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momto4boys_gw

Anyone paint oak cabinets...and regret it??

momto4boys
14 years ago

I went to Benjamin Moore's today to get paint to take on our kitchen cabinets. Dh took tomorrow off, and with Mon being a holiday. That would give us four days. A GREAT start.

Well, I left empty handed.

The paint guy had me so scared about doing this, I was in tears. I FINALLY decide to just do it, and now I'm freaked out. He tells me oak isn't meant to be painted over. The grain shows terribly. And he has people coming back all the time, dissapointed in the end result.

Dh said it's like the guy at McDonald's talking me out of a cheeseburger, LOL.

I think it was more like him trying to talk me into a grilled chicken sandwich :) Doesn't look as good. Not what I REALLY want. But, better in the long run.

As he was trying to convince me to just use a gel or one step stain to change the appearance of my horrid honey oak cabinets. He showed me several examples. Not bad. Not painted cabs, though. Sigh.

Comments (80)

  • momto4boys
    Original Author
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Oh, the backsplash is coming...slowly. DH has never attemtped such a DIY project before. So, we shall see by the end of the day :)
    The backspash is just white subway tile. When it's finished, if it doesn't look freakishly stark with the oak cabs, there's a small chance we'll leave things as is for now. I had green counters until a couple of wks ago. I painted the walls red knowing we'd change them out. But, were unable to get to them right away. I've lived in a Christmas kitchen for two yrs, lol. And it's been driving me NUTS! I'd really like to keep the red, because I love the way it looks in the eat in area. Just not a fan of it in the kitchen with the oak cabinets. I mean, it's "ok". I just don't think it's doing the oak any favors.
    But, open to the living room that has lots of reds..it works.
    If we painted the cabinets, it's gotta go. I want to do gray/green lowers. Something similiar to this. But, I know it's not going to look exactly like it. Different appliances, we won't be raising the cabs, doing floating shelf, etc. (although that was the plan a few months ago. I got tons of negative feedback on raising cabs)

    White dove is what we just did in the boy's bathroom, and I loved the color. It wasn't Aura, though. It was BM paint, low luster metal and wood enamel. (just ran out to garage to see what it was) It's the same thing they suggested for the kitchen. But, it's been over a month since we did that. And I could easily scratch them up if I wanted to. I tapped on the inside with my nails yesterday, and it left marks :( But, they said it could take about a month to cure. Thus, the reason my boys are brushing teeth in OUR bathroom these days :)

  • morgne
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Lol. I LOVE raised cabs. Just sayin, I musta missed that thread!

  • lisa_a
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    pattyk_64, are your white cabinets glazed? It doesn't look like they are but it's hard to tell in photos. I've been hunting for photos of white/cream painted oak cabinets without glazing and they're pretty hard to find. I think I prefer the unglazed look (that said, your cabinets are beautiful, prestonbeary!).

    What led me down the glazed path is that I had been told (can't remember by who) that glazing helps hide the dust and such that will collect in the nooks and crannies of raised panel doors. Wood doors hide a multitude of sins but white or cream painted doors bare all. Was someone feeding me a line of blarney about the usefulness of glazing?

    Another question for you, pattyk_64. I realized after looking at your cab photos a few times that you have raised panel doors on the perimeter cabs and inset doors on your island. I don't think I've seen the two styles mixed in the same kitchen before so I'm curious how this came about. TIA!

    How goes your project, momto4boys?

  • momto4boys
    Original Author
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I'm about to fire my tile guy :) (dh)
    He has one run ALMOST finished. Another to go as well as some bullnose pieces to add.
    And to think, we had plans for back splash in ONE day. And getting cabinet doors off, primed and one coat of paint in the other three. HAHAHAHA!
    Clueless do it yourselfers. What can I say ? :)

  • pattyk_64
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    lisa, my cabinets are not glazed, we also prefer the cleaner look of them this way. It's too soon to tell about keeping them clean, as they haven't been installed very long yet. As far as the raised panels go, we have them everywhere, no inset drawer fronts on the island. Maybe the black paint is playing tricks on you?

  • lisa_a
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Thanks, pattyk_64! We have a spare door from the laundry room cabs that are a slightly different style - recessed, not raised panels - but I'm tempted to paint one just to see what I think of the doors in unglazed paint.

