets in my first house. Second house had a contractor spray them. It's sooooo much work and the prep is the most important. I feel for you Rachel. Can't wait to see the next step.❤️

I can’t even tell you how much I needed this. We need to re-do some cabinets and have been stalling on it because we don’t know how to do it flawlessly. Thank you so much!🙏

I love your channel. It's so inspiring. I've taken down kitchen cabinets in my apartment because of you and now looking at your video to figure how to re-furbish! Thanks for going into detail. 😃

I manifested you this morning! I was literally thinking about when you were going to upload next!!

23:00 girl same. I painted my room as a covid reno last year. I’ve never painted a room before. I watched videos, and they’re like “just do steps 1-5 and voila”. I didn’t realize how hard it was until I finished just one wall. I wanted to give up 😂 I can’t even begin to imagine how hard re-painting cabinets is. Your hard work PAID OFF. The cabinets look amazing and the colour is divine

This is so perfect. I literally started my cabinets last night! With my 2 and 8 year old hahaha. Thank you for this!!! I feel your pain 😭

This is a perfectly timed video, because I wanted to start working on painting my kitchen cabinets and here I was thinking I could get it done in one weekend 🤣 Nice reality check. I'll probably break up the steps over the course of 2 to 3 weekends. Easier for me to break down and maybe good for my physical and mental well being haha I always appreciate the realness and tips to make it that much easier for everyone. You're da bomb!

I had fun redoing my parents kitchen and painting everything. But I did it with my dad. Two people is so important! We sanded and wiped away the dust but that was it for prep. It’s lasted besides where the dogs have chewed. You gotta have those little felt things though

Absolute in love with your realness, thanks for sharing your work and continue to inspire us!! 💕

OMG, I love those cabinets 😍 that colour is perfect. And that electrical outlet behind the cabinet can be used with the shelves maybe? A sturdy & deep enough shelf to hold frequently used appliances and having them plugged in and ready to go would be an amazing way to save some counterspace!

You are so right! This type of project is killer on your body. It caused my carpel tunnel to act up again from all the sanding and such. I would wake up in the middle of the night with my hands and fingers in crying pain. Your videos keep it so real about the true struggles, unlike others. Thank you!

First 👏🙌 love all your projects, you’re such an inspiration to watch! I always use oil based Kilz spray paint. (Huge secret tip) It totally smooths the surface and the paint sticks sooo good to it. Also the 3 pack of Blue Hawk polyester “craft paint brushes” at Lowe’s is a serious game changer for painting cabinets. And it’s like $7. I feel like they lay paint smoother than any foam roller or high dollar bristle brush. And covers so well! Plus the small brush fits perfect into cabinet inlays and groves. And when I do big cabinet projects now, I label the door with a piece of tape and number it. Then I label the hinge with the door number it’s from and include a “top” or “bottom”. Can’t tell you how many times in the past I’ll changed out hinges trying to line cabinet doors back up! 🤣 May those shoulders ease up soon! 💪🏼

You are a badass. I stripped a table and it was a major pain! Thanks for sharing your struggles, it always makes me feel like I’m not alone in my frustrations. 🖤 The cabinets look gorgeous!

Yes! This is exactly what I needed 🙌🏽 just bought my first house and the kitchen needs a bit of a diy upgrade before I have the money to fully renovate.

You've communicated perfectly how hard a reno can be, especially kitchen cabinets. I don't think anyone can truly understand unless they've gone through it, and I'm glad you don't sugarcoat the process. Its kind of like going through labor. At the end you see the result, and the rest fades away!

You have inspired me so much!!❤❤ I'm almost finished my kitchen cabinets, and I had alot less space to cover so I cant imagine the struggle! I just have to clean the hardware and fill old holes and re drill new ones for some new hardware! Super excited!😁

I'm in love with the green! It's a MOOD!

I love the green! And love all of your content! My $0.02: I would highly suggest using a primer. The wood stain can bleed through eventually if you don't. It also helps the paint adhere which is super important for high traffic areas. For those that don't like the grain showing, you would also have the opportunity to sand the primer between coats which helps give a really smooth finish.

I love that you didn't use a wood filler. I've seen so many people doing that and it just stresses me out. Sooo much more work. The grain actually looks fine on the cabinets.

