DIY Milk- and Chalk-Painted Cabinet Reviews
Tasha | Designer Trapped in a Lawyer’s Body
Tasha painted her kitchen cabinets about 18 months ago, using General Finishes’ Milk Paint and High Performance Top Coat — full details here.
“They have held up PERFECTLY! I am amazed. This photo was taken over a year after we finished painting them.”
Tasha says YES, she would do it again and recommend this to a friend: “Absolutely! It’s a cost effective way to completely update a kitchen on a budget, and it is holding up to a ton of wear and tear in our busy household! Plus, it’s a doable project for busy families since you don’t have to sand or prime first!” She rates the durability as 5 (Amazing. I expect this to last for many years.)
Tasha’s tips: Read more in her step-by-step post here.
Heather | The Heathered Nest
Heather painted her bathroom vanity about a year ago with “chalk paint baby! No prep, just did it on the fly. Made a big difference for a little investment of time, and not a big investment of money, either.”
YES, Heather would do it again, and she rates it as a 4 (Great. It has lasted well and longer than I had anticipated.)
Heather’s tips: Definitely clean the surface well. I didn’t, because I’m lazy and like instant gratification. If you want the finish to last, do some prep.
Jessica | Mommy Envy
Jessica refinished her kitchen cabinets about a year ago, using her own chalk paint recipe. She also antiqued the lower cabinets with a stain.
YES she’d do this again and she rates it as a 4 (Great. It has lasted well and longer than I had anticipated.)
Jessica’s tips: Make sure you’ve cleared your schedule for the weekend and be ready to work. Plan to eat out because your kitchen will be out of commission.
Sonya | At Home with the Barkers
Sonya painted her kitchen cabinets about 6 months ago using DecoArt Americana Chalky Finish Paint, topped with the Soft Touch Varnish.
“The cabinets have only been painted for 6 months but no marks or scratches have happened yet. I have used the Decoart paint on many projects and I have always had great results. Holds up very well.”
YES, she would use this method again and recommend it to a friend; she rates the durability as a 5 (Amazing. I expect this to last for many years).
See more refinished cabinet reviews on the next page –>
IN THIS POST:
page 1: painted cabinet reviews
page 2: cabinet painting kit reviews
page 3: chalk painted and milk painted cabinet reviews
page 4: waxed and gel stained cabinet reviews
We painted our light oak cabinets white. Biggest regret–We used an oil based paint, thimking it would be toughe and more durable. Then, about six months later, we noticed that “white-white” wasn’t so white any more! They were turning slightly yellowish. A DIY friend told us that oil ALWAYS begins to turn yellowish! Wished we had known and had used a water based, enamel paint. We DID carefully sand doors, drawers, and cabinet frames meticulously. Then used a sprayer (2-3 coats). Cabinet frames were painted with a brush and/or roller. Over all, the paint held up great and we are getting ready to repaint cabinets in our new house….but with WATER based paint this time!
Thank you for sharing, Gail — and good luck with your repainting!
Thank you for sharing our kitchen. It was a pleasant surprise. 🙂
Thank you, Nan! Have a great day!
I painted my cabinets bright lemon yellow, all by hand with a brush over the ucky “whitewashed” look that was popular 30 years ago. I wanted that old, country kitchen look with the cabinets looking like they had been painted many times over the years (hence using the brush) and got exactly the look I wanted. I only lightly sanded with one of those spongy sanders, and used a nice water-based high gloss for easy clean-up. We tried removing a door, painting it, and replacing it, but it didn’t sit right after that so I used an artist’s brush around the hardware. Paint has held up well and messes wipe right off.
Thanks for sharing your experience, Lisa!
Hello, I had white cabinets that needed light touch up so I meant to just touch up the dings and ended up fanning out and painting larger sections that I wanted….got over zealous.
When the light doesn’t hit them, they look good, but when the light hits them you could see paint marks that look and feel rougher than the professionally finished sections.
So I bought 600 to 800 grit finishing sandpaper and lightly sanded it. I can’t tell if it made things worse, it’s smoother but it kinds looked like it scuffed it more too. Then I applied (per the cabinet manufacturer recommendation) Deft satin brush on lacquer to try and blend the flat look into the more satin finished areas, they look ok but is there any way to buff out the rougher/scuffed looking areas?
Please help, I’m worried I ruined my nice cabinets. Thanks!
Stephanie
Stephanie — will you message us over on Facebook with your question and if possible a couple of photos? I don’t have particular expertise here but I bet our readers there do! https://www.facebook.com/Remodelaholic
A kitchen remodel definitely seems like a lot of work but the results seem worth it.
I wish you would have included a couple chalk painted technics. As my husband and I are planning to do our kitchen cabinets that way. Would have loved seeing how it has held up for anyone who went that route.
I can not tell you how helpful this post has been!! I have been going back and forth about what method to use to paint our kitchen cabinets and then I found this post! I feel much more confident now making a choice! Thank you for doing the legwork to seek out the results of these different painting methods! It has been invaluable!
You’re welcome, Virginia! Thanks for the kind words.