Hi Kayleen! Hi Debbie!
LOL! Nothing. and keep putting off painting because I cant bring myself to sand and prime all these cabinets. Good luck and happy painting. I had a couple of questions. Hope that helps! What is the color of the blue/gray wall behind the cabinets? Oh my. Yes, we did paint both sides of the doors. I will also forgo sanding and use the deglosser, Can you tell me if you used only the foam roller for the face of the cabinetsor did you use a brush (other than in the nooks and crannies)? I tested it out today and loved the results, Im so inspired to tackle a mess of projects around the house, armed with this milk paint. Just applied the 3rd coat, and can see that I need one more.
Your kitchen is gorgeous! Check out just how dramatic the change can be below.
look great.
I have a question, you mentioned that you didnt paint the inside of your cabinets, did you chose not to paint the inside of your doors? Hi Carie! Unfortunately, I dont know how to upload them on here for you to view my renovations. I forgot to use the deglosser. ( im worried about it looking funny with white appliances) Did you use the flat finish for the top coat for the cabinets and back splash and were you happy withe the look it gave? Do you play that that is necessary or should the milk paint cover the grain? What do you think can milk paint be used over other paint? I hope that helps! Thank you for your time! I love your cabinet transformation!! You can read all about our budget []. jackie. It is available through Amazon! I have a question, though. So far, our kitchen cabinets are in PERFECT condition even in the face of constant use {which is more than I can say about our laundry room cabinets}.
Hi Julia! Thanks so much. We did our dining room table with chalk paint and it feels, well, chalky even with the wax. Thank you so much for the tutorial! Thank you for this postits amazing and just what I needed to see before I paint my cabinets this spring. Thanks for your time and your tutorial! Thanks so much for your post, it has been soo inspiring and full of information!
My cabinets are wood but they are finished with a smooth wood veneer in a dated maple color so I wonder if I need to prime them first to make sure that the milk paint adheres to the surface. They just look out dated.
Thanks. We used 3 quarts of the light gray and 2 pints of the dark gray. General Finishes sent me pint size cans to try outits just a perk of being a DIY blogger. Just curious about the top coatdid you apply it with a foam brush? I have considered painting my oak kitchen cabinets since we moved in last year. We also used about 1/2 gallon of the topcoat. Hope you can upload a picture of your new master bathroom. I was looking at Amazon, and all I could find were quarts. DId you use a water base top cpat or polyurethane? In fact, your cabinets may not look any different after you wipe them downthat is okay. Or do you have an email address for General, so I can find out for myself please? I painted my cabinets a few years ago with the exact same setup and it really does make all the difference in the world that you can leave everything in the cabinets, and not paint the interiors. I noticed your post date of July 2014. However, when painting over other finishes, its important to always test a small area first to make sure the paint adheres well to the original surface. I hope that helps! I hope that helps and again, sorry for any confusion. I finally just started today. Just thinking of the extra moisture. So my question is, how have the painted hinges held up? I forgot to ask a couple of things, I am wondering if your milk paint itself has a specific sheen or you dont need to pick a sheen for the gray paint, it just comes one way. It is truly more than FANTASTIC! Did you just wipe the cabinets down, or scrub? I hope that helps and good luck! Anyway, any ideas? Definitely showing this to my husband. My email is tasha{at}designertrapped.com. Can they also be painted? When you click for the printable instructions, you have to signup for emails and they will be emailed to you. As for sanding, I did not find it necessarythe liquid deglosser worked well for us. You can leave your drawer boxes in place and just remove the drawer fronts, but I personally feel like its easier to keep the drawers in-tact. Hi, I am in the process of redoing my cabinets and following your instructions. Thanks. I have been wanting to redo my kitchen cabinets this looks like something I can do. I am a very experienced painter, so I didnt use painters tape to tape off the walls around our cabinet boxesI simply cut it with an angled brush. You used the FLAT top coat? The flat would truly make a difference. I have an 11 month old and its winter here in Maine. Ive been reading up on the Chalk but then came across your article. I cannot wait to see it finished! Did you use the quart size or the gallon to do your cabinets?? I stripped the gel stain, went back toWoodcraft for advice and they handed me a can of the general finishes milk paint in lamp black. Your kitchen is fabulous! OR was Seagull Gray not the lighter gray used in your upper cabinets?! Since I really wanted to lighten our cabinets, I was far more excited about the painting option! So happy with how it turned out. It does add a tiny bit of sheen, but not much. Good luck on your redo! I hope that helps! I know Ill have to wipe them down after sanding.
Im doing my laundry room cabinets and absolutely love it! Hope that helps! Frustrated, I stripped the paint off and switched to General Finishes gel stain..another fail. Im about 1/4 done with my kitchen (doing in sections), using Seagull Gray. We have 4-year-old twins and ours are very easy to wipe off. It can be purchased at lowes? I applied a second coat, it looks slightly better. How long ago did you do this and have you see significant chipping/peeling?
Hi Kenna! We painted the whole door, but not the inside of the cabinet boxes. I believe we used 2 or 3 quarts of the light grey and 2 pints of the dark gray and about 1/2 gallon of the top coat. I hope that helps Nancy! Thanks for reading. I also just bought a dining table and chairs that is in desperate need of refinishing. Thanks, Tracy! I am going to be your number one fan! I hope that helps! I thought the brand of milk paint would NOT matter so I went to my local Woodcraft store and bought powdered milk paint from another company (I wont name it in order to support my claim I dont know Tasha or work for GF :) The powdered milk paint was less expensive and seemed more authentic so I bought it. thank you so so much! Is it more of a white or more of a light grey? Hi Bailey! Did you sand in between each coat of the top sealer? Hi Sherry!
