Your kitchen cabinets take a lot of wear and tear. Grease splatters from cooking pasta, sticky fingerprints near the handles, and that weird yellowing that happens over time. Last month, a homeowner in Richmond Hill showed us her cabinets – they were only seven years old but looked ancient. The good news? Painting kitchen cabinets gave her a brand new kitchen for about 80% less than replacement.

At Paint Lions, we’ve been painting kitchen cabinets across Toronto, Markham, Vaughan, and Newmarket since 2023. We know exactly what primer to use for kitchen cabinets, how to prep them right, and how to make them last for years.

Freshly spray paint kitchen cabinet door

Why Paint Your Kitchen Cabinets Instead of Replacing Them? 

Here’s the thing, new cabinets cost anywhere from $15,000 to $40,000. Kitchen cabinet painting? Usually between $3,000 and $6,000. Same dramatic transformation, way less money.

We worked with a family in North York last spring. Their cabinets were solid wood, built in the 90s, but the honey oak finish made everything feel dated. After we painted kitchen cabinets white, whole house felt modern again. They told us their home value went up by $25,000, according to their realtor.

The best candidates for kitchen cabinet paint are solid wood or MDF cabinets. If your cabinet boxes are in good shape, no big damage, you like the style then painting makes more sense than replacing.

  • Save: Painting costs $3K–$6K vs. $15K–$40K for new cabinets.
  • Boost Value: Gain home value after painting.
  • Best for Wood or MDF: Works great if cabinets are solid and undamaged.
  • Modern Look: Fresh paint makes old kitchens feel brand new.

Choosing the Right Kitchen Cabinet Paint Colors

White is still the most popular choice, it makes kitchens feel bigger and brighter. But we’re seeing more homeowners get creative with kitchen cabinet paint colors lately.

Navy blue is huge right now, especially for islands. We painted lower cabinets navy and uppers white for a homeowner in Thornhill, it looked like something from a magazine.

Gray (the right shade of gray – not too blue, not too beige) stays popular. Sage green is coming back. Even black, when done right, can look amazing.

A realtor friend told us that neutral kitchen cabinet painting adds the most value when you’re selling. But if you’re staying in your home? Pick colors you love. We can show you samples and help you decide what works with your countertops and flooring.

How Long Does Kitchen Cabinet Painting Last?

With proper care, professionally painted cabinets should last 8-10 years minimum. We’ve seen cabinets we painted seven years ago that still look great.

The key is using the right paint to paint kitchen cabinets – that means durable, scrubbable finishes designed for high-traffic areas. And proper preparation. That’s why repainting painted kitchen cabinets requires the same careful prep as painting them the first time.

Clean them regularly with mild soap and water. Avoid harsh chemicals. Wipe up spills quickly. Treat them right and they’ll stay beautiful for years.

How We Paint Kitchen Cabinets

We don’t just lay down drop cloths and start spraying. That’s how paint gets everywhere it shouldn’t be.

First, we set up a temporary spray booth right in your home. Usually that’s in your garage or basement. We bring professional ventilation equipment and create a clean environment where we can spray your cabinet doors and drawer fronts.

Inside your kitchen, we go room by room protecting everything. Countertops get covered with plastic and tape. We wrap appliances, mask off tiles, cover light fixtures, and protect your floors with paper. Homeowners across GTA are usually impressed by how well everything is protected, but that’s how we avoid overspray getting anywhere.

Your backsplash, ceiling, walls – everything gets masked.

kitchen masked with plastic to protect from overspray

This is where most of DIY jobs fail. You can’t just slap kitchen cabinet paint over dirty, greasy surfaces and expect it to stick.

We begin by removing all doors, drawers, and hardware. Everything gets labeled so it goes back exactly where it came from. Then comes the deep clean, we use commercial-grade degreasers that cut through years of cooking residue. The stuff that builds up near your stove? That invisible grease film? It all has to come off.

Next is sanding. We sand every surface for primer to stick. It’s not aggressive sanding, we’re not trying to remove the old finish completely, just rough it up enough for adhesion.

Got scratches or dings? We fill them with automotive wood filler, let it dry, then sand it smooth. By the time we’re done with prep, your cabinets feel and look smooth.

