If you want to learn how to paint kitchen cabinets like an expert, here are some tips and tricks to help you out. Experts on acrylic paints such as Bobby Berk have provided us with their simple instructions.

STEP 1: CONSIDER COST AND TIME

Yes, tackling kitchen cabinet painting can be a tedious project. But doing it yourself can save as much as $6,000; whereas hiring a professional paint job could cost up to $200 per square foot. For example, expect a typical project for the kitchen to take about six to seven days and you may have time for one night out.

“Anyone could do it,” says Renae Brabham, one half of the husband-wife duo behind Brabhams Cabinet Painting in Charleston, South Carolina. Together they’ve completed more than 500 kitchen cabinet jobs. “However, if you try to cut corners, then you'll need to bring in professional painters. We've gotten so many of those calls and it almost always boils down to someone getting impatient or using cheap products," Brabham says. In other words, doing something yourself should be done right the first time. Let's talk specifics now

STEP 2: DIAGNOSE YOUR FURNITURE

Rule number one: Look at the condition of your cabinets before painting them or you might end up buying new ones once the paint is gone. "Applying water-based paints to unfinished wooden door and drawer fronts can result in an inferior surface finish," says Berk.

Choosing a material for your cabinet is important. Wood, laminate, veneer, metal, and even plastic can all be painted without issue. The paint will adhere to most materials with ease. If you have any questions about the paint or if it's not available in your area, test a small area of the surface you plan on painting before making large purchases.

STEP 3: PREP THE SPACE

The best paint job is one that's easy to prepare for. Get rid of your cabinets, dust the countertops and floor and place tarps over all surfaces. Covering your surfaces with brown builder paper or plastic prevents particles from settling into your paint job.

Brabham suggests setting up a designated area, such as a garage or basement, to lay out the plastic, prepare the doors of your cabinet, and have them installed on the sawhorses. There, you will also have all the supplies for your paint station.

When painting, be conscious of the paint fumes and keep windows open, use fans, and continue ventilating the room for three days after. Make breaks to avoid the paint getting in your system and not remembering how to stop covering things.

STEP 4: REMOVE THE DOORS AND HARDWARE

It can be a major time suck. But it’s necessary to access all surfaces of the cabinet. Even if you want a clean, simple look, make sure you remove the doors and hinges before this step. Start at one end of your kitchen clockwise or counterclockwise, unscrewing the hinges and doors using a drill or screwdriver. Also be careful, painting just the door fronts is not recommended.

"Take each door off the hinges, number them as you remove them, else it will be a mess because not all doors are created equal," Brabham advises. "Otherwise, write the number on the panel where it was removed, and tape over it to avoid painting." To save time, she also suggests keeping hardware in a labeled bag or finding out where each door came from and putting that specific door back on its original hanger.

Apply liquid sandpaper

The industry has evolved beyond traditional tools of the trade, such as soap and scrub brushes, to now use M-1 Paint Gloss Remover. This product removes all the stains and leaves a smooth finish without sanding through the finish on your cabinet doors.

You should never clean the kitchen cabinets with a cleaning product containing TSP or silicone. "Cleaning solutions can cause DIY horror stories," says Brabham. If you use a TSP-based cleaning solution or a silicone-based cleaner, you might see what looks like bubbly paint when it dries on the cabinets, and you'll have to sand down and re-paint it for it to look decent again.

STEP 6: CHOOSE YOUR PAINT AND APPLICATION TOOLS

Now that you are addicted to Pinterest kitchen paint ideas, you're running out of space for apps on your phone. It's time to figure out how to paint your room and what type of paint to choose. While we can't tell you which color to pick (green is Berk's new obsession), a word on the type of paint might help with the decision process.

For either latex or oil-based paint, both provide a beautiful finish. Latex paint has improved in recent years, which is why many professionals have entirely given up on oil-based paints. “We used oil the first two year we were in business and quickly nixed it because the latex products they have these days are head above what they used to be,” Brabham says. Latex paints dry faster and are easier to clean up (requiring just water and dish soap), while they’re more forgiving than oil-based paints in terms of paint application. However, they can be more susceptible to stains, as well as taking three weeks to fully cure.

Oil-based paint tends to go on smoother, be more expensive, and hide imperfections better in cabinets. "I prefer an oil-based paint for a cabinet that will get a lot of use, as it tends to hold up better over time," Berk says.

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First, prepare a sprayer for the paint and primer to be used later in the process. Begin with the backs of each door, lining them up on two-by-fours. Let those dry, then flip them over, and wet the other side for better coverage. "Once you start to paint your cabinet, you’re going to feel like you've failed," Brabham cautions. "Do not worry if it looks awful when you first begin." With each new layer, the finish will gradually appear more vibrant and smooth

After the primer has dried, you must paint multiple thin layers in order to build up the surface.

