Cabinet Painting 101: The Challenges, Triumphs, and a Paint Booth Mishap

After installing the ceiling beams, shiplap ceiling, floors, and kitchen countertops, it was finally time for the next big step—painting the cabinets.

Turning Our Home Into a Paint Booth

To get the job done right, our kitchen and living room became a full-blown paint booth. We covered the shiplap ceiling, cypress beams, floors, and countertops with protective plastic to keep everything safe from overspray.

The cabinet doors and drawers were removed and propped against the wall for painting. Once the first coat dried, they were flipped and painted on the other side. Since the original cabinet color was extremely dark, it took multiple coats to fully cover them—much to our painter’s dismay!

The Pros and Cons of Enamel Paint

We opted for enamel paint for its durability, knowing it would hold up better over time. But let’s talk about the downside—THE SMELL! The paint fumes were intense, and for 2 ½ weeks, we were practically floating on a “paint high.”

 

To manage the fumes, we developed a system:

• We stayed out of the house during the day while the painters worked.
• By late afternoon, when they finished up (around 3:30–4:00 PM), we opened every window, cranked up the fans, and ran the air purifiers at full blast.
• By bedtime, the air was tolerable enough to sleep peacefully.

A Late-Night Painting Disaster

One evening, as we were winding down in the bedroom, we heard a loud crash. My husband and I exchanged nervous glances—this couldn’t be good. He went outside, entered the “paint booth,” and discovered that the drop cloth taped to the wall had fallen, knocking all the freshly painted cabinet doors to the floor.

We immediately called our painter, who advised us to prop them back up, assuring us they would sand out any marks and repaint them the next day. While it was a frustrating moment, we were relieved that nothing was permanently damaged!

Choosing the Perfect Finishing Touches

With the cabinet painting in progress, we moved on to selecting the finishing details:

• Kitchen knobs: I found the perfect ones at Jarrell Company, and Taylor Wilson at the Dallas showroom was incredibly helpful.
• Backsplash tile: We wanted a timeless look, so we chose Daltile Indoterra Natural IN42 Matte, wrapping it around the sink, window, and even up to the ceiling.

Paint Colors We Used

We chose Sherwin Williams for all our paint selections:

• Kitchen Cabinets (Wall): Grays Harbor (SW 6236)
• Kitchen Island: Uncertain Gray (SW 6234)
• Walls: Rock Candy (SW 6231)
• Shiplap Ceiling: Misty (SW 6232)

The Finish Line is in Sight!

After weeks of painting, our kitchen was finally coming together. The cabinet transformation was one of the biggest (and most challenging) steps, but once the paint dried, we could breathe again—literally and figuratively! Now, we’re in the final stretch of this renovation, and the excitement of seeing our vision come to life is keeping us going. Stay tuned for the next update!