Painted White Cabinets (Before and After Reveal Photos)

Check out my painted white cabinets (before and after photos) to see how this DIY project transformed my entire kitchen on a budget.

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Painting our kitchen cabinets was the best DIY decision we have made.  It completely transformed our dated oak cabinets to give them a fresh new look that is as durable as it is beautiful.

Is it worth painting kitchen cabinets white?

Since the kitchen is the most important room in the home, no other DIY project makes such a big impact on your home, as a whole, than adding a fresh coat of paint on your cabinet.

I painted our own cabinets 2 and a half years ago, and it made a huge difference in the feel of our kitchen.   It was a lot of work but I was also taking photos and videos throughout the process for my full tutorial on cabinet painting. 

White kitchen cabinets reflect so much more natural light than darker cabinets. Also, our kitchen cabinets look cleaner and more modern.   Small kitchens really benefit from white kitchen cabinets because of how much larger the space feels.

While it took some time and effort, painting our kitchen cabinets white was the most worthwhile project we’ve done on our house so far – and we’ve done a lot of them!

How Long Do White Painted Cabinets Last?

If your cabinets are in structurally good shape and you use high-quality cabinet paint, your paint finish will last at least a decade with occasional touch-ups on high-touch surfaces.  One of the good things about painting your own cabinets is that you can easily make paint touch-ups with a brush and your leftover paint.

This is my third set of cabinets to paint, and I did lots of research based on professional tips beforehand.  However, next time, I will be sure to put more primer on the top edges of the doors and drawer faces. 

The primer on the edges seems to get sanded off easily, but it’s also the location where you need the best adhesion due to water drips touching those areas first.  There are a couple of small areas I need to touch up on my own cabinets, and I feel like the extra primer would have prevented it. 

When considering whether to put your cabinets, the next question is usually about cost.  After researching local and nationwide trends, I found that the average cost to have my cabinets painted professionally would have been $3-10 per square foot or $903 – $6,764.  Fortunately, I was able to paint my cabinets for $2.67 per square foot or $492.22 in total for my 187-square-foot kitchen 

That was even after testing all the top paints and using the best one I could find.  For a full breakdown of the cost, check out this blog post:  How Much Does It Cost to Paint Kitchen Cabinets?

Should you use a paint sprayer, brush, or roller to paint kitchen cabinets white?

Professional painters most often use a paint sprayer.  A good paint sprayer is very expensive, there is a learning curve to using one and not all paints work well as a sprayed-on finish. 

However, I have found you can get a very smooth finish by using the right paint and a good foam roller and paintbrush. Also, I don’t think using a paint sprayer saves you a ton of time since you have to spend a lot of time taping off your kitchen with plastic.

The Cabinet Painting Roadmap (Free Printable)

Not only do I have a blog post with step-by-step instructions, but I also offer a free printable Cabinet Painting Roadmap.  The tutorial walks you through all the important steps like how to clean cabinet doors, sanding, using oil-based primer, and painting to get a super smooth surface.

For the most part, I use a roller on the flat areas of doors and drawer covers, but then I show you the best brush to use for the frames.  Then, the Cabinet Painting Roadmap shows you how to coordinate the whole process to get finished as soon as possible. 

For example, the roadmap shows you the order to paint each section, when to paint the bottom cabinets, when to paint upper cabinets and how to use your time best while the first coat of paint is drying. 

You can find both the blog post and free roadmap here:  The Ultimate Guide to Cabinet Painting (Free Roadmap)

The Best Paint for Painted White Cabinets

The most important step in painting cabinets is choosing the right paint.   In the old kitchen in our previous home, I also painted the cabinets white but used cheap paint that did not cover them well. 

It was like painting with skim milk, and I ended up paying a lot more for so many gallons of paint instead of a couple of cans of good paint that covered well.  I had to put 13 coats of paint on those cabinets because I used cheap paint – Never again!

Because I have always wondered about what cabinet paint truly yields the best result, I decided to test them myself.  After blind-testing 24 top brands, including professional brands, big box brands, chalk paint, and even milk paint, I found that Benjamin Moore Advance performed the best.  You can see the results here: The Best Paint for Cabinets (24 Top Rands Tested)

While giving a super smooth finish with minimal brush strokes, Advance also has great coverage as I covered my cabinets in two coats of paint.  The type of paint makes a big impact on the final result.

Oil-based paint (enamel paint) is known for its ability to settle well without brush strokes. But it is also prone to yellowing, has strong paint fumes, and is not easy to clean up.  Water-based paint has lower fumes and easy cleanup but shows more brush strokes. 

However, paint has come a long way, and Benjamin Moore Advance is actually a hybrid formula that has the positives of oil paint and latex paint without the negatives, so you get a beautiful paint job with easy cleanup. 

Choosing the Right Paint Color for your Kitchen Cabinets

White is hands-down the most popular paint color and is the best color for resale.  White shades are easy to clean, they are neutral and they are trend-proof!  However, there are literally thousands of shades of white paint.

For my cabinets, I picked Sherwin Williams Alabaster, which has a slightly warm undertone.  I picked a Satin finish because it’s not too shiny, but the sheen still has enough gloss that it’s easy to clean and durable.

When picking a white paint color, you want to take into consideration backsplash and counter colors.  Also, your cabinet color needs to coordinate with your kitchen and dining room wall colors.

