How to Paint Kitchen Cupboards and Units

Is it worth doing?

For a kitchen you're otherwise happy with, it's a lot cheaper than replacing the doors, as Which? and Screwfix both say. The catch is durability: a painted finish is generally less tough than a factory finish, Screwfix notes, so it's more prone to chips and scuffs, especially around the sink.

It's also harder than it looks. When Which? asked 11 of its Trusted Traders (in an article dated 27 April 2026), 64% said it's a job only for people with intermediate or advanced DIY skills, and 73% had been called out to fix cupboards a DIYer had painted, usually because the preparation was rushed. Of 48 Which? members who'd had their cupboards painted, 77% were happy with the result; the most common complaint was paint peeling, chipping or wearing (31%).

Two cases where we'd think twice: unpainted solid wood (painting hides the grain, and Which? warns that a less than perfect job could devalue your home if you're selling soon), and doors that are already peeling or bubbling.

What are your doors made of?

Check before you buy anything, because it decides the primer and whether to paint at all. The smoother the surface, the harder it is for paint to stick.

• Painted wood: the easiest. Roughen the old paint, prime where needed and paint.
• Plain or varnished wood: sand off the old varnish until the surface is slightly rough. Bare wood needs sealing, or tannins in the wood can bleed through as dark spots: Which? says seal the whole door on hardwood and the knots on softwood, or use a primer that seals.
• Laminate or melamine (usually over MDF or chipboard): it can be done, but it's harder to get a lasting finish. Sand until the surface is matt, taking off the sheen rather than the laminate, and use a primer made for glossy surfaces. Expect to touch them up now and then.
• Vinyl or plastic wrap: the smoothest of all. Which? doesn't recommend painting it, and wrap that's already lifting can't be fixed without stripping it off. We'd replace the doors or have them re-wrapped instead: replacement doors and wraps compared.

Which paint and primer

Kitchen doors get handled, splashed and wiped every day, so choose a paint made for furniture or woodwork. Dulux recommends satin, semi-gloss or gloss finishes because they're harder-wearing and easier to clean; eggshell gives a softer sheen that still wipes clean. Water-based paints dry quickly and don't smell much, which matters in a room you're cooking in.

Primer is what makes the paint stick. Match it to the door:

• Laminate, melamine, gloss and hardwood: a shellac-based primer (Which? recommends one for laminate and hardwood). Zinsser says shellac primers grip glossy plastics and other hard surfaces, block stains and seal knots. Water-based "bond" primers are made for hard-to-stick, glossy surfaces too.
• Softwood or already-painted wood: a water-based primer is usually fine, according to Which?.
• Knots and stains: use a stain-blocking primer. Rust-Oleum says its cupboard paint isn't stain-blocking, so knots can bleed through without one.

Some cupboard paints are sold as needing no primer on wood or melamine (Rust-Oleum's and Ronseal's, for example). That saves a coat, not the preparation: Rust-Oleum's own technical data still says to clean with sugar soap, rinse, and roughen hard, glossy or previously painted surfaces first. Whatever you buy, follow the tin for its primer, number of coats and drying times. And cupboard paint isn't for worktops: Rust-Oleum says not to use its paint on them.

Step by step

1. Take the doors, drawer fronts and handles off. Wickes says leaving them on leads to chips, smudges and uneven wear. Number each door and its cabinet with masking tape, and bag the hinges and screws for each one.
2. Protect the room. Empty the cupboards, cover the worktops, floor and appliances, and mask anything you're not painting. Open a window, and make sure the room is warm enough: Ronseal says above 10°C, and Rust-Oleum says it should stay above 10°C while the paint dries too.
3. Degrease everything. Screwfix warns that paint on a greasy door can quickly peel. Use sugar soap or a kitchen degreaser (Which? says ordinary soap won't shift years of cooking grease), scrub the corners and grooves, rinse with clean water and let it dry. B&Q advises gloves and eye protection with sugar soap.
4. Fill dents and any old handle holes you won't reuse, and sand the filler smooth.
5. Sand to roughen, not to strip. Ronseal suggests 240 grit on sound paint, and 120 grit along the grain where old paint is flaking (wear a dust mask). On laminate, sand until it's matt. Vacuum, then wipe with a damp cloth.
6. Prime in a thin, even coat, then sand lightly with fine paper once it's dry and wipe off the dust.
7. Paint in thin coats. Do the backs first and let them dry, then the fronts. Brush the edges and any recesses first, then roller the flat areas. Lay the doors flat to avoid drips, and paint the cabinet frames while the doors dry. Don't go back over paint that has started to dry.
8. Second coat. Most cupboard paints need two (Ronseal sells a one-coat paint, though a bold colour can still need a second). Wait the time on the tin (Rust-Oleum's cupboard paint can be recoated after 4 hours; Wickes says wait 24 hours, and Which? leaves each coat overnight), sand lightly between coats and wipe clean. Going from dark to light usually means an extra coat of primer.
9. Refit gently. Wickes says wait at least 24 hours before putting the doors back. Use your numbers, and treat them carefully until the paint has fully cured.

Brush, roller or sprayer?

Which? rates a sprayer as the best option: the smoothest, fastest finish, but it costs more to buy and the paints are dearer. For most people a small roller is the sensible middle ground, with a brush for the edges and details. A brush on its own tends to leave marks on large flat doors.

Use a synthetic brush, and a foam or short-pile roller (Rust-Oleum recommends a short to medium pile mohair one for its paint).

Drying, curing and looking after them

Dry to the touch isn't the same as hard. As examples, Rust-Oleum's cupboard paint takes 7 days to cure fully, and Which? says professional-standard paints take about 3 weeks. Until then, handle the doors as little as possible and keep grease off them.

Once cured, clean them with a damp cloth or soapy water and wipe spills straight away. Avoid abrasive cleaners: Ronseal says they can damage the paint.

The mistakes that make paint peel

• Skipping or rushing the degreasing.
• Painting straight onto shiny laminate, melamine or gloss without roughening it or using the right primer.
• Painting vinyl-wrapped doors.
• Thick coats, or a new coat over paint that's still soft.
• Painting in a cold room (below 10°C).
• Refitting and using the doors before the paint has cured.
• Sanding back old paint that might contain lead.

Having it done instead

If you want a finish closer to new, some kitchen respray firms collect the doors, spray them at their own premises and bring them back. Spraying gives the smoothest finish, and it's worth paying for if you're not confident with the preparation.

Our replacement kitchen doors guide compares a respray, a vinyl wrap and new doors, with what each costs. If you're painting the walls at the same time, see interior painting costs; and if the units themselves are worn out, a new kitchen may be the better spend.

Frequently asked questions