So how do I paint a cabinet?

I get this question A LOT.  At least twice a week someone says to me, these paints look easy but can they really be that easy?  The answer is YES!  So just to prove it to you I thought I'd write up a tutorial on painting a cabinet door with Reclaim so you can see the process and magic.

I started with a simple cabinet sample door I had and I cleaned the heck out of it.  The only cleaner we use is Simple Green, which can be purchased at your local home improvement store.  I spray the surface with Simple Green and scrub with a Scotch Brite sponge to get all the wax and grease off.  Then I take a damp cloth and wipe away the residue and dirt.  Once the door is completely dry I'm ready to begin.  

The next step is the hardest part of the whole process-picking your color.  Reclaim has a great selection of colors to choose from but sometimes they just won't cut it.  In those cases, we mix custom colors like I did here.  This is a deep gray/green made from Sage, Pebble, and Licorice. 

I begin by taking a chip brush and "mushing" or dabbing the paint into crevices and places my roller won't reach.  Don't apply too thick.  You'll be surprised by how little paint you actually use.

See those small air bubbles?  COMPLETELY NORMAL!  Don't stress yourself out trying to make these disappear.  It's a futile effort and the the air bubbles are crucial to the paint completing its job and leveling out as it dries.

Once I'm done mushing, I'm ready to roll.  We only use an ALL PURPOSE FABRIC ROLLER!  This is another very important part of the process.  These rollers hold just the right amount of paint, lay out the paint evenly, and don't create more of those air bubbles we talked about than necessary.  Load up your roller and get to rolling.  Sometimes you can even take the roller over those areas you mushed.  For example, the outer edge of the door.  You can even hit the inner crevice with your roller, when it's not fully loaded, to even out your mush marks.

That's it!  You're down to your last step.  WALK AWAY!  Walk away and let the paint dry and do its thing.  When you come back those bubbles will have disappeared and the paint will have leveled out.  Most cases, its two coat coverage.  Although you can see from the following picture how well just one coat covered.

Hopefully this helps those of you nervous about painting your own cabinets.  If you're interested in a custom color of your own, email us or give us a call and we can discuss your color direction and how we make custom colors for you!