Cant wait to get started on mine!!! Hi Tasha, After reading your blog, I purchased General Finishes Milk Paint in Linen (LOVE the color) and just painted the back side of the upper and lower cabinets facing the family room to see if Id like it on the faces of the cabinets. Hi!
Spray paint has solvents in it that help it adhere better but itd need to be done outside as particles fly everywhere like dust. The deglosser definitely helps with adhesion. Should I use a primer to only need 2 coats? If its water-based, you should e able to just paint right over it after using a liquid deglosser! I dont know, since I havent used it. Hi Tasha, Thanks for the great information. I intend to try this product soon because of your post. I see you say to not sand but I obviously have to to work out the scratches. I was wondering if I could buy the same colors you used in gallons, and if so, where do I order? We didnt have any issues with the grays we used. Did you really not sand? I hope that helps! Hi Carol! [] How to Paint Kitchen Cabinets without sanding or priming! Hi Sandra! Here is a link to the exact top coat we used: http://amzn.to/1KZTZxN The oil-based and water-based are both polyurethanes, but the water based dries more quickly. I love the way yours turned out!! What a great solution to a project I have been dreading but so badly want to do! Im in the middle of painting our cabinets with this milk paint thanks to your post. I believe we used 3 quarts of the light grey and 2 pints of the dark gray and about 1/2 gallon of the top coat. Thanks for your help! We have a couple of drips on our light gray cabinets and the drips are every so slightly yellow. Have you found a source that sells gallons? I did not have any trouble covering the wood grain.
MY POINT: In this case, the brand actually does matter (the people at Woodcraft also said the brand mattered because GF milk paint is made with ingredients that are different from powdered milk paint. I have never tried it, but this is what General Finishes website says about its milk paint: General Finishes milk paints will adhere to a variety of surfaces including wood, fiberglass, PVC, vinyl, and most composite materials.
;). I just did a trial run today using seagull gray ( the light gray in the photos) I did two coats and there is a touch of wood grain showing through, but nothing noticeable in my opinion. The difference in the milk paint is that it is a very high quality acrylic paint, which is MUCH more durable than latex paint. [] tackle this much bigger project using milk paint! i did my laundry room cabinets after reading this they look great!!!! Hi Mrs. Jo! I painted our laundry room cabinets with primer and latex paint and experienced chipping right away as well. General Finishes Milk Paint is a high quality acrylic paint. I had 33 doors and 13 drawers to paint! They are holding up PERFECTLY. Im looking at using this approach for my own kitchen cabinets and was so encouraged to find your blog and see that our cabinets are so similar in style! I painted over my hinges. The milk paint is a high-quality acrylic paint and with the top coat is more durable than chalk paint with wax in my opinion. What does the finish feel like? However, when painting over other finishes, its important to always test a small area first to make sure the paint adheres well to the original surface. I hope that helps! I cant tell you how happy I am that you had a good experience and that you took the time to tell me and my readers about it! How many cabinets did you paint all together? If I use the products you mentioned I dont have to sand them? Did you notice there is some difference between the color card and actual paint? However, when painting over other finishes, its important to always test a small area first to make sure the paint adheres well to the original surface. I hope that helps! My cabinets are a similar tone, in my 1930 bungalow, the result of a late 60s remodel. I am starting a new series to give readers a chance to share certain projects every month. So far it looks good with just first coat but just missed some edges. And also, what kind of prep did you do to your hardware before you sprayed them? Patch any holes that you will not be reusing with spackle or wood filler and sand appropriately. You can still see the oak grain, but the flat finish makes it less noticeable, in my opinion.
Thanks for your help and your inspiration ! I will be ordering the milk paints etc tmrw morning and am so looking forward to updating my cabinets. And the best part is that at the end of it all my husband gave the best compliment which was I am really pleased with your project! For laminate, I would test the process I used on one door and see if you get good adhesion with just using the liquid deglosser. Did you put the topcoat on with a brush or roller? Do you know the differences. I am not sure Jane, but I would call local painting companies and ask! Its not as flat as flat paint, but its not shiny. Hi there did you sand between top coats as it instructs on the General Finish top coat can? Did you worry about getting down in there with the paint?
Do you think this paint would work on them also?
Tasha, you did a wonderful job and that is indeed an amazing transformation. Hi Sharisa!
I have oak cabinets that are several shade darker than yours. It did add a tiny bit of sheen, so it is not as flat and flat paint, but I love it! I am inspired now to paint the golden oak woodwork throughout my house. Thanks so much, Amy!
Hi Carmi!
!This is my follow up to my question the other day. Yours look amazing! Im glad to hear that your cabinets are holding up well. Seriously. One questionif we dont want grain to show through do you think we should use a primer after the deglosser? I read another blog post about using milk paint on cabinets and hers chipped a lot. did you paint the inside of your doors or just the part people can see when they are closed? I did let the guy at the hardware store talk me into a primer called stix. Not certain what we are doing wrong (we did wipe down with cleaning wipes and deglosser but didnt sand even though other sites said you had to sand of this product). Thanks for this great tutorial! I used a regular paint brush and did not sand! Check your Spam and Promotions tabs if you have those. Does that help?