Crazy how the vibe of the kitchen completely changed after painting the cabinets! Amazing job, and now rest those arms of yours!

not only do i enjoy watching the process of DiY that Rachel does, but it definitely teaches me for later on when i get a house

You’re adorable. I’m here working up the nerve to start my kitchen remodel on a budget. Thank you for this video. ✨🙏✨

As always- your real, down to earth, honest and always provide invaluable advice and budget friendly tips too. I love you and your channel 🙌🏻 I’m a single mum with chronic pain and I thought I was rubbish because I couldn’t complete my kitchen makeover in a few days 😂🙈🙄 then I saw this- thankyou 🙏🏻💖

Great job! Thank you for demonstrating the real deal stress and frustration of DIY. People forget to show the mess, and the ups and downs due to editing abilities so thank you and it turned out beautiful.

Girl, it took me 2 months to paint my kitchen cabinets, so much prep. Your timeframe is quite impressive!

Yes, help is a must. I’m able to do this. I hire somebody to sand it for me , lol. Love the show as always

Question, why did you have to sand/strip the doors, but not the cabinet (boxes/body) themselves? Or did you, and I just missed it? Just wondering because I am very curious about painting my own cabinets.

Great paint job - that color looks about 1000 times better with the granite. The long view including the extension is impressive. Can't wait to see the finished product!

Also best to use a primer before painting so the paint bonds. Looks great. I'm somehow digging this green colour.

Another brillant video -- and another super lesson to show The Power of Paint!! The kitchen looks amazing -- can't wait to see and hear about the final touches!! Thanks for all of your hard work - I do love each and every video!! Love and cuddles to the cutest dog ever too! Cheers!

You gained new subscriber when you said "I ain't got no kids. I ain't got no man; just a dog that stares at me every 30 seconds; so I got time." LOL #sameboat

Great job! There's no 'right' way to do this - it's a challenge however you go about it. I have been painting kitchens for years - new products come out all the time, some are a godsend and some are incompatible with others. I still use a brush 90% of the time on panelled or Shaker type doors. That Wooster Pelican paint scuttle is a brilliant bit of kit though, with the magnet by the handle - as long as your brushes have a steel ferrule! So handy to get a lot of paint on quickly, but again, I always lay the paint off with a brush. I have found that I can allow 2 hours per door in total, so a kitchen with 40 doors will take 2 weeks to paint. Thin white cotton/elastic painters gloves are brilliant. As long as the hinges are quick-release types, I always remove and replace each door after painting around the hinges/back edge and paint them in situ. Degrease first. Don't be sanding grease into the existing finish. Zinsser Universal is the best product I have found. Try to avoid getting wood too wet. A damp microfiber cloth with the zinsser used sparingly does the job. Wear a respirator. Key the surfaces with 120 grit. Vacuum every surface with a brush attachment. Prime/Undercoat with Zinsser Bullseye unless it's melamine in which case use Zinsser B.I.N. Tint this for dark top coats. If the top coat manufacturer recommends their own adhesion primer, use that. Lightly sand between coats with 400 grit, feeling for nibs with the palm of your hand Apply 2 coats of top coat, again sanding very lightly where necessary to remove nibs/dust. Key to a fantastic finish is to lay the paint off in the direction of the grain with every brush stroke on every coat. This means having a repetitive order to painting every element of every panel such that you never have to think "Which bit am I doing next?" Ignore this if it doesn't work for you!

This is gorgeous, I’m obsessed with the colour 😍😍 can’t wait for the floors to be done 🥰

I love your honesty in all your videos!! Some videos make it look too easy and then I feel so defeated when it’s hard for me. You make me feel like I’m not alone

Stripping them is great if you're going to restain them but if you paint then just set a deglosser, prime and paint and use a sprayer! Makes it so much easier!

haha I bet you've got more strength in your pinky finger than I do in my whole arm, considering the amount of hard work you do.

Oh I actually like the contrast of having the different hardware on the cabinets. I personally would leave it as is with the pulls on one side and the knobs on the other. Looks good to me especially with the kitchen layout 24:13

I love your transparency! Keep doing what you're doing because you inspire many of us!!!!!

We purchased a mobile home as our summer home in the mountains and all we did was prime the oak cabinets and then paint 2 coats (in a few places 3 coats) of satin white. If a person is not going to stay in a home a long time or it is a second home like we have, I think getting it done with fewer steps is the way to go. What we found very important is to let the paint fully cure, especially if you are painting when it is raining outside or if it is humid. Once it's fully cured, it tends to be durable.

