If you really want your kitchen to stand out as a shiny, impressive room which feels large, light, and airy, then high gloss is the best options for your painted cabinets. It's undoubtedly the most striking and impressive-looking finish for kitchen cabinets if done correctly with nice lighting and colors.
Semi-gloss: This is the best choice when painting kitchen cabinets. Because it has some sheen, semi-gloss paint will help reflect light and be more durable in the long run, which is important in a kitchen environment.
Go for the gloss.
Higher-gloss finishes stand up better to daily use and are far easier to clean without dulling the color over time. So skip matte, satin, and eggshell finishes in favor of semi gloss or high gloss.
Glossy finishes are often the best for kitchen applications. However, if you're not a fan of shinier walls, then satin or matte sheen would be best. A matte sheen is also ideal if you're painting over walls with surface imperfections.
Since kitchens are such a busy part of a home and often need extra cleaning, a satin or semi-gloss finish is the best options. Satin and eggshell finishes are commonly believed to be the same, but in fact, satin is a bit shinier. Satin finishes are easy to clean and good at standing up to mildew, stains and dirt.
Most people find that satin or semi-gloss paint works the best in kitchens. A common scheme is to use satin paint on walls, with semi-gloss paint used on any cabinets or woodwork that are also painted.
While satin finishes tend to be fairly durable in high traffic areas, they're not as durable and versatile as semi-gloss against mildew and mold. Kitchen cabinets in high moisture environments can, therefore, do better with semi-gloss paints.
Many professionals now use latex paint, citing the improvements to the formula and the as-good-as finish they can get on most surfaces. We actually prefer a third type of paint for cabinets, the hybrid enamel.
While there are many types of paint to choose from, the best paint for kitchen cabinets is typically semi-gloss, gloss or satin. Matte is not practical in kitchens and baths where you will need durable paint you can easily clean.
Apply two coats of high-gloss white paint in the same way you did the primer, allowing the paint to dry and sanding between each coat. The sanding between coats may seem tiresome, but it is the key to achieving a super-glossy, glasslike finish.
Choose a high-quality paint. Special cabinet paints are available that provide a smooth finish, but any high-quality paint should work. Make sure your paint is acrylic, not vinyl. Acrylic latex-based paint is durable and easy to clean up.
Brushing allows the painters to apply the color directly to the surface of the cabinets, only wasting the small amount left on their brushes at the end of the project. Spraying atomizes the paint, meaning some of the droplets inevitably float away, and any paint left in the tubing of the sprayer goes to waste.
Rollers are not as consistent. The paint is applied unevenly. So, if you want a factory-grade finish, choose to spray your kitchen cabinets instead of rolling them. In addition to providing a higher-quality final finish, spray painting is faster than using a roller.
Using a paint sprayer is one of the easiest ways to get a super smooth finish on your cabinets. By their very nature, paint sprayers eliminate brush strokes and roller marks completely. And painting with a paint sprayer is almost always faster than using a paint roller and paint brush.
Two coats of paint are essential for cabinets—you're building a surface. By the way, to get the nicest finish, use a brush, a 2- to 2 1/2-inch fine bristle brush. Whatever paint you use, ventilate the room—direct a fan out the window—and wear the masks they sell in paint stores.
If your cabinets are stained, apply at least two coats of quality primer. For me, there's nothing better than BIN, Zinsser's shellac-based pigmented primer. It dries fast and flat, without brush marks (unlike most oil-based primers). You can buy it at home and hardware stores, as well as online (view on Amazon).
With proper care of professionally painted kitchen cabinets, you can expect your newly painted cabinets to last 8-10 years. However, there are a few things that can drastically shorten this timeframe, leaving you needing them repainted 3-4 years later.
Walls, Wood, and Metal - Small 1/4″ nap roller covers or foam rollers will produce the smoothest finish. Light to Medium Textured Surfaces - Microfiber rollers are best.
Is Cabinet Paint Different From Wall Paint? Oil-based paint and latex-based paint differ primarily in the final texture and drying time of kitchen cabinets. Additionally, latex paint with a low or no VOC will have a significantly less offensive odor as it cures, so you won't have to worry about it.
Is Cabinet Paint Different From Wall Paint? Oil-based paint and latex-based paint differ primarily in the final texture and drying time of kitchen cabinets. Additionally, latex paint with a low or no VOC will have a significantly less offensive odor as it cures, so you won't have to worry about it.
Make sure you clean the glossy surface with sugar soap and water first. You will need at least 10 minutes to let it dry before scuffing it with de-glossing. Put on the paint with a primer and then apply a thin layer of paint.
The key difference between these two types of smooth, shining doors is that Ultragloss doors are made from MDF with a layer of acrylic, and High Gloss doors are made from MDF and then wrapped in vinyl.
Magnolia Home by Joanna Gaines Trim, Door + Cabinetry Interior Paint is a water-based acrylic product designed for surfaces such as kitchen and bathroom cabinets, trim, window frames and doors. It offers the hardness of a traditional oil-based paint in an acrylic formula.