I think coverage with any black paint can be tricky!
Although the bones of the kitchen are great . It just finishes it off perfectly. I didnt put much work at all in the deglossing process. The samples I referred to were just their pint-size paints. Im referring to the grease build up around the stove area, etc. This seems to good to be true! I believe we used 2 or 3 quarts of the light grey and 2 pints of the dark gray and about 1/2 gallon of the top coat. Of course, Susan! Two weeks ago I had a professional come in to give me an estimate on Labor (I would buy the paint) & I freaked. Learn how to paint your kitchen cabinets without priming or sanding here. Additionally, these paints can be applied over existing finishes, stains and other paints so long as the existing finish is fully dry. Also just as you did, I will be happy to share my story of my kitchen project for General finishes! Thats the beauty of it! In the course of explaining what I wanted to do, they mentioned their paint and explained that when you use General Finishes Milk Paint in conjunction with General Finishes High-Performance Top Coat , our kitchen cabinets would be EXTREMELY durable. Im very concerned about durability with 3 small kids but I really want to try this! I had painted the kids bathroom cabinet w/ primer and latex paint and also found it chipped right away. Hands down its the best paint I have ever used! Did you use the water based or the polyurethane top coat? Thanks for reading! I bet if you call, someone can answer your question for you! Hi Bonnie! We are dyeing to paint ours. Hi Lauren! I hope to see you here often. Ive been researching ways to paint them and make them look good. The one I used is in the source list with a link right to it! I would love to paint my pine kitchen cabinets. Thank you Kristi!
For the paint did you use flat, semi-gloss etc??? It takes the place of sandpaper and roughs up the surface. I got them at Target. You could definitely do that, Arlie. The milk paint is as easy as this. Sorry! Amazon? I cant tell from the photos. Thanks for sharing your experience and tipsvery helpful! What was the cure time? I am wanting to do mine with the General Finishes Milk paint also.
Hi Ashton! Do you know a technique to clean the drawer slide? Last night I did one cabinet door as a test and when I woke up this morning I see there are cracks in the finish along some of the nooks and crannies of the cabinet (I have grooves in my cabinets such as you, set down in an inlay with an arch). I am wondering how your cabinets have held up. Good luck! It is like a brand-new kitchen. I hope that helps! Thank you, Leanne. Thanks for reading! our kitchen looks very similar to yours BEFORE your update. I used the High Performance Top Coat in FLAT finish, which has just a tiny amount of sheen. I hope that helps!
Hi Mahtab! Thanks so much for posting this tutorial!
I go home, do the prep work as Tasha instructed and I was SO. SO HAPPY TO HAVE A MAN reading my blogyou are right, there are a quiet minority around here :) Good luck with your project! The folks at General Finishes are EXTREMELY helpful. Hi Yael! We did three coats, not sure how long we waited in between, but probably 2-4 hours is accurate. Great tutorial! Thanks for reading.
Ill be interested to see how the milk paint hold up over the long term. Hi Jenn! Will this paint work on knotty pine paneling? Ive wanted to paint our cabinets, and Ive been debating the 10,000 pintrest tutorials vs the rustoleum kit. I need to know before purchasing any paint. Hi Anna! Thanks for reading!
Yes! I hope that helps! But this topcoat is what gives the already durable paint an unbelievably durable finish. Just wonderingdid you paint both sides of the doors?
Can you still skip the sanding part with the java gel stain? I cant wait to see how yours turn out! So glad you were able to get it shipped to you! That said, the flat finish I used helps to minimize the light catching the grain so its not as noticable. BUT- we chose to use Snow White on 1990s honey oak cabinets, and you MUST sand and prime those. I rubbed and rubbed my cabinets and they still look glossy. Is there another brand of the same quality that I can search for? I too am a designer trapped in a lawyers bodywell sort of.
The nooks and crannies probably dont need a third coat.
This is by far the most impressive kitchen makeover I have seen so far. You really can tackle it yourself, Jessica! Good luck! Hi Erika! Would it have the same effect or worse? Thank you for sharing! If you have a lot of build up, I would recommend wiping them down with Simple Green or TSP first.
I have not yet completed the kitchen like I said, and the kitchen is not big however I have been extremely ill for about a year now and have three children that I raise on my own. I dont know that all that prep is necessary. We just used a liquid deglosser. Good luck! We used about 1/2 a gallon for the entire kitchen. They are holding up PERFECTLY! You definitely have the correct paint! Hope that helps! Thank you so much and may you continue to beautify your surroundings with your creativity! Hi, Me again! If you clarify I can try and answer! Thanks so much for reading my blog! Thank you :) Our painted hinges have held up well, but I will say that the original hinge colors were not drastically different than the painted color, so if there are little chips we may just not noticed them.
Ive been dying to tackle my bathroom counter (or tear it out$$$), but now youve inspired me to use the concrete! Tasha Me again! This top coat is amazing! We ditched our old hardware (not my style) and replaced it with new handles and drawer pulls. I would agree that driftwood has a slight blue undertone. Awesome blog!
I want to paint my bathroom cabinets. Also, how long did you wait between top coat finishes to re-apply? I am astounded by how durable they are, because we arent exactly easy on our cabinets. OR you could try mixing the two grays to see if it makes a color that you like! Thanks. Im also redoing our stair bannister and using General Finished Java Gel! Im looking for a solution for my cabinets and this might be my answer so Im super grateful for your detailed, informative post! Your cabinets look great!
