Painting cabinets is a sequence: remove doors and hardware, degrease, degloss, prime with a bonding or stain-blocking primer, apply two coats of a hard enamel with full drying between, and let it cure. Benjamin Moore's Advance enamel, for example, needs 16 hours between coats and 5 to 7 days before heavy use.
Number each door and drawer front and its matching opening, bag the hinges and screws by location, and set doors on stands so both faces can be painted flat. Painting doors flat reduces runs and gives a smoother finish than painting them hanging.
Benjamin Moore's Advance data sheet requires surfaces free of dirt, dust, grease, oil, soap, wax and mildew, and says glossy areas should be dulled. Kitchen cabinets near the range carry grease, so a degreasing cleaner comes first, followed by a rinse and a scuff sanding of the old finish. Dust is removed before primer.
Two thin coats of a cabinet enamel such as Advance, which Benjamin Moore lists for interior doors, trim and cabinets at 400 to 500 square feet per gallon and describes as leveling like conventional alkyd paint. Brush and roll or spray, working with the grain. Recoat only after 16 hours at 77°F and 50% humidity, longer if it is cooler or humid.
Doors can be rehung once they are dry and handled carefully, but Benjamin Moore says full hardness and adhesion develop over time and that shelves and surfaces should not face heavy abrasion or return to service for at least 5 to 7 days. Use bumpers on doors and avoid slamming during the first week.
In homes built before 1978, painted cabinets may carry lead paint under newer coats. Sanding them in paid work falls under the EPA rule when more than 6 square feet of painted surface in the room is disturbed, requiring an EPA-certified firm and lead-safe practices. See our cabinet painting service.
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Glossy finishes must be dulled. Benjamin Moore's Advance data sheet says glossy areas should be dulled before painting, and cabinets must be degreased first. A scuff sanding is usually enough on sound finishes, followed by removing all dust. Skipping it is a common reason cabinet paint peels.
A hard enamel made for cabinets. Benjamin Moore lists its Advance waterborne alkyd for interior doors, trim and cabinets and describes a tough finish that stands up to repeated washing. It needs 16 hours between coats and 5 to 7 days before heavy use, so plan the kitchen schedule around cure time.
Several days. Removal, cleaning, deglossing and priming come first, then two enamel coats with 16 hours between them on both sides of every door. Benjamin Moore advises 5 to 7 days before heavy use, so the kitchen is usable but handled gently for the first week.
It is possible, but removing them gives better results: doors painted flat level better and drip less, and hinges are not painted over. Boxes and frames are painted in place. Labeling each door and its location makes reinstallation straightforward, and bagging hinges by opening keeps the doors aligned when they go back.
Sources: Benjamin Moore Advance Waterborne Interior Alkyd Semi-Gloss (793) technical data sheet; Benjamin Moore Advance Waterborne Interior Alkyd Satin (792) technical data sheet; Benjamin Moore Fresh Start High-Hiding All Purpose Primer (046) technical data sheet; Benjamin Moore Fresh Start Undercoater and Primer/Sealer (032) technical data sheet; EPA Renovation, Repair and Painting rule, 40 CFR Part 745 Subpart E. Figures checked October 2026.
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