Set up your brush and roller so that you can pour paint on the surface. Then apply it to the outside area of the frame without making the inside too dark. Next, use a foam mini roller to smooth the excess paint and eliminate unavoidable bubbles. Using too many brush strokes could create bumps in the surface that dry into small crevices. The same process will be used for painting your cabinet base as well.

Take a break before the final step

Now you are done! All that's left to do is reattach the front of the drawers and doors to the hinges with an appropriate screwdriver and place them back in place.

A fashionable hardware update will add some much needed originality to your kitchen. Gold is great for lighter tones while matte bronze and polished nickel are perfect for darker tones. Adding in catchy accessories makes the kitchen trendy and stylish.

How to Paint Kitchen Cabinets Like a Pro

Virtual reality kitchen experience, here are some quick tips and tricks to make your kitchen cabinets look like you have been mastering paint since the 1970s.

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As always, we're not trying to sugarcoat it: tackling a paint job on your kitchen cabinet is not something you can finish by noon on a Saturday. But paying attention to the project and doing it yourself will save you money in the end. A professional paint job costs between $6,000 and $7,000 for an average kitchen--whereas doing it yourself would only cost around $200 for supplies and paint and six to seven days of work. As for how long the kitchen takes, expect around 7 days from start to finish.

“If you want it to have staying power and last, then do it right the first time,” says Renae Brabham of Brabhams Cabinet Painting in Charleston. “We’ve received hundreds of calls from people who made shortcuts and we almost always end up with a situation where someone gets impatient or uses poor products.” Make sure you do it right the first time by using good quality materials.

How to prevent cabinet waste

"Understand how to fix a poorly painted door," Berk says, "and you can repaint it easily." Plywood is a quick and easy fix for most small chips and cracks. But if the veneer or woodwork is warped, new unfinished doors from a lumber company might be better suited.

Wood, wood laminate, veneer, fiberboard, metal cabinets can be painted without difficulty. Plastic laminate and thermofoil cabinets might require special paints. If in doubt, test a sample of paint in an inconspicuous area or bring the door into a store for inspection.

STEP 3: PREP THE SPACE

You can pre-prepare your work space by emptying cabinets, clearing countertops, and moving furniture that's in the way. Covering a small area in your kitchen with plastic or brown paper will help protect your paint job from dust and prevent particles such as pollen from settling on wet paint.

Brabhams recommends having a space outside of the kitchen—such as a garage or basement room—where you can have good ventilation and even a few fans. You will need three to four sawhorses with two-by-fours put on top of them for support when laying down plastic and setting up to hold cabinet doors. You can also set up an area for paint, paint that is already prepared, rolls and brushes, buckets, and sandpaper.

When painting a larger area, precautions should be taken to prevent exposure. Open windows and doors, use fans to keep the air moving, and continue to ventilating for at least three days after painting. Take breaks while painting as well.

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Removing the doors from floating cabinets helps you access their surfaces, saving hours of tedious work. However, this step can really add up and makes it harder to be efficient. If you’re only painting the door fronts, you don't need to remove the sides.

“Number the doors as you take them off,” recommends Brabham. “Otherwise, it will be a big mess because not all doors are equal.” She suggests writing the number in the hole where the hardware was, and covering it up with a piece of tape to avoid accidentally painting over it. To avoid losing the hardware for each door, she puts it on their shelf or places each part in a bag that is labeled with the corresponding cabinet number cabinet accessories.

{blog_title} STEP 5: APPLY LIQUID SANDPAPER

Cabinets have advanced beyond the hacks of scrubbing and sandpaper. And home technology has evolved to improve our work. There is a product called M-1 Paint Gloss Remover that cleans and deglosses the surface with liquid sanding—no sawdust included. M-1 gloss remover is “without exaggeration, a miracle product” according to Brabham. To use, just wipe it on doors without any effort at all.

No, your mom didn't tell you this. Try to avoid cleaning with most toxic products such as TSP and silicone-based ones. If you use them, then you'll be left with the bubbly paint effect on your cabinets which looks rediculously bad - you need sand it topically or get a professional to fix it for you.

STEP 6: 3 CASE STUDIES FOR TAX SPOTS

You may have gotten in the habit of replacing old items in your home with new, but now you are faced with the challenge of figuring out what color to paint your kitchen. While you don't know what to do (Berk says green kitchen cabinets are his new obsession), a brief description about paint types might help in making this decision.