Remember to wipe them down with a tack cloth after sanding if you do decide to sand! I live in alberta canada and have found a retailer for general finishes milk paint but unfortunately no one in alberta that I can find online carries the General Finishes High Performance Top Coat. Also, dumb question, do you sand your last coat? We are thinking of repainting our kitchen cabinets. I do have a question regarding the deglosser. I hope that makes sense! It looks like this is a recent post (Im new to your blog), so how long ago did you paint them? At the same token I do not plan to keep it from them entirely. The one I used is a link in the post! I would love to see photos when you are all done. Hi KLG! Thanks so much Chasity! Hi Megan! I hope that helps. I hope that helps! Did you use the milk paint for your door?
I hope that helps! I believe you can also skip the sanding with the java gel stain, which we seriously considered, but we felt it would be too dark in our kitchen. Ive a question, first: Did you use the flat finish top coat, as shown in the photo, or a satin? Ive read/seen on home improvement shows & in magazines that as long as the laminate is sanded, like on wood composite book shelves for example, it can be painted over. However, after two months after the paint job they are a little peely around the knobs. General Finishes high performance topcoat in flat finish (the water based version). Do I really have to sand in between top coats? Cant wait to try it out! I used the milk paint on my existing cabinets. Can you tell me what color you used on the wall? Having a hard time finding a contact number for the company. Really concerned at this point we will have it sand it all off and try a different project. I have the same white and oak look and all white would look so much better. In fact, you will be able to SKIP the liquid deglossing step since you have already sanded! But, you dont have to sand, as long as you use a liquid deglosser. I dont remember the cost, but I believe we used 2 or 3 quarts of the light grey and 2 pints of the dark gray and about 1/2 gallon of the top coat. In that post, I share my personal experience along with 8 other successful kitchen makeovers that used differentpaint options. :) so my only question isdo you think I should take any other step besides cleaning and using deglosser if I have wood cabinets with dark red horrible paint on top? You can read all about the best paint for kitchen cabinets in this post.
Your cabinets look great! Nope, we did not sand between coats. You can purchase the paint on Amazonthere is a link to it in my post. Did you tape or seal anything off? Can you use a paint sprayer for the application for either the milk paint and/or the top coat? Three coatsbut I went with the Snow White. I painted my laundry room cabinets with latex paint and they chipped almost immediately. The hubs and I are so excited to try this! We chose a flat finish because our cabinets had so much wood grain. Oh wow, your photos and tutorial actually made my husband say yes to painting our oak cabinets!! ANYHOO, do you know what the process would be for redoing these cabinets with the type paint you used? I hope that helps! Even with foam brushes (which I used) there were/are brush marks, although no one but me has ever seemed to see them.
Thanks, your project results are awesome!
Thanks so much. That is not what I am going to give you. I stumbled across Part 2 of your Kitchen make-over, and have now spent over an hour reading that and other projects on your blog! Thanks for reading and good luck! Since you didnt sand them, is the finish smooth, i.e. I hope that helps! A couple questions how have the spray painted hinges held up?
I hope that helps! ive haaaaated my oak cabinets since we moved in, and its always been a to-do but ive never wanted to put up with the sanding and priming, blah blah blah. Your cabinets look great & im trying to get up the nerve to paint mine this way! Hi Wendy! So happy to have you join our team, Tasha! In the picture it looks a little blue (it seems gray tends to do that), is this just a trick of the light? Its worth ordering a few and actually painting test swatches on your cabinets since colors can look so different depending on the lighting and surroundings of your home. Any idea if the GF milk paint would work? Thanks for your help. I had a question regarding the paint deglosser though. I believe both the spray paint AND clear coat were Valspar.
I liked that I could see the paint in person. I could not believe it. Being able to go from start to finish in under a week is great too. Hope that helps! But so nervous. First coat i used a foam brush, second coat i tried a bristle brush. It is huge. The instructions on the can say you should sand before you paint and between coats. Yes, you can read about the other method I have used to paint kitchen cabinets that is faster and easier here . Good luck! We chose the flat finish top coat to help minimize the light catching the grain so its less noticeable. I have I little more cabinets than you and I wanted to see if the quart would be enough. The samples I referred to were just their pint size paints. Can you still use this paint over oil paint without sanding or priming? I wonder what makes this particular milk pain different. We love our results! Thanks! I used about 3 quarts of the Seagull Gray for all of the cabinets and 2 pints of the Queenstown Gray. Vintage. My only thought is that maybe since you have knobs instead of handles like us that your hands/skin actually come into contact with the paint more and have worn it down in those areas? Hi Melanie! We only had to do two coats, but we didnt have any issue with brush marks. I am pretty sure the faces of my cabinets are t real wood. Trying to figure out how many quarts I need to purchase, did you paint the back of the cabinet doors? I have never tried it, but this is what General Finishes website says about its milk paint: General Finishes milk paints will adhere to a variety of surfaces including wood, fiberglass, PVC, vinyl, and most composite materials. I hope that helps! We sanded the rest of the doors much more thoroughly, and used two coats of Kilz premium primer, and they look great. Hi Linda! I have 4 smaller squares (above the fridge), 6 longer cabinet doors, 3 drawers, and 4 medium cabinet doors. Hope that helps! All the details can be found here: . Im pinning this for later.