    No, it wasn't the black paint, it was the big corner posts in the photo that fooled me. Now that I look at the photo again, it's obvious the doors and drawers are overlay and it's just my eyes playing tricks on me.

    If you dh is like my dh, he will be happy to be fired, momto4boys! LOL Sorry the project is going so slowly but I think that's the nature of DIY.

  • momto4boys
    Original Author
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Yea, he'd be pretty ok to get the boot :) He told me earlier, his new LEAST favorite thing...tiling, lol. Plumbing has been the front runner until now. Change is good, lol.

    Looks better in person. But, still rather shocking to see something there after all these years.
    I don't think the cabinets totally suck with the white. But, I think it makes me want to go "all the way" :) And paint!!

  • choochnbob
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I recently painted my old yucky oak cabinets. Mine did not look anything like yours. Mine were gross. I HATE oak and I actually think yours look quite nice. I like them with the new backsplash too.
    I painted mine with Cabinet Coat Paint tinted to Ben Moore White Sand. I used the Cabinet Coat brand since it was mentioned numerous times on the paint forum as well as recommended at my fancy pants paint store. As far as oil vs. water based, if you search on the paint forum you'll see that they recommend a high quality water based paint since apparently oil based will yellow over time. If you're planning white uppers, that is potentially a problem. If your lowers are going to be darker then the yellowing might not matter there. I brushed since I don;t like the look of sprayed. I tried spraying before with one I got at HD for about $80 and hated the finish. I waste dmore time than if I had just brushed so I knew I was going to brush this kitchen job. Wasn't hard, just time consuming.
    I am a mom to 3 boys and one cat and my cabs have only been painted for a couple months but I have not had any chipping and I tried pretty hard on the inside of a door, not to mention the various Matchbox cars smashing into them.

    At first I had intended to paint and then glaze them as well but I stopped once they were painted b/c dh thought the glaze would be too dirty looking. I did not like the painted only look so kept trying to perfect the glazing ( that was frustrating) and I finally ended up with a glazing technique that we both agree does not look dirty but rather much, much warmer than the painted only look. And for the time they were not glazed, boy did they get dirty...or at least they showed it a lot more. The glazing makes it very forgiving for spills which happen A LOT around here.

    One thing to consider is that your subway tile is white and how closely or not do you want to match the cabs to it.
    Our appliances are white and will remain that way until I save up enough for new ones in SS. Our counters are beigey laminate- again not a perfect color match but I can live with it until we can afford to change them out. I can live with the off-white/glazed cabs with white applicances and off white counters but I know it would bug some people...perhaps those with OCD???
    That brings me to the issue of no doors on the cabs--- that WILL be tough to live with. It absolutely drove me crazy! And it will probably last for 2 or 3 weeks so take that into consideration.
    And it WILL take longer than you think- I was hoping 3 weeks and it took > double that although I did add quite a bit of wood trim in addition to painting.
    As for the grain showing through, I did a lot of sanding and priming and coats so it dowesn;t show through too much, just enough so they don;t look like that fake white cabinet stuff. I was initially all worried about hiding the grain but most of it hid itself in all the coats- what was a huge issue for me just turned into a non-issue easily.

    With all that said, do I regret it? Not for a second. But my cabs were gross. Yours are not and already you've updated with the backsplash and new wall paint will go a long way too.

    Anyway, I can email you some directions I got from GW if you want.
    Good luck with your decision.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Chooch's painted /glazed cabs

  • phoggie
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    mom~~~
    If your DH thinks tiling is bad (heck, it is the one thing that even I can do), he hasn't seen anything yet until he paints those cabinets....if he takes all the steps to do it right, and if he doesn't, they will chip like crazy...PITA~~~~ And besides, if you paint them white, with the white subway and appliances, I think you might be getting too much white in there......and I certainly do hope you decide to keep that red painted walls....still love them~~~

  • phoggie
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I think you intend to sell before too long. I had a friend of mine who DID paint their oak cabinets....and they were not in nearly as good as shape as yours....she put her house on the market and lost a sale because of the paint......the buyers wanted stained wood and thought they could not afford to replace the cabinets, so didn't buy the house. If you don't intend to stay long, I certainly would not paint them because of her experience.