In the middle of doing my kitchen (just changed the rotten subfloor) when I came across your channel. Inspired me to fire back up and finish. But no way I am doing all these steps. Some short cuts and budgeting is doable. You're right about the shoulders. I swap arms every few mins. Like yourself, it is much faster in a team but we're in lockdown, and one person (man in my case) and some great audios make it a great job; and this kitchen hasn't been changed in 25 years at least 🤦🏽 Next job, rest of kitchen, dining room, bathroom, bedroom, motorbike, car... The list never ends! Great work you are doing, better than professional finish. I do think it is worth taking short cuts sometimes, else the job becomes a mission. Kind regards. R.A. London, U.K.

Beautiful transformation!!!

I love this green colour in this diy kitchen cabinet...i am thinking to paint my kitchen this colour in my cabinet...i love this video..so nice

My partner and I are moving next summer, we've seen the place and I want my first big project to be repainting the kitchen Cabinets so this was very helpful and insightful! Now I know what I'm getting myself into and to be kind to myself and have a buddy!!

My whole body hurts just seeing this video. Rachel, you are something girl 💪🏻

I came to your page 2 weeks ago looking for this exact video so I could do our cabinets, bc of course, no one else does diys like Rachel Metz🙌🏽 Well we went ahead and did the cabinets anyways and they’re lookin pretty rough😅 Thank you so much for taking the time to finally do this, I now know what absolute pain it is to paint your kitchen cabinets! Just know we appreciate you🤗❤️

You are so much fun to watch, your videos are natural, cool and not to mention your work....oh yeah and those eyes..... omg! Thanks I did learn a lot (thumbs up!!!)

I honestly thought it was going to be a black and natural tone kitchen, based on the rest of the space. However, I can see the green being earthy and fitting the feel of the home.

Ok. I’m actually relieved I’m not the only one that gets so sore from DIY that I need a break day or also can’t even use my hands 😅

LOVED this DIY and how real you kept it the whole time. You worked your ass off and it shows!❤️

I just opted my field in this profession by getting Impressed by you❤️

I love your videos so much. I watch all the way through from beginning to end every time. It’s so cool to me. Lol This is my adult life 😂 it’s the simple pleasures 😅

Wow!!!! You went the extra mile le and did an awesome job, they are beautiful.

When I did my cabinets, I did it with my sister in 4 days. But they were from like 8 am to midnight and my kitchen is slightly smaller than that. I had her do all the sanding and I did tsp and painting. We sanded, sprayed tsp with a spray bottle, wiped it down with a wet rag, sanded again, sprayed tsp, wet rag, and then two layers of paint. We also did both sides, not just the front. It was so worth it but oh my god I know what arm pain you're talking about. I did label mine at first but then they ended up mostly falling off and I threw them all away and I didnt realize how I didn't in fact know where the doors go in my kitchen hahahaha. I really enjoyed seeing your process! I hope you had time to relax after everything.

Lots of work. Thanks for doing this video. I got some good ideas

Awesome job, girl! I replaced my cabinets with Ikea kitchen bases (the boxes and inner parts) and bought custom unfinished fronts (several companies make doors fit for ikea). Spray painted all of it using a HVLP sprayer. So much easier if you have a place you can spray while being ventilated. Still tons of work. But it was worth it. Paint makes such a big impact.

Loved the video Hun. Sorry you were sore during the process but the finished product was Fab. Glad the Bestie came thru. I can not wait until part III

Love! And there I am all chuffed because I tightened a screw on a loose hinge lol. 🙋😂

Man I looooove you!!! Best channel, thank you Reno Rachel xo

I'm in the midst of this process right now in an apartment reno for our new tenants... and it is SO refreshing hearing how fed up you got with the whole process as well. I thought I was just being a little nincompoop myself, but DAMN this is exhausting. Light at the end of the tunnel though! (Let me know if you found good replacement appendages because all of mine are busted and / or falling off too lol)

Omg! I have loved you since for ever, but to know that ur a fellow crime junkie just made me love you even more!!! Ur such a badass and such an inspiration. Love from Aruba!

Sending to my bonus sister as she wants those blondie wood cabinets gone from her kitchen, which is wild as I've worked along with my dark mahogany cabinets and blue painted walls. Blessings into the new year luvvy.

I must have missed something but did you do any of the tsp or sanding on the other parts of the cabinets that were in the house? Should everything other than the cabinet fronts have the same treatments, or should I sand or what do you suggest? Thanks for your time. I think I get how you feel. I always do the hard tedious work and people think I’m kind of crazy and too much, but I know it makes it better. sometimes it’s just too much even for me and I realize I could have done it so differently and I get embarrassed after the fact, but I guess it’s how I learn.

Rachel is just so lovely. Great work on the cabinets. I hope I love my blue cabinets forever and never have to update 😂