LOL! Nothing. and keep putting off painting because I cant bring myself to sand and prime all these cabinets. Good luck and happy painting. I had a couple of questions. Hope that helps! What is the color of the blue/gray wall behind the cabinets? Oh my. Yes, we did paint both sides of the doors. I will also forgo sanding and use the deglosser, Can you tell me if you used only the foam roller for the face of the cabinetsor did you use a brush (other than in the nooks and crannies)? I tested it out today and loved the results, Im so inspired to tackle a mess of projects around the house, armed with this milk paint. Just applied the 3rd coat, and can see that I need one more.
Your kitchen is gorgeous! Check out just how dramatic the change can be below.
look great.
I have a question, you mentioned that you didnt paint the inside of your cabinets, did you chose not to paint the inside of your doors? Hi Carie! Unfortunately, I dont know how to upload them on here for you to view my renovations. I forgot to use the deglosser. ( im worried about it looking funny with white appliances) Did you use the flat finish for the top coat for the cabinets and back splash and were you happy withe the look it gave? Do you play that that is necessary or should the milk paint cover the grain? What do you think can milk paint be used over other paint? I hope that helps! Thank you for your time! I love your cabinet transformation!! You can read all about our budget []. jackie. It is available through Amazon! I have a question, though. So far, our kitchen cabinets are in PERFECT condition even in the face of constant use {which is more than I can say about our laundry room cabinets}.
Hi Julia! Thanks so much. We did our dining room table with chalk paint and it feels, well, chalky even with the wax. Thank you so much for the tutorial! Thank you for this postits amazing and just what I needed to see before I paint my cabinets this spring. Thanks for your time and your tutorial! Thanks so much for your post, it has been soo inspiring and full of information!
My cabinets are wood but they are finished with a smooth wood veneer in a dated maple color so I wonder if I need to prime them first to make sure that the milk paint adheres to the surface. They just look out dated.
Thanks. We used 3 quarts of the light gray and 2 pints of the dark gray. General Finishes sent me pint size cans to try outits just a perk of being a DIY blogger. Just curious about the top coatdid you apply it with a foam brush? I have considered painting my oak kitchen cabinets since we moved in last year. We also used about 1/2 gallon of the topcoat. Hope you can upload a picture of your new master bathroom. I was looking at Amazon, and all I could find were quarts. DId you use a water base top cpat or polyurethane? In fact, your cabinets may not look any different after you wipe them downthat is okay. Or do you have an email address for General, so I can find out for myself please? I painted my cabinets a few years ago with the exact same setup and it really does make all the difference in the world that you can leave everything in the cabinets, and not paint the interiors. I noticed your post date of July 2014. However, when painting over other finishes, its important to always test a small area first to make sure the paint adheres well to the original surface. I hope that helps! I hope that helps and again, sorry for any confusion. I finally just started today. Just thinking of the extra moisture. So my question is, how have the painted hinges held up? I forgot to ask a couple of things, I am wondering if your milk paint itself has a specific sheen or you dont need to pick a sheen for the gray paint, it just comes one way. It is truly more than FANTASTIC! Did you just wipe the cabinets down, or scrub? I hope that helps and good luck! Anyway, any ideas? Definitely showing this to my husband. My email is tasha{at}designertrapped.com. Can they also be painted? When you click for the printable instructions, you have to signup for emails and they will be emailed to you. As for sanding, I did not find it necessarythe liquid deglosser worked well for us. You can leave your drawer boxes in place and just remove the drawer fronts, but I personally feel like its easier to keep the drawers in-tact. Hi, I am in the process of redoing my cabinets and following your instructions. Thanks. I have been wanting to redo my kitchen cabinets this looks like something I can do. I am a very experienced painter, so I didnt use painters tape to tape off the walls around our cabinet boxesI simply cut it with an angled brush. You used the FLAT top coat? The flat would truly make a difference. I have an 11 month old and its winter here in Maine. Ive been reading up on the Chalk but then came across your article. I cannot wait to see it finished! Did you use the quart size or the gallon to do your cabinets?? I stripped the gel stain, went back toWoodcraft for advice and they handed me a can of the general finishes milk paint in lamp black. Your kitchen is fabulous! OR was Seagull Gray not the lighter gray used in your upper cabinets?! Since I really wanted to lighten our cabinets, I was far more excited about the painting option! So happy with how it turned out. It does add a tiny bit of sheen, but not much. Good luck on your redo! I hope that helps! I know Ill have to wipe them down after sanding.
Im doing my laundry room cabinets and absolutely love it! Hope that helps! Frustrated, I stripped the paint off and switched to General Finishes gel stain..another fail. Im about 1/4 done with my kitchen (doing in sections), using Seagull Gray. We have 4-year-old twins and ours are very easy to wipe off. It can be purchased at lowes? I applied a second coat, it looks slightly better. How long ago did you do this and have you see significant chipping/peeling?
Hi Kenna! We painted the whole door, but not the inside of the cabinet boxes. I believe we used 2 or 3 quarts of the light grey and 2 pints of the dark gray and about 1/2 gallon of the top coat. I hope that helps Nancy! Thanks for reading. I also just bought a dining table and chairs that is in desperate need of refinishing. Thanks, Tracy! I am going to be your number one fan! I hope that helps! I thought the brand of milk paint would NOT matter so I went to my local Woodcraft store and bought powdered milk paint from another company (I wont name it in order to support my claim I dont know Tasha or work for GF :) The powdered milk paint was less expensive and seemed more authentic so I bought it. thank you so so much! Is it more of a white or more of a light grey? Hi Bailey! Did you sand in between each coat of the top sealer? Hi Sherry!