  • rnest44
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Yep, I agree with phoggie...keep the red walls, white subway tiles, and oak cabinets for now. I like the white appliances with the soon to be done tile. DH is a gem!
    So I have two little women but I grew up with four brothers. WOW, you are in for some fun! ;)
    Is the cabinet hardware new or will you be changing it out? I'm thinking a satin nickel might look well with all your accessories.

  • momto4boys
    Original Author
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    chooch, I've also heard a LOT about cabinet coat. But, seem unable to get it around here. I may call one other place. I think your cabs came out GREAT! I just realized with all our molding in the kitchen, the glaze may not look so great. Ok, dh pointed it out. Course, he doesn't like anything that looks "old", so he'll do all he can to get me off that train, lol.
    What did you not like about the sprayed on finish?

    phoggie, I'm pretty sure painting will be a picnic after this tile job. UGH! We're on hour..um, 23? And I think, maybe..just maybe he's ALMOST done. What the heck???? I have no clue what it's taking him sooooo long. Ok, he's a perfectionist. But, STILL! I'm ready to beat him over the head with the level, seriously, lol. Could I have done better? Probably not. But, my kitchen being in chaos right now is wearing on me. So, yea..having my cabinet doors off and everything a mess for possibly a month for painting. OY! Maybe not such a smart plan.
    And yep, we hope to sell in the next few yrs. I was in 5 homes in our subdivsion this weekend, all for sale. All cookie cutter, like mine. All builder oak cabinets, the laminate we JUST ditched, with the wood trim around it. (blech) I can honestly not tell you one thing that was different about any of them. So, when I think of resale..I worry I'll turn some off. But, deep down I hope I'll set myself apart. IF it's done right.
    If we do lowers green, I know that's not very neutral. We thought about black, but I think it's too stark. I honestly figure if we're in the position to sell in a few yrs, then putting some money out to repaint the cabs again professionally may be the way to go.

    owls, that's the old hardware. I actually bought some orb knobs and pulls last wk to go if we opted to leave it as is. I put some up today. Eh, it's "ok". If we paint, though..I want chrome. Least, I think I do..:)

  • gsciencechick
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Owls, I was going to post the same blog. I must've found it here somewhere, and you cannot argue with the results although it is obviously a lot of work.

    Our cabinets aren't oak, but original knotty pine, so we have some grain to hide as well.

  • caryscott
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    You may get better performance from an alkyd primer (like Zinnser B-I-N), some say yes some say no. Most recommend a water based paint for top coating - because of the tendency of white alkyd paint to yellow, fumes and clean up. Most pros seem to think there is no advantage in terms of performance or durability to using alkyd paint anymore.

  • canuck88
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    PattyK, do you remember the 'model' name of those pulls? I can't find them on the Richelieu site... thanks!

  • pattyk_64
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Here's the number: BP30342195

    If you click on the link that I posted above it should take you directly to the page with those pulls on it.

  • lisa_a
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    patty_64, what type of paint did you use for your cabinets? I know you sprayed but did you go with an oil or acrylic and whose brand? What about the primer?

    I saw some oak cabinets yesterday that were lacquered. I could see and feel the grain but less so than some other cabinets I've seen. They looked and felt really good. Not sure if that's the way to go, though. I don't know much about lacquer. Has anyone gone this route?

    Sorry for the hijack of your thread, momto4boys but it made sense to have all this info about painting oak cabs in the same thread.

  • lisa_a
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    bump

  • jdesign_gw
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Oak 101. Oak has a very pronounced grain. Especially in the more common rotary cut that is in all the pictures above. There is hard and soft grain - the soft being more recessed then the hard. If you want to paint over this and don't want to see the grain, or less of it, you need to fill the soft grain level to the hard. One way to do this is with many coats of primer and sanding in between. You need to sand so you almost sand all the paint off because you won't sand the recessed areas and they will eventually fill up to be level with the higher ones. The paint also needs to dry well because it will shrink and sink into the grain. A faster way to do this is to use a grain filler. It has more body than paint and will fill faster. One thin coat of primer, then grain filler or spackle (muralo professional grade spackle #689 is supposed to be the best). A skim coat put on with a putty knife. After it's dry, sand, prime, then paint.
    John

  • lisa_a
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    bump again. Got a question for you, pattyk_64 about your paint and for others regrading lacquer paint for cabinets.

