Cabinet painting
Kitchen cabinet refinishing
Stained wood cabinets painted a muted green-grey. The layout and counters stayed the same; the colour changed the whole room.
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Cabinet Painting
Give Your Kitchen a Fresh New Look with Professional Cabinet Painting
If your cabinets are solid but the colour feels dated, paint can give the kitchen a new look without tearing anything out. We handle the degreasing, sanding and priming that make the finish last.
Cabinet Painting in Ottawa
Cabinet Painting done properly
Cabinets set the tone of a kitchen more than almost anything else in it. If the boxes are sound and the layout still works, painting them is a way to change the room without replacing the cabinetry. Orange-toned oak and dark stained wood can move to something lighter, calmer or bolder, and you keep the kitchen you already know how to cook in. There's no demolition, and your countertops stay exactly where they are.
Two examples from our own before-and-after work: wood-stained cabinets repainted a muted green-grey, and oak doors finished in a soft off-white. Both show how much a colour change can do. You'll find more of our work on the projects page. The same process works on bathroom vanities, so a kitchen and a bathroom can be refinished as part of one project if you like.
BeforeAfterA real Maple City Painters kitchen. Drag the slider to compare before and after.
What we cover
What Cabinet Painting Includes
Kitchen cabinets and bathroom vanities refinished in a new colour. We degrease, sand and prime before painting doors and drawer fronts, then help you settle on a colour and sheen.
Kitchen cabinets and vanities
Upper and lower kitchen cabinets, islands and bathroom vanities. We look at the material and condition of each piece first and tell you honestly whether paint is a good option for it.
Cleaning and degreasing
Kitchen cabinets carry a film of cooking grease and hand oils that paint won't stick to. Every surface gets a thorough degreasing before any sanding starts, with extra attention around handles and near the stove.
Sanding and priming
We sand to give the old finish some tooth, then prime where the surface calls for it. Glossy lacquer, stained oak and previously painted cabinets each need a slightly different approach, so the primer is matched to the job.
Doors and drawer fronts
Doors and drawer fronts get the most handling and the closest look. We label each piece, take off the hardware and paint them carefully so edges, panels and profiles come out clean and even.
Professional application
Brush marks and drips stand out on a cabinet door in a way they never would on a wall. We apply a professional-grade finish in thin, even coats and let each one dry properly before the next goes on.
Colour and sheen selection
Colour is only half the decision. Sheen changes how easy the doors are to wipe down and how much every fingerprint shows. We'll explain the trade-offs and help you land on a combination that fits your kitchen.
Our process
Our Cabinet Painting Process
Preparation, painting and finishing, in the order that makes the result last.
- 01
Look and plan
We start by seeing the cabinets, checking the material, the existing finish and any damage. From there we talk about colour, sheen and scope, and write it all into a clear proposal with structured payment stages.
- 02
Clean and set up
Hardware comes off, doors and drawers are labelled, and the kitchen is masked and covered. Every surface is degreased before it sees sandpaper, because sanding over grease only spreads it around.
- 03
Sand, prime and paint
We sand, prime where needed and build up the finish in thin coats. Doors and drawer fronts get careful attention along their edges and profiles, and the cabinet frames are finished to match.
- 04
Reassemble and review
Once the paint is hard enough to handle, the doors go back on, the hardware is reinstalled and everything is lined up. We walk through the kitchen with you and explain how to care for the new finish while it fully cures.
Ottawa considerations
Cabinet Painting in Ottawa Kitchens
Many Ottawa homes from the 1980s and 1990s, in areas like Kanata, Orleans and Barrhaven, were built with oak or stained-wood kitchens, and plenty still have them. The cabinets are often well made and worth keeping. What dates them is the colour. That makes those kitchens good candidates for paint, as long as the prep is done properly and the finish is built to handle daily use.
Our winters play a part too. With the windows closed through the cold season, kitchens hang on to cooking grease and moisture, and cabinets near the stove and sink collect more grime than you might expect. That's why we never skip degreasing. If the walls around the cabinets could use a refresh, pair this with interior painting so the whole room comes together.
Important
Painted cabinets need gentle treatment at first. The finish feels dry well before it has fully hardened, so hold off on heavy scrubbing and try not to slam doors and drawers for a while after we finish. We'll go over care instructions before we leave.
Real projects
Recent cabinet painting work
Cabinet painting
Oak cabinet doors, painted
Raised-panel oak doors taken from golden oak to a soft off-white finish.
View ProjectWhy paint cabinets instead of replacing them?
If the cabinet boxes are solid and the layout suits you, painting changes the look of the kitchen without removing anything. There's no demolition, no new countertops to fit and far less disruption to your home. Every kitchen is different, so a free estimate is the best way to compare your options.
What colours work well on kitchen cabinets?
It depends on the light in your kitchen, the flooring and the countertops. Soft off-white and muted green-grey are two colours we've used on real cabinets, and both show how much a colour change can do. We'll help you test options against your own space.
Can you paint bathroom vanities too?
Yes. Vanities get the same cleaning, sanding, priming and finishing as kitchen cabinets. Bathrooms deal with more humidity, so we pay close attention to prep and product choice. Doing them alongside the kitchen keeps the look consistent through the house.
How do I get a cabinet painting estimate?
Fill in our estimate request form and attach a few photos of the cabinets if you can. We'll call from 613-890-3000 to book a Project Discovery Call, so save that number as Maple City Painters and you'll know it's us.
Get a Cabinet Painting Estimate
Send a few photos of your kitchen and we'll talk through colours, finishes and a free estimate.