Cant wait to get started on mine!!! Hi Tasha, After reading your blog, I purchased General Finishes Milk Paint in Linen (LOVE the color) and just painted the back side of the upper and lower cabinets facing the family room to see if Id like it on the faces of the cabinets. Hi!
Spray paint has solvents in it that help it adhere better but itd need to be done outside as particles fly everywhere like dust. The deglosser definitely helps with adhesion. Should I use a primer to only need 2 coats? If its water-based, you should e able to just paint right over it after using a liquid deglosser! I dont know, since I havent used it. Hi Tasha, Thanks for the great information. I intend to try this product soon because of your post. I see you say to not sand but I obviously have to to work out the scratches. I was wondering if I could buy the same colors you used in gallons, and if so, where do I order? We didnt have any issues with the grays we used. Did you really not sand? I hope that helps! Hi Carol! [] How to Paint Kitchen Cabinets without sanding or priming! Hi Sandra! Here is a link to the exact top coat we used: http://amzn.to/1KZTZxN The oil-based and water-based are both polyurethanes, but the water based dries more quickly. I love the way yours turned out!! What a great solution to a project I have been dreading but so badly want to do! Im in the middle of painting our cabinets with this milk paint thanks to your post. I believe we used 3 quarts of the light grey and 2 pints of the dark gray and about 1/2 gallon of the top coat. Thanks for your help! We have a couple of drips on our light gray cabinets and the drips are every so slightly yellow. Have you found a source that sells gallons? I did not have any trouble covering the wood grain.
MY POINT: In this case, the brand actually does matter (the people at Woodcraft also said the brand mattered because GF milk paint is made with ingredients that are different from powdered milk paint. I have never tried it, but this is what General Finishes website says about its milk paint: General Finishes milk paints will adhere to a variety of surfaces including wood, fiberglass, PVC, vinyl, and most composite materials.
;). I just did a trial run today using seagull gray ( the light gray in the photos) I did two coats and there is a touch of wood grain showing through, but nothing noticeable in my opinion. The difference in the milk paint is that it is a very high quality acrylic paint, which is MUCH more durable than latex paint. [] tackle this much bigger project using milk paint! i did my laundry room cabinets after reading this they look great!!!! Hi Mrs. Jo! I painted our laundry room cabinets with primer and latex paint and experienced chipping right away as well. General Finishes Milk Paint is a high quality acrylic paint. I had 33 doors and 13 drawers to paint! They are holding up PERFECTLY. Im looking at using this approach for my own kitchen cabinets and was so encouraged to find your blog and see that our cabinets are so similar in style! I painted over my hinges. The milk paint is a high-quality acrylic paint and with the top coat is more durable than chalk paint with wax in my opinion. What does the finish feel like? However, when painting over other finishes, its important to always test a small area first to make sure the paint adheres well to the original surface. I hope that helps! I cant tell you how happy I am that you had a good experience and that you took the time to tell me and my readers about it! How many cabinets did you paint all together? If I use the products you mentioned I dont have to sand them? Did you notice there is some difference between the color card and actual paint? However, when painting over other finishes, its important to always test a small area first to make sure the paint adheres well to the original surface. I hope that helps! My cabinets are a similar tone, in my 1930 bungalow, the result of a late 60s remodel. I am starting a new series to give readers a chance to share certain projects every month. So far it looks good with just first coat but just missed some edges. And also, what kind of prep did you do to your hardware before you sprayed them? Patch any holes that you will not be reusing with spackle or wood filler and sand appropriately. You can still see the oak grain, but the flat finish makes it less noticeable, in my opinion.
Thanks for your help and your inspiration ! I will be ordering the milk paints etc tmrw morning and am so looking forward to updating my cabinets. And the best part is that at the end of it all my husband gave the best compliment which was I am really pleased with your project! For laminate, I would test the process I used on one door and see if you get good adhesion with just using the liquid deglosser. Did you put the topcoat on with a brush or roller? Do you know the differences. I am not sure Jane, but I would call local painting companies and ask! Its not as flat as flat paint, but its not shiny. Hi there did you sand between top coats as it instructs on the General Finish top coat can? Did you worry about getting down in there with the paint?
Do you think this paint would work on them also?
Tasha, you did a wonderful job and that is indeed an amazing transformation. Hi Sharisa!
I have oak cabinets that are several shade darker than yours. It did add a tiny bit of sheen, so it is not as flat and flat paint, but I love it! I am inspired now to paint the golden oak woodwork throughout my house. Thanks so much, Amy!
Hi Carmi!
!This is my follow up to my question the other day. Yours look amazing! Im glad to hear that your cabinets are holding up well. Seriously. One questionif we dont want grain to show through do you think we should use a primer after the deglosser? I read another blog post about using milk paint on cabinets and hers chipped a lot. did you paint the inside of your doors or just the part people can see when they are closed? I did let the guy at the hardware store talk me into a primer called stix. Not certain what we are doing wrong (we did wipe down with cleaning wipes and deglosser but didnt sand even though other sites said you had to sand of this product). Thanks for this great tutorial! I used a regular paint brush and did not sand! Check your Spam and Promotions tabs if you have those. Does that help?