  • momof3kids
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Jdesign- I agree-if you don't want grain- better to fill than sand- my cabinets have held up beautifully (nodirthere pics above is my kitchen)- the only problem I had, was 3 bottles of red wine (NEVER put a wine rack on top of the fridge!) came crashing splattering all over the cabinets before the paint was cured and 2 cabinets had a faint stain I had to repaint- I was going to put a final poly over the paint but never did (I was told it would yellow, and I didn;t want that)- I haven't had any problem w/getting anything off of them since and switched to white .......no regrets at all ...I think the leaving the grain is a more country/rustic look.that (my opinion) looks better in black or darker colors, I have seen light cabinets w/full grain showing and it just wasn't the more dressy look I was going for- it depends on what look you want. I had looked into just replacing the cabinet doors as an alternative- will cost more, but save on the work- just throwing that out there-.very rewarding- go for it!

  • lisa_a
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Thanks, jdesign, for the tips.

    momof3kids, thanks for the info! I bookmarked your kitchen in the FKB weeks ago and I go back to it regularly. I've read your painting steps but I'm unclear as to who did what during the process. Did you do all the prep work and hire the painter only to paint or did the painter do everything but the glazing? If you did the prep work, how long did it take you to do a door? How finicky was the work? We don't have that many cabinets to paint so maybe this is a doable task.

    While visible wood grain might give a country/rustic vibe, I think cabinet style and finishing touches add to that. I don't want edges rubbed off or heavy glazing, if I do glazing at all. I think our home can handle the wood grain showing, provided the cabinets are not distressed, and especially because we have fake wood doors with grain (isn't it funny that we're working to remove oak grain but pay more for fake wood doors with grain showing?)

    I want simple and classic. We have a lot of family heirlooms and antiques but I'm hard pressed to say what style we have. It's not formal, it's traditional but not fussy (like yours), and it's most definitely not country. Or if it is, it's clean country, a term I coined to say it might have the flavor courtesy of our family pieces but it lacks all the fuss, dried flowers and baskets (and roosters! Aren't roosters a country touch? Or maybe I'm clueless when it comes to this stuff). I love aktillery's kitchen. It and others inspired me to go with painted uppers and stained lowers. That look could be country but it certainly isn't in aktillery's kitchen.

    Anyone know anything about painting oak cabinets with lacquer?

    Here is a link that might be useful: aktillery's kitchen

  • faleash
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Hi Lisa-
    My cabinet painter had an enamel lacquer as an option. It's thicker than the regular paint. Again... preference. Although I really like the look and durability, I think oak grain adds just a bit of character and makes the pieces look like they are made of wood. Ours (that you saw) show SOME grain. My options were enamel (to show basically no grain), paint (to show some), a stain (to show all the grain). I chose what was behind door number 2!!! Are you really thinking of DIYing this?

  • jdesign_gw
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Does anyone know about lacquer? Yes, a lot. What is it you want to know? There is a brushing lacquer but 99.9% of lacquer is always sprayed. Spraying is a more professional looking job. Same as I wrote above applies to lacquer. The more you fill the grain the less you see it. The lacquered cabinets you saw did not have less grain showing because they were painted with lacquer but because more prep was done to them. Lacquer is not a thick paint. It's thinner than most. Especially in a sprayable consistency. Several coats are needed for coverage. I agree that darker colors look better with some grain showing through. Are you equipped for spaying?

  • megsy
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    My painters are in my kitchen painting my ugly oaks cabs as I type. They sanded then primed with Zinnser and are painting them with oil based satin finish by BM (HC-109). They look phenomenal.

  • beekeeperswife
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    We are in the middle of painting our oak cabinets. I spent a week using Pore-o-Pac to fill in the wood grain. It's a brushable pore filler. I did 2 coats of this on each door. Fronts only. Before I applied it, I sanded and washed each one with TSP. We have sprayed the BM Fresh Start primer twice, and I have to say--I don't really see the grain (on the fronts). Next step is the Impervo enamel top coat. The can says it can be used in a sprayer, so that is what we are planning on doing. I just need to decide between BM White Cloud and BM White Down.

