Our kitchen has those old 90s honey oak cabinets. The wood is still in really good shape, but the color makes the whole kitchen look so dark and old. I want to paint them a nice off-white to match our walls, but everyone keeps warning me about the prep work.
They say if you don’t sand them down completely and use a specific grain filler, the oak texture will bleed right through the paint and look cheap.
Has anyone here done this DIY project successfully? Did you use a brush or rent a sprayer? I’m trying to decide if I should just bite the bullet and do it this weekend, or save up until we can just buy completely new cabinets.
Oak grain absolutely bleeds through without heavy sanding and primer filler. A paint sprayer gives the best factory finish, but it’s brutal work. If patient, DIY it to save thousands.
Painting oak cabinets can work well if you prep properly cleaning, sanding, and priming are key to avoiding grain bleed and achieving a smooth, lasting finish.
Painting them can look really good if you prep properly first. The sanding and filling part is the annoying part honestly. A sprayer gives a smoother finish, but even brushed cabinets can turn out nice.
