Cabinet Refinishing · Oct 2020
Kitchen wood cabinets painted white uppers, dark lowers
Kitchen wood cabinets painted white uppers, dark lowers. These are before, in-progress and after photos from the job, taken Oct 2020. This cabinet refinishing project was done by Larry Gaytos and the My Personal Painter crew. We are based in Florence, Kentucky, and our work is covered by a 2-year touch-up warranty.
Before and After Photos
Stained Wood Kitchen Cabinets Painted White Uppers and Charcoal Lowers
This galley kitchen started with medium brown stained wood cabinets, photographed in Oct 2020. In the before photo, the upper cabinets have cathedral arch doors and glass mullion doors, with decorative plates and signs on top. The lowers have raised panel doors and dark bronze pulls, set under beige laminate counters. An in-progress photo shows a crew member kneeling on the floor, removing a door from the base cabinets beside the sink. In the after photos, the uppers are bright white, including the arched doors and the glass door frames, and the lowers along both runs are a deep charcoal that is close to black. The hardware is off in these photos, so the screw holes show on the drawer fronts. The white uppers brighten the gray walls and white appliances, while the dark lowers ground the room above dark wood plank floors and the light counters.
How We Painted These Wood Cabinets Two Colors
- We removed all doors, drawer fronts and pulls and marked each piece, then cleared the counters and covered the floors and appliances.
- The stained wood was cleaned with a degreaser and sanded to dull the glossy topcoat, which gives primer a surface it can grip.
- A stain-blocking primer went on every surface. On the white uppers this step matters most, because wood tones can bleed through light paint.
- We masked the glass panels on the mullion doors and painted the thin frames by hand for clean lines around each pane of glass.
- Uppers got two coats of white and lowers got two coats of deep charcoal, with light sanding between coats to keep the surface smooth.
- After the finish cured enough to handle, the doors went back up, and the hinges were adjusted so every door closed straight and even.
Paint Colors Similar to These White and Charcoal Cabinets
These are similar shades to consider for white uppers and dark lowers like these, not the exact paint colors used on this kitchen.
Sherwin-Williams Snowbound SW 7004
A soft white close to these uppers. It brightens the arched doors and suits the gray walls and white appliances.
Sherwin-Williams Iron Ore SW 7069
A soft black similar to the charcoal lowers. It looks rich next to dark wood floors without the harshness of pure black.
Benjamin Moore Kendall Charcoal HC-166
A slightly lighter charcoal gray for lowers if you want contrast with white uppers but a softer look than near black.
Questions About Painting Stained Wood Cabinets
Do stained wood cabinets need to be sanded before painting?
They need to be scuff sanded, not stripped. Sanding dulls the glossy topcoat so primer can bond. The cabinets should also be cleaned well first, because kitchen grease can stop paint from sticking. Skipping these steps is one of the main reasons painted cabinets chip or peel early.
Do dark lower cabinets show dust and scratches?
Dark colors can show dust and light scratches a little more than mid tones, but they hide scuffs from shoes and spills better than white. A satin sheen helps hide small marks. Wiping with a soft cloth keeps them looking good. Many homeowners find dark lowers easy to live with.
Can glass cabinet doors be painted?
Yes. The wood frame around the glass is painted, and the glass is masked or carefully cleaned afterward. Mullion doors take more time because each thin bar needs careful work. Painting the frames white, as in this kitchen, keeps the glass doors light and helps them match the rest of the uppers.
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