Spray Painting Cabinets - Can It Be Done?

The answer is yes, but don't just dive in there without reading up first.  I have always preferred the look of cabinets that have been sprayed as opposed to rolled on paint or painted with a brush. I don't have access to a big shop with plenty of ventilation and fancy spray guns and whatnot, so I wanted to experiment and see if I could get by with spray painting some cabinets with simple spray paint.

The task is complete and you can see my step-by-step directions below.

Before:

 and after:

What you will need:

spray paint (about 2 cans for a project this size...buy one can per door to be safe)

mineral spirits

old rags

newspaper or plastic 

sandpaper

sander (optional)

screwdriver

new hardware (optional)

painter's tape

Step 1  

Remove all drawer, hinges, knobs, and doors.

  

Step 2  

THE IMPORTANT PART:  Tape off.  This is the tricky part.  When you are taping off to spray paint, you need to make sure that everything in the room is covered up.  I did not do this very well and paid for it later.  Spray paint has a tendency to float in the air and settle on every flat object in the room.  It is also recommended that you spray paint in a well-ventilated area.  So, turn on a fan or open a window or both.

The toilet, floor, EVERYTHING should be covered completely, unlike the pictures shown here.

Step 3

Give all drawers, doors and cabinets a good sanding.  Yes, sanding is necessary.  You will be happier with the results in the long run, so don't skip this step even though it is tempting.  I have used liquid sandpaper before, but I prefer to just go for it with the old fashioned sandpaper.  Using the liquid sandpaper felt like just as much work to me.

 I prefer to use an electric sander of some sort.  Here is the one I use:  

Step 4

Before spray painting, clean everything off with a damp cloth and allow to dry.  Spray paint, following the can instructions.  Never stay in one place too long or you will have paint drips, and this will be hard to undo.  If you have never spray painted before, you might want to practice with a cheap can of spray paint on a piece of scrap wood.

Step 5

Allow everything to dry for several hours and check to make sure everything has good coverage.  Unlike water-based paint, spray paint is oil-based and takes longer to dry.  Do a second coat if necessary.  Allow to dry completely.  

Step 6

Remove all tape and plastic/newspaper.  If there are any places on the wall, floor, etc. where there were gaps and paint escaped, you can clean it off with mineral spirits, but do this quickly  so that it will not ruin any surfaces underneath the paint. Wipe clean with a dry cloth.

OOPS!

The finished room with new hardware.  I decided to distress my cabinets by sanding lightly all the lifted areas of the doors and drawers.  This is an option instead of putting on a second coat of paint.  

So, spray painting cabinets CAN be done, but is time consuming and a little labor intensive. Totally worth it though, I think.