How Our Painted Kitchen Cabinets Are Holding Up {Two Years Later}

Nearly two years ago, as part of our kitchen makeover, I painted our kitchen cabinets. Our home was built in the 90s, and had the typical orange oak cabinets that come with homes built in that era. I get lots of questions about painting my kitchen cabinets, and I’d like to answer some of the most-asked questions and share with you how our painted kitchen cabinets are holding up two years after being painted.

How Our Painted Kitchen Cabinets Are Holding Up & The Most Asked Questions About Painting Kitchen Cabinets

Why did we decide to paint our cabinets?

I made the decision to paint our kitchen cabinets for a couple of reasons:  1) As I mentioned above, our cabinets were originally an orange-toned color. You can see the “before” shots here.  This was simply not a color I could look at every day. They were very dated and, in my opinion, very unattractive. IF my cabinets were a wood tone that was less offensive, I may have considered leaving them or working with them. 2)  Brand new cabinets were simply not in the budget. We never even really considered getting new cabinets. We knew that our kitchen makeover would have to be budget-friendly, so painting them was really the only option.

What kind of paint did you use?

I used two kinds of paint. For the island I primed with Zinsser Primer, and used Benjamin Moore’s ADVANCE Interior Paint – Semi -Gloss in the color, “Fieldstone.”  This is an excellent paint that is low VOC.  In hindsight, I wish I would have just used this type of paint for the whole kitchen, as it has been very durable.

For the surrounding cabinets I primed with Zinsser Primer, and used Benjamin Moore’s Satin Impervo Alkoyd Low Lustere Enamel – High-Gloss in the color “White Dove”  I chose this type of paint because it is what had been used throughout the entire house on all of the doors and trim. I wanted the cabinets to match the doors and trim, so I just stuck with what our painter used. What I love about this paint is that it is very durable. What I don’t love about this paint is that it is a oil-based paint with lots of fumes, and it slightly discolors over time.

How long did it take to paint all of the cabinets?

It took me a long time, but I think I could have cut the time down a lot if I had just chosen to tackle this project at a different time of year. 😉  I began painting the cabinets in January, and set up shop in the basement. I divided the cabinets into five sections and would completely finish one section (remove doors, sand, prime, and paint cabinets and doors) before beginning all over again on the next section. (see photo below). The paint that I chose to use on the cabinets would take 24 hours of dry time in between coats, so it took a long time. It took me about five weeks to finish because I would tackle one section each weekend for five weeks.

It took a long time, but I wasn’t willing to wait until summer to paint the cabinets, and I was working full-time during the week. It was just the process that worked best for me at the time. When it comes time to do it again, I will do it in the summer and I will probably take on all the cabinets at the same time.

How is the paint holding up?

Two years later I have really no regrets about painting our cabinets. They still look great overall, but there are a few places that are beginning to show wear and tear. The spot that bugs me the most is the cabinet and door under the sink. It houses our trash can, and is by far the most touched and used cabinet in the kitchen. Touch-ups are not so easy because, as I mentioned above I used an oil-based paint on the surrounding cabinets that slightly discolors over time. It’s a bit of a dilemma, so for now I’m just ignoring it. If I were to do it again, I would have used the same type of paint that I used for the island, Benjamin Moore’s ADVANCE Interior Paint. It does not discolor over time, making touch-ups much easier.

So, just to sum things up:  I’m glad we painted our kitchen cabinets. It was the only logical thing to do considering the fact that they were an unsightly orange color before, and getting new cabinets was a no-go. If, I were to do it all over again, I would have used Benjamin Moore’s ADVANCE Interior Paint on all of my cabinets instead of just the island. Touch-ups would be much easier if I would have just stuck with that paint.

If you find this post useful, be sure to pin it for later! 🙂

…and just so you know, this post was not sponsored in any way. It’s just my own two-cents on painting my kitchen cabinets!

Kitchen Sources:

*affiliate links used

Paint color on cabinets and trim:  White Dove by Benjamin Moore (OC-17)

Paint on color on island: Fieldstone by Benjamin Moore (1558)

Paint color on walls:  Vapor Trails by Benjamin Moore (1556)

Quartz counter tops on island and perimeter:  Snowy Ibiza by Silestone (purchased at Home Depot)

Back splash tile:  “Imperial Ice Grey” in a gloss finish (4″x8″) (purchased at The Tile Shop)

Back splash grout: Pro Grout Excel in “Standard White” (purchased at The Tile Shop)

Hardware: Hickory Hardware pulls and knobs (purchased at Menard’s)

Lighting above island: Patriot Lighting® Judd 13″ Olde Bronze 1-Light Mini Pendant  (purchased at Menard’s)

 Deck Mounted Kitchen Faucet: Wayfair.com

Kitchen stools:  Wayfair.com

Tiered tray on island:  Wayfair.com (sold out); similar products here and here

Blue and white dishes:  Wayfair.com (sold out); similar here and here

Wood cutting boards: Wayfair.com

Antique wire baskets: Local Antique Stores

Sign above kitchen sink:  DIY tutorial here

~

Have a great day!