# Painting old oak cabinets whites, is the the prep work worth it? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cabinetry\ **Created:** [May 16, 2026, 8:32pm UTC](https://home.renovation.reviews/t/painting-old-oak-cabinets-whites-is-the-the-prep-work-worth-it/47955 "2026-05-16T20:32:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Joker](https://home.renovation.reviews/user_avatar/home.renovation.reviews/joker/32/14888_2.png) [@Joker](https://home.renovation.reviews/u/Joker)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2026, 8:32pm UTC](https://home.renovation.reviews/t/painting-old-oak-cabinets-whites-is-the-the-prep-work-worth-it/47955/1 "2026-05-16T20:32:24Z")
![images (3) (7)](https://renovation-reviews.storage.googleapis.com/original/2X/6/65658e15e89f5db386c3170e0d6444dbfb14f6b7.jpeg) 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. ---
**Author:** ![Abdul\_Rahman](https://home.renovation.reviews/user_avatar/home.renovation.reviews/abdul_rahman/32/832_2.png) [@Abdul\_Rahman](https://home.renovation.reviews/u/Abdul_Rahman)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2026, 8:38pm UTC](https://home.renovation.reviews/t/painting-old-oak-cabinets-whites-is-the-the-prep-work-worth-it/47955/2 "2026-05-16T20:38:50Z")
Haven’t tried it before but I think you should save up and get another one instead ---
**Author:** ![Richard](https://home.renovation.reviews/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/f0a364/32.png) [@Richard](https://home.renovation.reviews/u/Richard)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2026, 7:29am UTC](https://home.renovation.reviews/t/painting-old-oak-cabinets-whites-is-the-the-prep-work-worth-it/47955/3 "2026-05-17T07:29:43Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Trent](https://home.renovation.reviews/user_avatar/home.renovation.reviews/trent/32/15133_2.png) [@Trent](https://home.renovation.reviews/u/Trent)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2026, 7:30am UTC](https://home.renovation.reviews/t/painting-old-oak-cabinets-whites-is-the-the-prep-work-worth-it/47955/4 "2026-05-17T07:30:34Z")
I haven’t tried that before do issue try and see if it works out very fine ---
**Author:** ![Blossom1](https://home.renovation.reviews/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/71e660/32.png) [@Blossom1](https://home.renovation.reviews/u/Blossom1)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2026, 7:32am UTC](https://home.renovation.reviews/t/painting-old-oak-cabinets-whites-is-the-the-prep-work-worth-it/47955/5 "2026-05-17T07:32:18Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Treasure](https://home.renovation.reviews/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/e36b37/32.png) [@Treasure](https://home.renovation.reviews/u/Treasure)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2026, 7:44am UTC](https://home.renovation.reviews/t/painting-old-oak-cabinets-whites-is-the-the-prep-work-worth-it/47955/6 "2026-05-17T07:44:35Z")
I haven’t painted it before but in my opinion it’s not worth it cause I don’t think it’s going to match ---
**Author:** ![MichaelRobert](https://home.renovation.reviews/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/da6949/32.png) [@MichaelRobert](https://home.renovation.reviews/u/MichaelRobert)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2026, 7:48am UTC](https://home.renovation.reviews/t/painting-old-oak-cabinets-whites-is-the-the-prep-work-worth-it/47955/7 "2026-05-17T07:48:53Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Talent\_lawrence\_Godw](https://home.renovation.reviews/user_avatar/home.renovation.reviews/talent_lawrence_godw/32/14485_2.png) [@Talent\_lawrence\_Godw](https://home.renovation.reviews/u/Talent_lawrence_Godw)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2026, 8:07am UTC](https://home.renovation.reviews/t/painting-old-oak-cabinets-whites-is-the-the-prep-work-worth-it/47955/8 "2026-05-17T08:07:20Z")
Looks good but getting a new one is better so it can serve for the long run