    We were going to glaze them as well, but on the practice/scrap door, it made the white down too yellow. So, we aren't sure about glazing right now.

  • lisa_a
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Oooh, post pictures as soon as you can, megsy!

    faleash, am I thinking of DIYing this? That's a definite maybe. ;-) I certainly couldn't get to it any time soon. My life is insane and will stay that way for, what, another month at least with a brief lull before it starts all over again (I realized I haven't had a decent vacation in almost 3 years - and that's just wrong!). If I took any of it on, I think I'd do prep and have the cabinets spray painted by professionals.

    jdesign, I should have worded my question more precisely. The cabinets I saw were prepared in this manner: light sanding and caulking corners & joints, primer brushed on (helps to push it into the grain, he said), sanding, primer sprayed on, sanding, then 2 coats of color sprayed on, then glaze topcoat, then 2 coats of sealer lacquer. Earlier, I posted a link to a photo of the cabinets I saw but I'll add it here, too. The grain was visible but not ugly, IMO, and the finish was very nice to the touch.

    I was told that lacquer is one of the hardest (or the hardest?) paint finishes, which should mean it wears well. It also cures relatively quickly compared to other paints. I wondered how well it holds up over time. Does its hardness make it more brittle and prone to chips or more durable and resistant to them? I don't know and I can't seem to find an answer.

    I'm getting multiple quotes for the task in case I chicken out or just can't squeeze another task into my schedule. The more info I have about the process and the pros and cons of the different paints, the better. Thanks!

    momto4boys, how goes the tiling project? And what did you decide about painting your cabinets?

    Here is a link that might be useful: painted oak cabinet door

  • Happyladi
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Some cabinets are much improved by painting but your cabinets look very nice in the picture you posted. The style is very current. They don't look yucky at all. If you are planning on selling soon I don't think you should paint.

  • joyski
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Hi everyone, I'm new to the site. My kitchen looks very much like a photo above. I would really like to try painting my oak cabinets, but I think I'll try to paint my bathroom oak cabs first as a tester. I would love any suggestions for my budget kitchen makeover - I can't afford to change everything right now which is why I'd like to paint my cabs, perhaps add backsplash & then a fresh coat of paint on the walls. What colors for walls and cabs do you think would go with my white tile countertops (hate them, but I gotta live with them for now)? Oh, and I have white appliances also (can't update now) I appreciate any advice! here's a link to my kitchen http://www.flickr.com/photos/joyski311/3612695746/

    Here is a link that might be useful: my kitchen needs help!

  • PRO
    Window Accents by Vanessa Downs
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Joyski,
    I think your kitchen would look fantastic with painted cabinets and a new coat of paint on the walls. Since you have the white tile counters, I would probably opt for cabinets painted in a sage green with a darker glaze (like Teppy's island) or perhaps a gray color. Then choose a nice color for the walls based on what you paint your cabinets.

    However, if you like a monochromatic look and want white cabinets - that would be a very clean look with the white tile counters. Then you could use almost any color on the walls.

    You may want to start a new thread to get ideas for your kitchen.

  • lisa_a
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    downsy beat me to the suggestion, joyski. You'll likely get more design idea responses if you start a new thread about your kitchen. You can always pop back in here with questions about painting your cabs or to find out more about how to do it.

    Do you know how to start a new thread? Just go to the very bottom of the forum page to find the blanks to start a new thread.

  • joyski
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    downsy and lisa_a,

    thanks for responding, i will start a new thread.

  • jdesign_gw
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Lacquer is not the hardest finish. Catalyzed conversion varnish, CV for short, is the hardest and the best, followed by pre. cat.(pre-catalyzed lacquer) and then regular lacquer, NC lacquer(nitrocellulose).

  • lisa_a
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Thanks, jdesign! CV is clear for use on stained wood, correct? So for paint, pre-catalyzed lacquer and NC lacquer are my choices. What about yellowing? We're going with a lighter color so the yellowing factor is an issue for us. Our 15 year old white woodwork (oil enamel, I think) has varying degrees of yellowing, depending on the room. Some of it is really bad.