I think coverage with any black paint can be tricky!
Although the bones of the kitchen are great . It just finishes it off perfectly. I didnt put much work at all in the deglossing process. The samples I referred to were just their pint-size paints. Im referring to the grease build up around the stove area, etc. This seems to good to be true! I believe we used 2 or 3 quarts of the light grey and 2 pints of the dark gray and about 1/2 gallon of the top coat. Of course, Susan! Two weeks ago I had a professional come in to give me an estimate on Labor (I would buy the paint) & I freaked. Learn how to paint your kitchen cabinets without priming or sanding here. Additionally, these paints can be applied over existing finishes, stains and other paints so long as the existing finish is fully dry. Also just as you did, I will be happy to share my story of my kitchen project for General finishes! Thats the beauty of it! In the course of explaining what I wanted to do, they mentioned their paint and explained that when you use General Finishes Milk Paint in conjunction with General Finishes High-Performance Top Coat , our kitchen cabinets would be EXTREMELY durable. Im very concerned about durability with 3 small kids but I really want to try this! I had painted the kids bathroom cabinet w/ primer and latex paint and also found it chipped right away. Hands down its the best paint I have ever used! Did you use the water based or the polyurethane top coat? Thanks for reading! I bet if you call, someone can answer your question for you! Hi Bonnie! We are dyeing to paint ours. Hi Lauren! I hope to see you here often. Ive been researching ways to paint them and make them look good. The one I used is in the source list with a link right to it! I would love to paint my pine kitchen cabinets. Thank you Kristi!
For the paint did you use flat, semi-gloss etc??? It takes the place of sandpaper and roughs up the surface. I got them at Target. You could definitely do that, Arlie. The milk paint is as easy as this. Sorry! Amazon? I cant tell from the photos. Thanks for sharing your experience and tipsvery helpful! What was the cure time? I am wanting to do mine with the General Finishes Milk paint also.
Hi Ashton! Do you know a technique to clean the drawer slide? Last night I did one cabinet door as a test and when I woke up this morning I see there are cracks in the finish along some of the nooks and crannies of the cabinet (I have grooves in my cabinets such as you, set down in an inlay with an arch). I am wondering how your cabinets have held up. Good luck! It is like a brand-new kitchen. I hope that helps! Thank you, Leanne. Thanks for reading! our kitchen looks very similar to yours BEFORE your update. I used the High Performance Top Coat in FLAT finish, which has just a tiny amount of sheen. I hope that helps!
Hi Mahtab! Thanks so much for posting this tutorial!
I go home, do the prep work as Tasha instructed and I was SO. SO HAPPY TO HAVE A MAN reading my blogyou are right, there are a quiet minority around here :) Good luck with your project! The folks at General Finishes are EXTREMELY helpful. Hi Yael! We did three coats, not sure how long we waited in between, but probably 2-4 hours is accurate. Great tutorial! Thanks for reading.
Ill be interested to see how the milk paint hold up over the long term. Hi Jenn! Will this paint work on knotty pine paneling? Ive wanted to paint our cabinets, and Ive been debating the 10,000 pintrest tutorials vs the rustoleum kit. I need to know before purchasing any paint. Hi Anna! Thanks for reading!
Yes! I hope that helps! But this topcoat is what gives the already durable paint an unbelievably durable finish. Just wonderingdid you paint both sides of the doors?
Can you still skip the sanding part with the java gel stain? I cant wait to see how yours turn out! So glad you were able to get it shipped to you! That said, the flat finish I used helps to minimize the light catching the grain so its not as noticable. BUT- we chose to use Snow White on 1990s honey oak cabinets, and you MUST sand and prime those. I rubbed and rubbed my cabinets and they still look glossy. Is there another brand of the same quality that I can search for? I too am a designer trapped in a lawyers bodywell sort of.
The nooks and crannies probably dont need a third coat.
This is by far the most impressive kitchen makeover I have seen so far. You really can tackle it yourself, Jessica! Good luck! Hi Erika! Would it have the same effect or worse? Thank you for sharing! If you have a lot of build up, I would recommend wiping them down with Simple Green or TSP first.
I have not yet completed the kitchen like I said, and the kitchen is not big however I have been extremely ill for about a year now and have three children that I raise on my own. I dont know that all that prep is necessary. We just used a liquid deglosser. Good luck! We used about 1/2 a gallon for the entire kitchen. They are holding up PERFECTLY! You definitely have the correct paint! Hope that helps! Thank you so much and may you continue to beautify your surroundings with your creativity! Hi, Me again! If you clarify I can try and answer! Thanks so much for reading my blog! Thank you :) Our painted hinges have held up well, but I will say that the original hinge colors were not drastically different than the painted color, so if there are little chips we may just not noticed them.
Ive been dying to tackle my bathroom counter (or tear it out$$$), but now youve inspired me to use the concrete! Tasha Me again! This top coat is amazing! We ditched our old hardware (not my style) and replaced it with new handles and drawer pulls. I would agree that driftwood has a slight blue undertone. Awesome blog!
I want to paint my bathroom cabinets. Also, how long did you wait between top coat finishes to re-apply? I am astounded by how durable they are, because we arent exactly easy on our cabinets. OR you could try mixing the two grays to see if it makes a color that you like! Thanks. Im also redoing our stair bannister and using General Finished Java Gel! Im looking for a solution for my cabinets and this might be my answer so Im super grateful for your detailed, informative post! Your cabinets look great!