 A few popular white color paint shades are Benjamin Moore White Dove, Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace, and Sherwin Williams Alabaster (which I used).  But to find the perfect white shade of paint, check out this post:  The Best White and Off-White Paint Colors.

You can also add a dark color to your island to give your kitchen some extra interest.  For more cabinet colors, check out these posts:

The Most Popular Kitchen Cabinet Colors

The Best Blue-Gray Cabinet Colors

The Best Wall Colors for White Cabinets

How to Install The Handles Straight (Without Losing Your Mind)

It’s a good idea to drill your new handle holes and fill the old hardware holes before painting your cabinets.  If you make a mistake, it’s easier to fix in cabinets that have not been painted as opposed to freshly painted new cabinets.  For my step-by-step guide, click here:  How to Install Cabinet Hardware Straight Every Time

Prep Work

One of the first things to address is making any repairs.  Fill any holes with wood filler or repair any water damage using this resource:  How to Repair Major Damage in Wood Furniture

Sanding has gotten a bad rap, but if you are going to go through all the trouble of painting your cabinets, you want to put in the prep work to make sure the paint adheres well for years to come. 

The good news is that sanding is not nearly as much of a chore as it’s made out to be, and using a low-cost electric sander does a great job of making it go faster: How To Sand Furniture In Less Than 5 Minutes

For one thing, you are only scuff sanding just enough to rough up the cabinets’ surface in order for the paint to grab onto the flat surface better.  The previous owners of our house put a clear coat over our dark wood cabinets making them super slick.  For that reason, sanding and using a good primer was a must!  Use a tack cloth after sanding to remove any dust from the surface.

Before you get started priming your cabinets, be sure to cover your tile floor really well to protect it from drips.  I spent hours getting drips off our floor because I didn’t cover it well.  This whole prep process is covered in detail here:  The Best Way to Paint Cabinets

Using a Grain Filler Before Painting Cabinets

Oak cabinets are known for having a very defined wood grain pattern that is tiny holes that paint alone can’t fully cover.  However, you can use a wood grain filler to fill the little divots in oak wood grain before your primer. 

But don’t use just any wood filler – use the good stuff.  Aquacoat grain filler in white did a great job of filling in the wood grain of my own cabinets:  How to Fill Wood Grain in Oak Kitchen Cabinets

The Easiest Way to Paint Wood Cabinets White

The actual painting process is pretty time-consuming.  I tackled my cabinets in our medium-sized kitchen by myself, and I wish I had asked for help.  Plan ahead and ask for help from a family member or good friend – someone you don’t mind spending a lot of time with. 

Enrolling helpers will keep the momentum going so you can get your cabinet painting done as quickly as possible.  Again, don’t forget that you can see my whole process and get my free Cabinet Painting Roadmap here:  How to Paint Oak Cabinet White

A Great Low-Cost Backsplash for Painted White Cabinets (Before and After Pictures)

My faux brick tile backsplash turned out better than I ever imagined.  I was able to put the faux brick panels over my existing tile!  Also, they are incredibly durable and feel like real brick when I knock on them.  These faux brick panels are also paintable in any shade of your choice.  Here is how I installed them and even created a backsplash mosaic:  The Best Faux Brick Backspash

The Best Supplies for Painted White Cabinets

Check out this link for my favorite, tried-and true supplies for painting cabinets.  Most of them can be found at Home Depot and Lowe’s:  My Favorite Cabinet Painting Products

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FAQ – Painted White Cabinets (Before and After Reveal)

Do Professionally Painted Cabinets Chip?

Some professional painters are not cabinet painters so I have heard horror stories about homeowners a professional only to see their cabinets peel within a few weeks of being painted.  But if you find a good cabinet painter who uses the best paint and the right techniques, you shouldn’t see any chipping, at least in the first year. 

You might see minor chipping around high-touch areas, like under the sink or the silverware drawer, after a couple of years.  That’s not unheard of, and these chipped areas can be easily touched up with primer and paint.

Do White Painted Cabinets Yellow Over Time?

Some white oil-based paints will turn yellow over time on painted kitchen cabinets.  Fortunately, Benjamin Moore Advance is a hybrid formula that has the positives of oil-based enamels, but it will not yellow over time.  My cabinets were painted in Benjamin Moore Advance two and a half years ago, and I personally have seen no yellowing.

Are Painted White Cabinets Hard to Keep Clean?

White cabinets do show dirt quite a bit but so do some darker colors.  If you are using a high-quality paint like Benjamin Moore Advance, they will be very easy to wipe clean.  After testing several top paints, I’ve seen some paints actually absorb dirt and stains into the pores of the paint.   I like to use Mrs. Meyers cleaners to wipe my cabinets.    

Are maple cabinets worth painting?

Maple cabinets are just as easy to paint as oak cabinets if not easier.  Maple cabinets often don’t have a deep wood grain so they don’t require a grain filler.  Use the same process above for painting maple cabinets.

Final Thoughts on Painted White Cabinets

Painting our kitchen cabinets was a big project, but it was so worthwhile.  Make sure to use the right paint and remember that prep work like sanding and priming is always worthwhile!  If you have any questions at all, ask them below in the comment section and I’ll be sure to answer!

Brown Painted Kitchen Cabinets Before and After