If you want a quick, budget-friendly kitchen refresh, then painting gloss kitchen cabinets and doors is one way to make it happen. You can stick with a gloss finish, or go for a complete transformation and try a matt or satin finish.
Whatever finish you choose, the key to painting kitchen cabinets success is getting your preparation right. Don’t try to skip the preparation process. The more time you spend at the start, the better your finish will be. In this guide, the pros reveal how to prep your cabinets, what paint to use and how to apply it to get a durable, long-lasting refresh.
Steve Larkin is the co-founder and CEO of Kitchen Door Hub with years of experience in kitchen design, carpentry and fitting. Kitchen Door Hub are passionate about helping homeowners craft their dream spaces and are with them for every step of their renovation journey.
Is painting gloss kitchen cabinets a good idea?
Yes, but you need to prep correctly and choose the right paint. Poor preparation will lead to a poorer finish. While your doors, drawers and cabinets will initially look good, they won’t have the same durability as well-prepped surfaces.
Steve Larkin, Kitchen expert and CEO of Kitchen Door Hub, says, “When painting gloss kitchen cabinets, you should always use primer as part of the preparation process before painting the cabinets.” He adds, “Using primer will ensure that the new paint adheres to the cabinets effectively, and that the result will last longer.”
Rust-Oleum Matt Kitchen Cupboard paint from B&Q, Zinsser AllCoat and Frenchic AlFresco from Amazon are good choices for contemporary, long-lasting finishes.
These will be sufficient for a smart finish, but you may want to add a top coat. Larkin shares why it might be used: “A top coat is not necessary if you use a high-quality, durable paint, but it can still be added for extra longevity on cabinets that are used more often or if you want to achieve a specific finish."
The tools you’ll need to paint gloss kitchen cabinets
To take you through to the end of your project, make sure you have the following kit readily available before you start painting your gloss kitchen cabinets:
- Sugar soap
- Rubber gloves
- Kitchen scourer
- Fine-grit sandpaper
- Paintbrush
- Mini roller (4 inch)
- Paint
Try these to help paint kitchen cabinet doors
A non-toxic and biodegradable sugar soap. Simple dilute in water to get the strength you want or need.
A set of five trade quality paintbrushes with fine tips for a smooth finish and minimal brush marks.
A starter set that includes a mini roller tray, a quality roller frame and two short pile covers with tapered edges for reduced lines.
What type of roller should I use?
The pile on rollers typically comes in a variety of lengths – short, medium and long and it is made from polyester. If you are looking for a relatively smooth texture, the short-pile option is best. A medium pile adds a little more texture to a paint job.
But, for the smoothest finish, invest in a set of foam rollers. Use one for the primer and another for the top coat. But to start, Michael Rolland, managing director at The Paint Shed recommends a brush. “When painting gloss kitchen cabinets, start with a high-quality brush, we recommend a high-quality brand such as Arroworthy.” Try this Arroworthy Classic Paint Brush Set from Amazon.
He adds, “Use this to paint around any intricate sections or panels of your door, then, once the intricate details have been painted, move on to using a 4-inch roller.”
Michael Rolland is a painting expert and Managing Director of The Paint Shed. Michael has years of experience within the painting industry, using this expertise to influence his own DIY projects using the best possible tools and materials.
The steps to follow for painting gloss kitchen cabinets
When painting gloss kitchen cabinets it's essential you get it right. Here we tell you how to prep and paint.
1. Remove kitchen doors
To get the best finish on kitchen doors you need to take them off their hinges so you can lay them flat to paint. Remove any door furniture such as door handles or drawer knobs to give an easy to paint area.
2. Wash and clean kitchen doors
Before you start painting, you need to prepare the surface of any cabinets and doors you are going to paint. The first step is to give all areas a good clean with sugar soap.
Fill a bucket with warm water and add sugar soap as instructed. Wear rubber gloves to protect your hands.
Scrub down all areas with a kitchen scourer and then go over with a clean damp cloth (just use clean warm water) to get rid of dirt and residue and leave to dry.
3. Sand and fill
If your cabinets, doors or drawers have any small cracks or holes you will need to fill them with a good all-purpose filler. Once dry, sand down to get rid of the gloss shine and provide better adhesion for the paint.
Michael Rolland says, “Give them a light sanding with 220 or 400 grit sandpaper, depending on the finish of your cabinets. For cabinets with an open-grained finish such as oak, you should use a heavier grit sandpaper.”
A fine 180-220 grit sandpaper is a good choice for this to create a smooth surface. Use a dry paint brush to get rid of dust from the sanding process.
4. Add a primer
"After sanding, remove the cupboards/doors, lay them flat and brush on a primer coat," says Michael Rollands. “When they are dry, flip the cupboards/doors over to prime the other side. Once the primer is completely dry, give the cupboards/doors a light sanding to smooth out brush strokes."
A coat of primer such as Zinsser B-I-N Primer Sealer is a good choice. Self-priming paints work well, but using a specialist primer helps create a longer lasting finish.
5. Paint top coat
Place doors (back side down) on three or four same sized blocks – with dust sheets underneath. Make sure the door is steady before painting. Drawers can be stood on their ends to paint.
If you have recesses or ornamental trim that a roller won't fit into, paint these first.
Now use a mini roller to do three edges on doors and drawers. Leave the edge nearest to you until last to avoid accidentally touching it. Then paint the front starting in the top right corner and work downwards and across.
Use even strokes in a ‘V’ or ‘W’ pattern. Finally go over the paint with a light touch to get rid of any ridges.
If painting cabinets, start at the back, move forwards and finish up by painting the edges.
To get the best finish Michael Rolland says to, “repeat the sanding process between coats and use a finer sandpaper the second time. Then vacuum and wipe your cabinets with a tack cloth to clean away any debris.”
FAQ
Should I spray paint gloss kitchen cabinets?
If you are looking for a factory-style finish, then spray painting kitchen cabinets is your best option. However, Steve Larkin points out, “You can spray paint gloss kitchen cabinets, but this will involve more work than painting matt or wooden cabinets as the cabinet surface needs to be prepared correctly.” He adds, “You can do this yourself.”
As already mentioned, there is a lot of work involved in spray painting on a DIY basis. The alternative is to pay a professional to do the job. “If having your kitchen cabinets spray-painted by professionals, this can cost an average of between £800 and £1,600,” says Larkins.
He adds, “This cost will depend on the type of cabinet, for example, integrated appliance cabinets will usually cost more, and the number of cabinets that are going to be sprayed.”
There may be additional costs, continues Larkins, “Some professionals may remove your cabinet doors and take them away to be painted at their site, which can also result in additional costs.” He adds, “Other factors that will affect the price of having cabinets professionally sprayed include the complexity of the cabinet design, the number of colours chosen, the quality of paint and the amount of prep work required.”
If you choose to do it yourself, you will need to buy or hire a decent spray gun and have a large, well-ventilated, dust-free, and covered area – i.e., a garage- to do the job.
The best paint sprayers are a heavy investment, but if you're planning to spray paint large areas of your home (for instance, you're decorating a newly built or renovated property), then it can be worth purchasing one.
If you're painting kitchen cabinets, it's the perfect time to transform the rest of the kitchen. Check out our painted kitchen ideas, painted kitchen cabinet ideas and kitchen wall colour ideas for even more inspiration.