    Acrylic will yellow the least, if at all. Oil may or may not yellow and if it does, it won't yellow as badly as oils used in previous years (the answer changes depending on who I talk to, very confusing). Ditto for lacquer. It depends on the formulation. New formulas don't yellow as badly as old ones. Or so I've been told. Sheesh, it's one thing to discuss the pros and cons of painting oak but what to paint it with is a whole other issue.

    I think it's time to wander over to the paint forum. Is anyone interesting in learning what I find out? If so, I can post a link to the discussion.

  • jdesign_gw
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    No CV comes pigmented also. This is where it gets a little technical and confusing. CV is self-sealing which means it can be used as it's own primer. It can be used alone as the only material you use to paint the doors with or you can top coat with clear CV for and extra layer of protection and to adjust sheen level. They make a CV primer or some use a vinyl sealer as primer or color coat then top coated with a clear CV. Vinyl sealer is compatible to use under CV. These different combinations are used because because of issues such as re-coat windows, pot-life ect. All of these materials come pigmented, white only, and need to be tinted they have different sheen levels from 10-90. It's probably best to let me know what look you really want.What capabilities you have if you plan on doing it yourself or if someone is going to do it and what they are comfortable using.
    John

  • momto4boys
    Original Author
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Wow, I didn't know this thread was still going. Thank you to those who have continued to offer advice and steps on how to get this done. I'm trying to piece all this together and decide what works best for us. Yes, I still want to paint them. Probably even more now that the backsplash is done. It looks ok how it is. But, I just wanna go "all the way" :)

    lisa, here's some pics of the backsplash. was a SLOW process. but, dh did a great job!!!

    and here's a before and after from where we were a couple months ago. ugly green counters, with the lovely red paint, lol.
    maybe I can just ditch the red and either try to work a green in the space. Or pull the lenox tan from the living room (open floor plan) and be done. We'll see.

  • lisa_a
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Thanks, again, jdesign.

    It seems the best painted finish is a sprayed finish and I don't think we're up to that. It takes a practiced hand and I don't really want to practice on my kitchen cabinets. ;-) Prepping them is another thing but let's put that aside for the moment and consider this a task we'll hand over to the pros.

    When you ask what I'm looking for, do you mean sheen? Or glazing technique? Or all of the above? We want a satin sheen, something with a bit of gloss so it's easier to clean than flat paint but not high gloss. We don't want them heavily glazed. We prefer a more subtle look or perhaps even no glaze. I've linked to one of my inspiration photo below. We're planning to use a creamy tan very similar to the color on the cabs in the kitchen I've linked.

    We're going with a honed or satin-finished granite and glazed ceramic creamy-tan subway tiles for the backsplash, if that matters.

    We don't want them to yellow or at least have that be as mimimal as possible. As I wrote, our white painted woodwork has yellowed a lot - and so has the clear finish on our GO cabinets.

    One of the painters giving us a quote uses lacquer. Another uses BM, although I can't recall if it's Aura or Impervo they use (they go to the same local paint store that I go to). The other prefers SW enamel. Price is only one aspect for our decision. We're willing to pay more if we gain a great finish, good coverage and long lasting results.

    If our choice is also the least smelly, that's also a good thing. I have asthma so the less a product is likely to trigger an attack, the better.

    pattyk_64, are you out there? I'd still like to know what paint you used on your cabinets. Thanks!

    Here is a link that might be useful: Great American Kitchens - Past Perfect

  • timber.j
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    momto4boys-
    I love the way your kitchen looks with the new backsplash! Your dh did a great job!
    I still like your red walls, too.

  • lisa_a
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    momto4boys, we were posting at the same time so I missed your post and pics until now.

    WOW, it looks great! Fresh and crisp-looking, and it ties in well with your white appliances. They aren't as noticeable as they were before the new b/s. Thumbs up to your dh!

  • pattyk_64
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    lisa_a so sorry I missed your questions! I have been checking in here periodically but seem to have been missing this thread until now.

    We did have our cabinets sprayed with lacquer. I don't know anything about what primer was used or anything though. If you have any other questions, feel free to email me.

