We’ve painted kitchen cabinets before and installed Ikea kitchens before, but painting Ikea cabinets was a new combination for us. Even though we worried about painting over laminate and factory finishes — would it bond? would it be durable? — the result exceeded our expectations. It was surprisingly straightforward and didn’t require a paint sprayer or any exotic tools.
After a month of daily use, the painted cabinet fronts are holding up very well. They’ve been scratched, scrubbed, bumped and tested by kids — and so far there are no noticeable scrapes, dings, or dents. The finish looks as smooth as the original Ikea factory finish, so below I’ll explain how we achieved such even coverage and a durable result.
Before diving into step-by-step instructions, here’s some background on why we chose Ikea cabinets and why we decided to paint them.
Why Did We Redo Our Kitchen With Ikea Cabinets?
We replaced our old cabinets to make better use of the storage along the back wall. It’s a small kitchen and the previous cabinets had thick framing that wasted space. Narrow drawers left little room for practical storage — the old design didn’t let common items stand upright or be stored efficiently.
Switching to Ikea’s flatter, slimmer-faced cabinets freed up space inside drawers and around openings. We moved the stove slightly and enlarged a drawer space so an olive oil bottle can now stand up — a small change that made a big difference. Ikea also offers many organizational accessories that improved our kitchen efficiency by a large margin.
Because of Ikea’s modular systems and slimmer framing, we gained significant usable storage. We’ll share more about the organization in a future post, but for now let’s focus on how we took Ikea’s white doors and made them our custom color.
Why Paint The Ikea Cabinets?
We loved the mauve color we previously used (Artsy Pink by Sherwin-Williams) and wanted to carry that personality into this kitchen. Ikea doesn’t offer that color, and ordering custom paintable doors was considerably more expensive than buying Ikea’s white fronts. Since we’re comfortable painting and modern primers and paints bond well to slick surfaces, we decided to try painting the Ikea VEDDIGNE doors ourselves.
Painting saved money and allowed us to choose an exact shade. With the right prep, primer, and paint, you can get a durable finish without using oil-based products.
Tools & Materials For Painting Ikea Cabinets
We used a low-tech, low-mess approach — no sprayer — so the supplies are simple. For a larger job you might prefer a sprayer, but hand-rolling and brushing let us be methodical and careful.
In addition to the cabinet fronts (we used Ikea VEDDIGNE doors), we used:
- Sandpaper or sanding block (120–220 grit)
- Tack cloths
- Satin enamel paint (we used Sherwin-Williams Emerald Urethane Trim Enamel)
- All-surface primer (we used Zinsser Bulls Eye 1-2-3)
- 4″ or 6″ foam rollers, roller tray, and a small angled brush
- Painter stands or tripods
- Drop cloth
- Optional: painter’s tape and liquid deglosser
You can use a power sander to speed things up, but it requires more care around edges and corners.
Step 1: Prepare Your Cabinets
If you’re painting before assembly, lay out the unboxed doors on a dropcloth. If you’re painting installed doors, remove all doors and drawer fronts. Clean thoroughly; use a liquid deglosser if there’s cooking grease or grime.
Step 2: Rough Them Up With Sandpaper
Even with a deglosser, lightly sanding the finish helps primer and paint adhere. The goal is to scuff the surface, not remove the entire factory coating. We started with 220 grit by hand and, when needed, used a palm sander with 120 grit while taking care around edges to avoid sanding through the surface.
Step 3: Fully Remove Your Sanding Dust
Wipe each door with a damp paper towel, then use a tack cloth to remove any remaining fine dust. Proper dust removal ensures the primer bonds to the door and not to a layer of particles.
Step 4: Prime the BACKS
We propped doors on paint lifters and primed the backs first so we never had to rest freshly painted fronts on the lifters. Use a small foam roller to apply a thin, even coat of Zinsser primer and let it dry fully (we waited about four hours). Store wet rollers in a sealed bag between coats to keep them usable.
Step 5: Paint The Backs
After primer cured, we applied two thin coats of Sherwin-Williams Emerald Urethane Trim Enamel with a fresh foam roller. For each coat, paint the flat surface, lightly roll the edges to remove drips, then roll the flat area again with smooth, overlapping strokes. A satin finish hides slight texture better than a high-gloss finish.
Step 6: Repeat — Apply a Second Coat of Paint
Two thin coats create a more consistent, durable finish than one thick coat. Let the first coat dry fully (we left ours overnight) before applying the second. When focusing on the backs first, we rolled the edges just enough to smooth drips without building up excess paint that could create a ridge when flipped.
Leaving edge coverage to the front-painting stage avoids accidental paint buildup along thin edges.
Step 7: Flip Over & Repeat Steps 4–6 for the Fronts
After letting the backs cure for 24 hours, flip the doors and repeat the prep, primer, and two-coat paint process on the fronts. Take your time and be careful with edges. Once the second coat on the fronts is complete, allow another 24–48 hours of curing before installing. Proper curing time is just as important as prep for a durable finish.
Step 8: Paint Any Visible Cabinet Boxes
Paint visible parts of the cabinet boxes — filler pieces, toe kicks, and face frames — using the same sand, prime, and paint method. Use a small foam roller for large flat areas and a short-handled brush for edges. We left the cabinet interiors white.
We also painted slightly around the visible side edges so no white would peek out when appliances like the dishwasher are open.
Tip: Consider Drilling Hardware Holes While Temporarily Hung
We temporarily installed doors for countertop templating and used that time to mark and drill hardware holes. Doing this before the final coat removed worry about accidental scuffs on the finished surface — any dings could be touched up with the final coat later. It also allowed the second coat to cure fully without immediate handling during hardware installation.
It’s not required, but this approach worked well for our timeline and reduced the risk of damage during hardware installation.
Step 9: Install Everything & Enjoy
Once installed, the painted doors proved to be low-maintenance and resilient. After a month of regular use the finish still looks great — proof that proper prep and adequate curing time pay off. The project took about a week from start to finish because we were careful rather than rushed, and that attention to detail made the difference.
Extra Resources
We also filmed a short overview and a more detailed step-by-step video demonstrating the process. Videos can be really helpful for visual learners, and show how manageable this project is for beginners when approached methodically.
We’ll update this post over time to share how the finish holds up after months and years. Painted cabinets aren’t immune to wear, but they’re easy to refresh — and after this experience we’re planning to paint our upper cabinets the same way.
If you enjoy painting projects, we’ve shared other tutorials in the past, such as painting doors, trim, ceilings, and even a brick fireplace. These techniques often overlap — good prep, proper primer, and thin, even coats of paint are the keys to a long-lasting finish.
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