I'm personally not a fan of being able to see the grain through paint. That's one of the reasons I've hesitated to paint our own oak cabinets. Durability of trim is sort of over kill as once it's up, it has minimal risk of getting damaged. I understand preferring wood over that mdf stuff cause sometimes that just looks fake so it's definately worth the expense to upgrade from mdf to wood. However I'm of the believe that the difference between pine & oak trim isn't so much for durability, as it is asthetics. Oak trim is more for those who want a stained trim like you see in a Craftman home, and pine is for when you want to paint because it does cover well. HTH -- Lukki

The previous owner painted all the 50s oak builtins in my current home. I think the grain showing through is nice, although I would have preferred these items unpainted...anyway, I'm all for painted oak beadboard! I rather like the grain.

Ha, a question I can finally answer with experience :)
We just had our Oak cabinets painted last week. At the primer stage I pointed out I didn't like seeing so much grain and it wasn't the finish we agreed on. It took several extra days, but the painter skim coated all the oak befoe painting. One door somehow got missed from being skimmed and it really is a visible difference. They need to come back to fix that and some other areas.

Our crown moulding is new and was primed pine, it has a very smooth finish. Same for the shoe mold.

Just depends on the look you like. On large areas (like my cabinets) I preferred minimal grain so it takes lots more steps. I am not aware of a paint that can hide the grain. My painter used the stuff that you use to patch drywall because the grain actually has to be very finely filled in I think he said.

katiee.... could you take a side-by-side picture by any chance? I'll trade for a cute basset hound picture...

Speaking of bassets... that was what got the oak in the house. I had pine and oak samples and the pine ones got really beat up (dented, etc) just being in my 'sample bag'... and the basset hound chews on the trim sometimes. For the beadboard, i thought it would be more impervious to water. Ugh. Wish I would have gotten the pine!

We painted our oak cabinets white, but didn't want the grain to show so we used Behlen Grain Filler (purchased from Woodcraft) prior to painting. It worked well, and we didn't even need to prime afterward. The directions said to use a putty knife to apply, but we found that very drippy and difficult. We ended up applying it with a paint brush, spreading it into the grain with the putty knife, and then sanding lightly when dry. Seems like it would be difficult to do this with beadboard though, considering all the grooves. I also have oak trim, painted white, on which we did not use any grain filler, and I cannot see grain on it.

there is something that will cover the grain. it smells, and its expensive, but it is the only thing that i found that will do the job of getting rid of wood grain for painting. i have used it myself.

its from "fine paints of europe". its their brushing putty. it goes on like thick paint and is self leveling. i did two coats and then sanded and got very good results. i tested it out on a bathroom cabinet.

I was going to do my ash kitchen cabinets until our plans changed because of our flooring. i wanted to use it to paint the boxes instead of refacing. i was then going to get new doors. i ended up getting new custom cabinets in the end and did not do an entire kitchen. it would probably be very time consuming.

i am giving the link below.

Here is a link that might be useful: Fine paints of Europe

Girlwithaspirin was one who did an amazing job painting her oak cabinets. There is a link below to her before and after photos.

Here are her instructions and comments:

painting my cabinets dark... the process!

posted by: girlwithaspirin on 10.06.2008 at 11:45 pm in Kitchens Forum
Hey kids. Long time, no type. :) I hope all's well with all my old pals here.

In the last few weeks, I've gotten at least 15 emails asking how I painted my cabinets. Such a nice surprise, considering how long it's been since I posted! I wish I could remember who I initially gleaned all this info from. You guys were an immense help, so now I'm just paying it forward.

Supplies:
Benjamin Moore Satin Impervo Alkyd in Bittersweet Chocolate
Purdy angled brushes
Thick plastic dropcloths
Sandpaper
Mineral spirits and rags for clean-up as you go

-Remove doors.
-Clean and lightly sand everything.
-Remove dust with a tack cloth.
-Rest each door on its bottom edge. Do not paint that edge -- youâÂÂll do it once the doors are re-hung.
-Paint the backs first with a thin coat of Satin Impervo. Thin coats give more of a handrubbed look and also avoid drips. If you do see some drips, try to catch them early -- once the paint starts to dry, youâÂÂll make a mess trying to smooth them out. Let dry at least overnight, preferably a few nights to avoid smudges when you flip the doors around.
-Paint the fronts in the same way.
-Let cure for as long as you can stand it. A week would be ideal.
-In the meantime, paint the cabinet boxes. I didnâÂÂt paint the insides, and IâÂÂve never regretted it.
-After a weekâÂÂs gone by, re-hang the doors. Paint the bottom edge of each. Do any touch-up.
-Depending on your wood, the paint may keep absorbing in certain places. I kept the paint can in my kitchen for a month, doing quick touch-ups wherever necessary.

If you have oak, keep in mind, you will see grain through the paint. If you'd rather not, you'll have to use some kind of putty to fill the grain, then prime, then paint. I just didn't have the energy for it, and it turns out, I love the look -- people mistake it for a handrubbed stain all the time.

I'm so happy with how the cabinets have stood up over time. Not a single chip or scratch! To be honest, I cut so many corners in the prep (by choosing not to prime), I thought for sure I'd be dealing with the aftermath now. I credit the paint and patience for 100% of the success. Seriously, this paint is the real deal.

Here is a link that might be useful: Beautifully painted Oak cabs

Jodi - thanks for posting that! I can at least get an idea of what it will look like. It'd be nice to see an example in white, though! Although the girlwithasprin post is superhelpful!

We are in the process of having our oak cabinets painted. Personally, I love the grain showing, but like the others said, it's personal preference. We did see a kitchen where it was done before we went ahead with ours, and I thought it was gorgeous! I'll post pics once our kitchen is done, probably in about 2-3 weeks.

well, don't regret the oak yet. We have TONS of it (1980's built house) and it really does stand the test of time.

Okay, taking pictures of white painted surface is not as easy as I thought :) Here are the two doors together, the one on the left was missed the one on the right was skimmed:

Then this is (supposedly) skimmed oak cabinet side topped with primed pine painted to match:

Sorry I couldn't get a better pic, most I tried were worse. I will see if I can get a better shot either once it gets dark or in the morning and will post again if they show more detail.

A Bassett huh? We have a beagle. Our cats are another story, they have scratched up alot of our wood :(

Thanks for posting! That gives me a better idea. I think it looks lovely with and without the skimming!

We just had our cabinets refaced with oak wood and I love the grain showing through. The grain showing through is proof that the cabinet doors are real wood and not MDF.