  • lisa_a
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Thanks, pattyk_64! So far, you're the only person I've heard from who had her cabs sprayed with lacquer. Your cabs don't have as high a sheen as the lacquer painted cabs I saw last week. I really do like the way they look. The painter comes today to give me a quote so I'll see what else I can learn from him.

    When we started this project, I figured it would be a simple update. I mean, how hard could it be to just paint oak cabinets? Why it's as easy as picking white paint! LOL

  • lisa_a
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    prestonbeary, did you brush the paint or spray your cabinets? I looked at your photos above again and your cabinets look very nice.

    jdesign, the painter who gave me a quote today uses pre-cat lacquer. That's the 2nd hardest according to what you wrote above. I can live with that. He also said that whether we glazed or not, we'd still get the same number of coats. Forgot to ask him about sheen, though. Sheesh. But I should give myself I break. I've exhausted. I woke up at 4:30 when hubby got up to go fishing (and I'm not a morning person!).

    Do you have recommendations for number of coats of primer, paint and protective top coat? Does it matter whether it's brushed or sprayed? I have been told that brushing tends to put more paint on in each coat. Is that true? Thanks!

  • jdesign_gw
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Laquers, CV's, pre cat's., any solvent based materials are never brushed. They all contain hot solvents that flash off in seconds. You wouldn't even get halfway down the door with the first brush stroke before it would dry. It wouldn't be pretty. They do make a brushable lacquer but this is hardly ever used and no reason to. If you're going to hand brush something you would use a different type of paint.

    The thing is I could tell you what I think or what I would use but it comes down to what your painter is comfortable and experienced with. Regular lacquer is not good in a wet environment. It will lift if exposed to water for any length of time. Pre-cat. is not bad but personally I would use conversion varnish because it's harder, practically water-proof and essentially the same process as using the pre-catalyzed lacquer. This is the finished used by all major cabinet brands. One reason someone might be reluctant to use it is pre-cat. is shot right out of the can as is where as CV you add a catalyst and it's only good for about 6 hours (pot life) so if you don't clean your equipment well you're in a lot of sh%#t. This is why it's a harder finish. You'll find out just how hard if you get lazy and let it sit in your gun overnight. Nothing breaks it down.

    You asked about the smell. Everything except water-based is going to smell. If you have asthma you don't what to be anywhere near the others when they're being sprayed. The smell pretty much dissipates overnight. Depending on atmospheric conditions it may linger slightly for another day or two. The majority of the spraying (the doors) should be done in the shop anyway. John

    P.S. I wish I could just paint our cabinets for you so I don't have to keep writing these long answers. It's not that I mind it's just I don't type that fast or spell that well.

  • lisa_a
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I wish I could just paint our cabinets for you

    Me, too! Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions, though. I really appreciate your guidance especially since typing isn't your strong suit.

  • juliacodeman
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    this blog has been my inspiration! I went for it, here is my 80's Era honey oak country kitchen before......

  • juliacodeman
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    And after...... we custom mixed a Benjamin Moore oil paint, then (this was really hard to find) used a flat sealer over it, it is actually matte in finish but totally washable and extremely durable! (we also did soapstone, crown, farmhouse sink, new fixtures, pulls, rebuilt some of the cabinetry and a tile backsplash ...).

  • juliacodeman
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    And after...... we custom mixed a Benjamin Moore oil paint, then (this was really hard to find) used a flat sealer over it, it is actually matte in finish but totally washable and extremely durable! (we also did soapstone, crown, farmhouse sink, new fixtures, pulls, rebuilt some of the cabinetry and a tile backsplash ...).

  • akrogirl
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Really nice job - I love what you have done there!

  • maryhwhite
    7 years ago

    I know this is an old post, but I wanted to say I like the wood grain showing through as well. I purchased a Nuvo cabinet painting kit, and it is SO EASY to use and looks great! I have 1988 oak cabinets, which do not have much (if any) varnish/shellac/polyurethane on them, so I cannot speak of what it would be like otherwise. However, the instructions indicate the product works the same regardless. See the picture which shows all the items included in the kit.

  • kathyfurtado
    6 years ago

    I recently used liming wax to lighten my oak cabinets. I'm really happy with the results. Search for "cerused oak" to see the effect and instructions.