Great results don't happen by accident. They happen because of a disciplined, repeatable process that leaves nothing to chance. Here's exactly what we do on every project.
Every project begins with a free, no-pressure in-home consultation. One of our senior estimators visits your home, examines your cabinet boxes, doors, and drawer fronts, discusses your color goals, and walks you through the entire process so you know exactly what to expect. You receive a written, itemized estimate on the spot — no follow-up calls required.
We assess cabinet material (wood, MDF, thermofoil, laminate), existing finish condition, layout complexity, hardware situation, and any needed repairs. This is also when we provide color samples and help you narrow down your palette.
Proper preparation is the single most important factor in a cabinet paint job that lasts. Before any product touches your cabinets, we protect all adjacent surfaces — countertops, backsplashes, floors, and appliances — with professional-grade masking materials and rosin paper.
We remove all hardware, label every door and hinge for precise reinstallation, and transport doors and drawer fronts to our spray environment off-site. Cabinet boxes remain in place and are thoroughly masked.
Kitchen cabinets accumulate years of cooking grease, food oils, and airborne contaminants that are invisible to the naked eye. If you apply primer or paint over these, the finish will fail — period. We thoroughly clean every surface using TSP substitute (trisodium phosphate equivalent) followed by a clean water wipe-down and full dry time.
This step alone is what separates a professional cabinet paint job from a DIY attempt or a low-quality painter. You cannot skip proper cleaning and expect the finish to last. We never do.
After cleaning, every surface is hand-sanded with the appropriate grit to create a mechanical bond surface for primer. We sand in the direction of the grain on wood surfaces, use scuff pads on flat-surface materials, and pay special attention to edges, corners, and profile details.
We use 120–180 grit for primary scuff sanding, followed by 220 grit between coats. All sanding dust is vacuumed and wiped down before any product is applied. This step creates the micro-texture that allows primer and paint to truly bond with the surface.
We apply a professional cabinet-specific bonding primer to all surfaces. This is not standard drywall primer — it is a high-adhesion formula engineered to bond to difficult surfaces like existing paint, stained wood, MDF, and laminates. Proper priming prevents peeling, adhesion failure, and tannin bleed-through on oak and other open-grain woods.
Our primer of choice is a waterborne alkyd formula that sands to a glass-smooth surface. After application, we allow full cure time (never rushed), then sand lightly to 220 grit before painting. Two thin coats of primer are applied when the existing substrate is heavily grained or porous.
Doors and drawer fronts are painted in our controlled off-site spray environment — never in your home. We use HVLP (High Volume Low Pressure) spray equipment to apply two topcoats of professional cabinet enamel. This technique eliminates brush marks and roller texture entirely, producing a factory-smooth, furniture-quality finish.
Cabinet boxes in your kitchen are sprayed in place with careful masking, ventilation fans, and air filtration. We use only professional-grade waterborne alkyd enamels — hard, chip-resistant, and non-yellowing. Two finish coats are standard; a third is applied in high-traffic areas or on island cabinet faces.
Once doors have fully cured (we never rush cure time), they are transported back to your home and reinstalled with precision. We use our original labeling system to ensure every door and drawer goes back exactly where it came from. Hinges are adjusted so all doors hang perfectly plumb, level, and flush.
New soft-close hardware is installed if requested. All drawer slides are inspected and adjusted. We ensure every cabinet closes smoothly and sits flush before moving to the final inspection. Any pulls or knobs that were removed are reinstalled or replaced according to your specifications.
We conduct a thorough final inspection before we consider a project complete. This includes examining every door, drawer, and cabinet box for finish consistency, coverage, and smoothness. We open and close every door, test every drawer, and check all hardware for proper operation.
Most importantly, we walk through every inch of the project with you. If you notice anything that doesn't look perfect, we address it on the spot. We don't leave until you are completely satisfied. Your 3-year craftsmanship guarantee certificate is provided in writing at project completion.
Most DIY and budget cabinet painting jobs fail within 1–3 years because steps are skipped. Every step in our process exists for a reason — and skipping any one of them compromises the entire result.
HVLP spray application on all doors
Proper degreasing and bonding primer
Non-yellowing waterborne alkyd enamels
Stain-blocking primer on oak and pine
Labeled removal and precision reinstall
Written estimate = final price, always
Every Cabinetista project is backed by our 3-year craftsmanship guarantee. If the finish chips, peels, or fades under normal use, we return and make it right — at no cost to you.
Most projects completed in 2–3 days. No demolition. No dust. Just a stunning result.