A couple in Scarborough had cabinets that looked beat up, scratches from kids playing, a chip where someone dropped a pan. After preparation, you couldn’t tell there was ever any damage.

kitchen door degreasing process

Here’s where the magic happens with painting kitchen cabinets. We use specialized kitchen cabinet paint that’s designed to handle moisture, heat, grease, and constant touching.

First coat: high-quality bonding primer. This seals the wood and creates a base layer. We spray it on for an even, smooth finish, then let it dry completely. Once dry, we sand it to knock down any texture.

Second coat: before another layer of primer we inspect cabinets again. Yes, two coats of primer. This ensures complete coverage and a perfect base. More sanding between coats.

Now for the actual paint. We apply two coats of finish paint, a durable 2 component paint. The first coat gets sanded lightly after drying. The second coat is the final finish.

When we paint kitchen cabinets, we pay attention to every detail. The inside edges, the corners where doors meet frames, the spots you’ll see when you open a cabinet, everything gets the same careful treatment.

We worked on a kitchen in Oakville where the homeowner wanted a specific blue-gray colour she saw on Pinterest. Our paint supplier mixed custom kitchen cabinet paint colours to match exactly. She sent us pictures six months later, still looked perfect, no chips or peeling.

freshly sprayed kitchen cabinet door

We treat your home like our own. After the final coat dries, we carefully remove all the masking and protection materials. Everything gets packed up and taken away, you won’t find random pieces of tape stuck to your floor weeks later.

We reinstall all doors and drawers, adjust hinges so everything closes smoothly, and put back all your hardware (or install new hardware if you upgraded).

Before we leave, we do a final walkthrough with you. We check every cabinet, make sure you’re happy with the kitchen cabinet painting, and answer any questions about care and maintenance.

kitchen cabinet painting

What Makes Paint Lions Different?

We’ve been specializing in kitchen cabinet painting across the GTA since 2023. We use only premium kitchen cabinet paint. Our team has painted cabinets in condos, townhouses, and houses from Toronto to Richmond Hill to Georgina.

Every project includes a written warranty. We don’t rush jobs to fit in more customers. Your cabinets get the time they need to be done right.

Visit our kitchen cabinet painting portfolio to see more finished kitchens

Frequently Asked Questions About Kitchen Cabinet Painting

Most kitchens take 5-7 days from start to finish. That includes prep, priming, painting, and drying time. You can still use your kitchen during the process – we work around your schedule and make sure you have access to your sink and appliances.

Yes, we can paint laminate cabinets. They require special bonding primers and different prep techniques than wood, but when done correctly, painted laminate cabinets look just as good as wood. MDF, thermofoil, and melamine can all be painted with the right approach.

We typically use Renner paint and primer. Both are water-based paints that cure to a hard, durable finish. They resist yellowing, clean easily, and hold up to daily wear. The specific product depends on your cabinet material and the look you want.

Modern low-VOC paints have very little odor compared to older oil-based products. You’ll notice a paint smell during application, but it fades quickly. We also set up proper ventilation and schedule work to minimize disruption. Most homeowners are surprised how little smell there is.

Average cost ranges from $3,500-$8,000 depending on kitchen size, number of cabinets, and finish you choose. A small condo kitchen might be $3,500, while a large house with lots of cabinets could be $8,000. We provide free estimates after seeing your space.

Painting gives you more color options and hides imperfections better. Staining shows the wood grain but limits you to natural wood tones. If your cabinets are already stained and in good shape, refinishing the stain might work. But if you want a fresh, modern look or need to hide damage, painting is usually the better choice.

You can, but it’s harder than it looks. DIY cabinet painting often results in brush marks, drips, uneven coverage, and paint that chips or peels within months. The specialized equipment (spray systems, drying racks, proper ventilation) costs hundreds to rent. Most DIY attempts we’ve seen either fail or end up costing more when homeowners hire us to fix them.

Yes, light sanding between coats is what creates that smooth, professional finish. It knocks down any dust particles or texture, helping the next coat lay flat. We sand between primer coats and between paint coats. Skip this step and you’ll end up with a rough, bumpy surface.