Kitchen Cabinet Painting Process
Updated: 2 days ago
Thinking about painting your kitchen cabinets? Here is what happens from preparation and spray-shop finishing to reinstallation—and why the full project usually spans 7–10 days
Kitchen Cabinet Painting: What to Expect From Start to Finish
By Spray It Like New
A professionally painted kitchen should look fresh and refined, but the visible colour is only the final layer of the job. The quality of the result depends on what happens before the finish is applied: careful labelling, thorough cleaning, controlled sanding, proper sealing and a coating system chosen for cabinetry.
For homeowners in Windsor-Essex, Chatham-Kent and Sarnia-Lambton, understanding that process makes it easier to compare quotes and know what to expect once work begins. Here is how Spray It Like New moves a kitchen through preparation, finishing and reinstallation.
A durable cabinet finish starts before the colour goes on
Kitchen cabinets live in a demanding environment. Cooking grease, food residue, cleaning products, moisture and constant handling all affect the surface. Applying a new coating without addressing those conditions can leave weak spots beneath an otherwise attractive finish.
That is why the process is preparation-led. Doors, drawer fronts and hardware are organized before removal. Surfaces are cleaned by hand, sanded to create a reliable base and sealed before the finish coats are applied. Each stage supports the one that follows.
A little homeowner preparation keeps the project moving
You generally do not need to empty every cabinet. Before the project begins, focus on the areas that need direct access:
Empty cabinets behind glass doors.
Clear all open shelves.
Move stored items at least 10 cm back from the front edge inside cabinets.
This creates working room while allowing most cabinet contents to remain in place. The removable pieces are finished at the spray shop, while the fixed cabinet boxes are prepared and coated in the home using the application method that suits the wood, layout and detail.
The five-step kitchen cabinet painting process
The core workflow is organized into five working days. Those days are usually scheduled across a 7–10 day calendar window so the finish is not rushed when conditions require more time.
DAY 1: Label, remove and transport
Doors, drawer fronts, hardware and other removable pieces are carefully identified before removal. That organization matters at the end of the project, when every piece needs to return to its proper position.
The removable parts are loaded for controlled transport to a professional 12 × 30 ft spray booth. The dedicated spray environment provides a consistent place to prepare and finish the pieces away from the daily activity of the kitchen.
What this protects: A clear labelling system reduces confusion during reinstallation and helps preserve the original fit of the cabinetry.
Day 2: Degrease every surface by hand
Cabinets can look clean while still holding cooking residue in corners, around handles and within the wood grain. Each surface is manually degreased to remove contamination that could interfere with adhesion.
This is not a cosmetic wipe-down. The cleaning system is selected to work with the shellac-based primer that follows, creating a compatible foundation for the coating system.
Why it matters: A finish can only perform as well as the surface beneath it.
Day 3: Sand, repair the surface and seal
The existing finish is sanded with a 180-grit dust-extraction system. Raised areas, cracking, flaking and visible blemishes are feathered smooth so they do not telegraph through the new finish.
A Festool sander connected to a HEPA-filter vacuum helps control dust during this stage. After sanding, the surface receives at least two coats of shellac-based primer/sealer to support adhesion and help block wood tannins and old oil-based stains.
The goal: Create a smooth, stable and consistently sealed base before colour is applied.
Day 4: Fine-sand, apply the finish and allow it to cure
A 320-grit cushioned sanding step refines the primed surface. The prepared cabinets then receive two to three coats of Gemini Evo Eclipse cross-linking urethane, built for “1K simplicity, 2K performance.”
The one-component system is applied without adding an isocyanate hardener in the home. A clear coating containing aluminum oxide completes the finish system, while the coating retains flexibility as solid wood responds to seasonal changes in temperature and humidity.
Application: Wood species, grain, cabinet design and access determine whether an area is sprayed or finished with specialized hand tools. The self-levelling coating helps avoid visible roller or brush marks.
Day 5: Deliver, reinstall and clean up
Finished doors and drawer fronts return to the home for reinstallation. Hardware is refitted, felt pads are added and the work area is cleaned.
A touch-up bottle is left behind for future accidental damage. The finish becomes touch-dry quickly, but the cabinets should still be treated gently while full curing continues.
The result: A carefully reassembled kitchen with the transformation completed both at the spray shop and in the home.
Five working days usually span 7–10 calendar days
A five-day process does not always mean five consecutive calendar days. Kitchen size, two-tone finishes, humidity, temperature, grease levels, wood type, the condition of the existing coating & sometimes life itself happens & can all affect timing. We just like to be realistic in our timelines. we'd rather under promise & over deliver!
Allowing a 7–10 day project window provides room to respond to those variables instead of forcing each stage onto an artificial deadline. The in-home portion is typically about 2.5 days, while removable pieces spend more of the process at the spray shop.
Good cabinet refinishing is not a race to the final coat. Each stage needs to prepare the surface for what comes next. |
Comfort in the home is part of the plan
Cabinet refinishing happens partly inside an occupied home, so dust and odour control matter. The primer and topcoat are low in volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and have a mild odour that dissipates quickly. HEPA filtration is also available where sensitivity to airborne particles is a concern.
The kitchen will be in transition, but moving doors and drawer fronts to the spray shop limits how much of the finishing work needs to happen in the home.
Not every existing cabinet surface is suitable for recoating
A surface assessment should happen before a project is booked. Thermofoil, vinyl coatings, latex paint over an older lacquer finish and some other existing coatings may not be suitable for this refinishing process. Spray It Like New does not strip latex paint, thermofoil or vinyl coatings.
Identifying the current finish early prevents surprises and helps determine whether cabinet painting is the right option for the kitchen.
Choose a process you can see and understand
When comparing cabinet painting companies, look beyond colour choices and turnaround claims. Ask how the cabinets will be cleaned, how dust will be controlled, which primer and coating system will be used, where removable pieces will be finished, and what happens if the existing coating is unsuitable.
Spray It Like New has completed more than 941 kitchen cabinet refinishes, brings cabinet and furniture experience dating to 1984, and provides a five-year warranty against peeling. Those proof points sit behind a documented process that homeowners can follow from the first labelled hinge to the final felt pad.
Planning a cabinet transformation?
If you are considering professional kitchen cabinet painting in Windsor-Essex, Chatham-Kent or Sarnia-Lambton, start with an assessment of the existing finish and a clear discussion of the process, schedule and coating system.
See the full kitchen cabinet painting process or contact Spray It Like New at 519-401-3161 to request a quote.
Spray It Like New • Kitchen cabinet painting and refinishing
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