We got a little white Christmas around here — not from snow on the lawn, but from a fresh coat of paint on our upper kitchen cabinets.
Last week we sanded, primed, and painted all of the upper cabinets, and we ended up choosing white. That’s a shift from our original idea to go with a light gray-tan, and it echoes the look of a previous kitchen we updated. The lower cabinets will follow a different plan — we’re leaning toward a stained wood finish rather than paint — and we’re even considering budget-friendly treatments for the countertops, like refinishing techniques or a concrete coating as part of Phase 1.
We switched from Revere Pewter to Simply White for the uppers around the time we installed the range hood and added floating shelves. While the idea of putty-colored uppers contrasted with a white hood and shelves sounded interesting, we worried it would create too many competing tones when combined with darker lower cabinets. The crown molding also complicated things: it runs continuously along the wall, so painting only the section behind the cabinets would have looked odd. Rather than painting a partial crown or keeping the mismatched look, going fully white felt like the cleanest, most cohesive choice.
Choosing white didn’t feel like settling — it was a deliberate decision that lets us pair crisp upper cabinets with deep-toned lowers for the tuxedo look we’ve always liked. We like strong contrast and classic combinations, and white uppers make that possible while keeping the space bright and airy.
Here’s how we did it — a concise overview since we used the same technique we documented in detail previously. First we removed the doors and lightly sanded every surface to dull the sheen and create a key for paint adhesion. Sherry used a hand sander with 150-grit paper on the doors in the garage, while I sanded the frames with a 150-grit sanding block indoors.
After sanding we wiped everything down with a liquid deglosser to remove dust and any remaining gloss. We used a low-VOC deglosser we had on hand — it’s optional, but it’s a quick step that helps ensure better adhesion and a cleaner surface.
We taped off walls, the hood, and nearby surfaces with painter’s tape to protect them and speed up the painting process. With the area prepped, we primed the frames using a brush and a small foam roller. We chose Kilz Premium primer because it blocks stains and is low-VOC. Sherry did the cutting-in with a 2″ angled brush and I rolled right behind her for a smooth finish.
We opted to hand-paint the interior frames rather than spraying inside the house to avoid over-spray and airborne mist — especially since we needed the kitchen to stay functional and wanted to limit exposure for a pregnant family member and our toddler. However, we did use a paint sprayer in the garage to prime and paint the cabinet doors. Spraying doors can deliver a smooth, factory-like finish, but it takes practice to avoid heavy, drippy coats.
The doors were sprayed one side at a time, left to dry, and flipped after about 24 hours. Spraying is faster in terms of application, but you still have to account for drying time and sprayer cleanup between coats. For the painted frames we typically did two coats of primer and three coats of Benjamin Moore Advance in Simply White, which we prefer for cabinet use because it’s self-leveling, durable, and low-VOC. The sprayed doors only needed one coat of primer and one coat of paint per side thanks to the heavier coverage from spraying.
Some sections, like the desk area, we treated as a single unit and painted the lowers there rather than staining them. Several cabinet elements were non-removable, so we painted parts by hand in place, including drawer fronts that didn’t detach. We used small pieces of painter’s tape to protect the shelves and keep clean lines.
Note: we painted both sides of the doors but left the insides of the cabinets unpainted. The contrast of painted doors and wood interiors can look intentional and polished when executed cleanly.
Our overall timeline was about a week: day 1 sanding and primer coat #1, day 2 primer coat #2, days 3–5 three coats of paint, day 6 extra drying, and day 7 re-hung doors and new hardware. We also updated hinges and knobs. The old brass hinges were sprayed with a clean metal primer and finished in oil-rubbed bronze, which has held up so far without sticking or peeling. We’d love hidden hinges someday, but these cabinets are half-sunk and don’t accept off-the-shelf concealed hinges, so that project will wait for Phase 2.
We replaced the original knobs with affordable octagon knobs from Target that we like for their shape and contrast against the white. They echo our recent preference for high-contrast details — think dark accents against lighter backgrounds.
This update already makes the space feel more like home, even with the faux-brick floor, old countertops, and off-white appliances still in place. Small, affordable updates like removing wallpaper, opening up shelving, and painting cabinets can dramatically change a room’s feel.
Before and after shots really show the impact — here’s the sink area on inspection day, followed by the same view now.
Next up: the lower cabinets. We’d originally thought about a deep stone-colored paint, but now that the uppers are white we’re leaning toward staining the lowers to let the wood tone play off the bright uppers. Plans change as a project evolves — and that’s part of the fun.
One more throwback: a photo of the kitchen before we moved in. It’s rewarding to see how much progress a series of relatively inexpensive updates can make.
Did you tackle any projects over the holidays, or did you spend the week relaxing and indulging in seasonal treats?