Remember to wipe them down with a tack cloth after sanding if you do decide to sand! I live in alberta canada and have found a retailer for general finishes milk paint but unfortunately no one in alberta that I can find online carries the General Finishes High Performance Top Coat. Also, dumb question, do you sand your last coat? We are thinking of repainting our kitchen cabinets. I do have a question regarding the deglosser. I hope that makes sense! It looks like this is a recent post (Im new to your blog), so how long ago did you paint them? At the same token I do not plan to keep it from them entirely. The one I used is a link in the post! I would love to see photos when you are all done. Hi KLG! Thanks so much Chasity! Hi Megan! I hope that helps. I hope that helps! Did you use the milk paint for your door?
I hope that helps! I believe you can also skip the sanding with the java gel stain, which we seriously considered, but we felt it would be too dark in our kitchen. Ive a question, first: Did you use the flat finish top coat, as shown in the photo, or a satin? Ive read/seen on home improvement shows & in magazines that as long as the laminate is sanded, like on wood composite book shelves for example, it can be painted over. However, after two months after the paint job they are a little peely around the knobs. General Finishes high performance topcoat in flat finish (the water based version). Do I really have to sand in between top coats? Cant wait to try it out! I used the milk paint on my existing cabinets. Can you tell me what color you used on the wall? Having a hard time finding a contact number for the company. Really concerned at this point we will have it sand it all off and try a different project. I have the same white and oak look and all white would look so much better. In fact, you will be able to SKIP the liquid deglossing step since you have already sanded! But, you dont have to sand, as long as you use a liquid deglosser. I dont remember the cost, but I believe we used 2 or 3 quarts of the light grey and 2 pints of the dark gray and about 1/2 gallon of the top coat. In that post, I share my personal experience along with 8 other successful kitchen makeovers that used differentpaint options. :) so my only question isdo you think I should take any other step besides cleaning and using deglosser if I have wood cabinets with dark red horrible paint on top? You can read all about the best paint for kitchen cabinets in this post.
Your cabinets look great! Nope, we did not sand between coats. You can purchase the paint on Amazonthere is a link to it in my post. Did you tape or seal anything off? Can you use a paint sprayer for the application for either the milk paint and/or the top coat? Three coatsbut I went with the Snow White. I painted my laundry room cabinets with latex paint and they chipped almost immediately. The hubs and I are so excited to try this! We chose a flat finish because our cabinets had so much wood grain. Oh wow, your photos and tutorial actually made my husband say yes to painting our oak cabinets!! ANYHOO, do you know what the process would be for redoing these cabinets with the type paint you used? I hope that helps! Even with foam brushes (which I used) there were/are brush marks, although no one but me has ever seemed to see them.
Thanks, your project results are awesome!
Thanks so much. That is not what I am going to give you. I stumbled across Part 2 of your Kitchen make-over, and have now spent over an hour reading that and other projects on your blog! Thanks for reading and good luck! Since you didnt sand them, is the finish smooth, i.e. I hope that helps! A couple questions how have the spray painted hinges held up?
I hope that helps! ive haaaaated my oak cabinets since we moved in, and its always been a to-do but ive never wanted to put up with the sanding and priming, blah blah blah. Your cabinets look great & im trying to get up the nerve to paint mine this way! Hi Wendy! So happy to have you join our team, Tasha! In the picture it looks a little blue (it seems gray tends to do that), is this just a trick of the light? Its worth ordering a few and actually painting test swatches on your cabinets since colors can look so different depending on the lighting and surroundings of your home. Any idea if the GF milk paint would work? Thanks for your help. I had a question regarding the paint deglosser though. I believe both the spray paint AND clear coat were Valspar.
I liked that I could see the paint in person. I could not believe it. Being able to go from start to finish in under a week is great too. Hope that helps! But so nervous. First coat i used a foam brush, second coat i tried a bristle brush. It is huge. The instructions on the can say you should sand before you paint and between coats. Yes, you can read about the other method I have used to paint kitchen cabinets that is faster and easier here . Good luck! We chose the flat finish top coat to help minimize the light catching the grain so its less noticeable. I have I little more cabinets than you and I wanted to see if the quart would be enough. The samples I referred to were just their pint size paints. Can you still use this paint over oil paint without sanding or priming? I wonder what makes this particular milk pain different. We love our results! Thanks! I used about 3 quarts of the Seagull Gray for all of the cabinets and 2 pints of the Queenstown Gray. Vintage. My only thought is that maybe since you have knobs instead of handles like us that your hands/skin actually come into contact with the paint more and have worn it down in those areas? Hi Melanie! We only had to do two coats, but we didnt have any issue with brush marks. I am pretty sure the faces of my cabinets are t real wood. Trying to figure out how many quarts I need to purchase, did you paint the back of the cabinet doors? I have never tried it, but this is what General Finishes website says about its milk paint: General Finishes milk paints will adhere to a variety of surfaces including wood, fiberglass, PVC, vinyl, and most composite materials. I hope that helps! We sanded the rest of the doors much more thoroughly, and used two coats of Kilz premium primer, and they look great. Hi Linda! I have 4 smaller squares (above the fridge), 6 longer cabinet doors, 3 drawers, and 4 medium cabinet doors. Hope that helps! All the details can be found here: . Im pinning this for later.