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Young House Love » Our Second House » The Right Way To Prep Cabinets For Paint

| By Sherry Petersik | December 27, 2011 | 214 Comments

The Right Way To Prep Cabinets For Paint

I guess that title should really be “Puttering Around With Putty (aka: Wood Filler) And Sandpaper And A Spackle Knife And Deglosser.” But that was too long. In a nutshell, we prepped all of our cabinets for primer by:

  • puttying all of our cabinet frames and drawers and doors
  • sanding everything (to smooth the putty and rough things up for primer)
  • deglossing everything (to further aid with adhesion)
  • laying all doors and drawers out in the sunroom (on lifts) so we’re ready to prime

But that’s not enough detail for chatterbugs like us. So let’s get into the nitty-gritty. First we used Elmer’s ProBond Professional Strength Wood Filler (we asked around for a favorite filler among contractor friends and two mentioned this one) to fill any cracks, old hardware holes, etc. Since our new door and drawer handles will call for two holes instead of one, it was important to hide the old holes with filler so once they’re primed and painted they’ll be completely invisible.

Priming Putty Deglosser Too

After using a spackle knife to firmly scrape the putty into the holes and cracks to fill them, the holes from the old hardware looked a little something like this:

Priming Puttied Knob Hole C

Then it was sanding time. This is John’s Dexter face (not as good as his impression here):

Priming John Sanding Eyes

After carefully puttying and allowing for drying time (we just read the container to see how long to wait), we went to town with the hand sander (using 60 grit paper followed by 200 grit paper) to not only smooth out the parts that were puttied but to rough everything up so primer and paint would stick for the long haul. There are some folks who skip steps like sanding and deglossing but we’re Team Edward Team Super Thorough. Although shortcuts are tempting, we like to go the extra mile in the name of the best adhesion possible for more long-lasting durability (it might take us a day or two more on the front end, but if it gets us years or even decades more on the back end it’s well worth it).

Priming John Sanding

Oh and you can see that the cabinet above is one of the ones that we retrofitted using a pro method (pocket holes with wood glue and a number of heavy duty hidden steel screws) – so these doors are just as durable & sturdy as the rest of the doors in the kitchen. Once we puttied and sanded it the seams were pretty smooth. So we’re still crossing our fingers that primer + paint will add up to undetectable door surgery. Which is always the best kind of door surgery. If not, we’ll buck up and pay for a carpenter to create perfectly matched doors since the half-sunk ones that we have are rare/impossible to find in the custom sizes that we need. We just thought attempting to reuse these solid oak doors was worth a try first (you know we like to use what we have to save money that we can then put towards other things to elevate the room, like new counters/floors/backsplash, etc).

Priming Puttied Criss Cross

Here’s a photo of another door that was retrofitted:

Priming Puttied Door Far

As you can see, the putty is lighter than the wood tone of the doors, but when you run your hand over the seams they feel nice and flush, which should be the key to a seamless finish. It’s easy to believe that primer and paint will fill gaps and hide flaws, but in our experience they DO NOT! They actually settle into fine lines and dings and cracks and emphasize them. So our big tip to you is before you get near the primer or the paint to get your doors as smooth and seamless looking as possible. Any inconsistencies in color (like the lighter putty) are ok, since primer and paint will cover that. But any inconsistencies in smoothness or dings/cracks won’t likely be hidden by primer & paint, and might even be more noticeable once the wood tones are gone and the door is one solid color.

Once those few retrofitted doors were puttied and sanded while the rest of the doors were just sanded (other than getting a dab of putty to hide the old knob holes) it was time for the liquid deglosser.

Priming Doors Spread Deglos

We like using Next Liquid Deglosser because it’s low-VOC and biodegradable (and still gets the job done). It removes any sort of oil or grease and strips down some of the shine on things (our doors weren’t too shiny after our rough-everything-up sanding session, but you know we like to be thorough). Especially in a grease-prone room like a kitchen, this step is a good one (the wipe-down also helps remove any sawdust that remains after sanding).

Priming Doors Spread On Flo

Oh and we also puttied the cabinet frames whenever necessary (like when there were dings, cracks, and screw holes that we wanted to hide). See this screw hole on the edge of the side of our pantry? That’s where another cabinet used to be attached, but since we reconfigured the layout that hole is now exposed, so we filled it and sanded it to make sure it won’t be visible once we prime and paint.

Priming Pantry Side Sanded

After puttying any areas of the cabinet frames that needed attention, we let them dry and then sanded everything (again to smooth any putty and rough everything up for the best possible adhesion). Then we deglossed everything for even more “adhesion insurance.” Are you sensing a theme? We want that primer and paint to stick for the long haul, goshdarnit. We’ve used this cabinet painting method in our first house’s kitchen, in John’s sister’s house (where it lasted over years until she moved – when it was still going strong), and I also used it to paint the cabinets that we used to make our built-in office desk, so we’re huge fans of how long-lasting & durable things end up being. Even though it’s a pain in the butt to get through since you’re dying to pick up the paint brushes and rollers already. But we’re there! We’re fiiiiiinally there!

Priming Sanded Drawer Base

Here’s how the kitchen was looking after all those goings-on. Not gorgeous – but lovely because progress is a beautiful thing!

Priming Kitchen Far Door Fl

Then it was back into the sunroom with all the doors where we laid them all out for the priming and painting phase.

Priming Sunroom Spread

Oh and see how they’re all sort of popped off the ground a bit? John cut down a bunch of scrap wood pieces that we had in the basement to make little “risers” for them, so we can easily paint the part that faces up AND the sides without worrying about any doors dripping/sticking/sitting in a puddle of primer or paint.

Priming Sunroom On Blocks

Enough chit-chat, there’s priming and painting to do! We’ll be back with a primer peek later in the week… and once everything is dry and ready to be re-hung we’ll share the full monty reveal with tons of details, photos, and even a video about the full priming & painting process for anyone who wants to tackle this project (hopefully sometime next week, assuming everything is all cured up and dry by then). Exciting stuff. What have you guys been up to? Tell me we weren’t the only ones puttying our pants off (figuratively speaking).

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Filed Under: Home Improvement, Our Second House, Painting

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Comments

  1. Avatar for Wendy - Old Town HomeWendy - Old Town Home says

    December 27, 2011 at 9:50 am

    Looking good! And the key to a great finished paint job is all in the prep. Hang in there!

    We’re trying to get back into the swing of renovation projects now that Christmas is over. Before we pick back up on our master bath reno, we’re going to be making custom storm windows. http://www.oldtownhome.com/2011/12/26/A-Storm-Window-Commitment/index.aspx Not the most exciting project, but a necessary one this time of year, and we hope our public announcement means we’ll actually get it done.

    Reply
    • Avatar for YoungHouseLoveYoungHouseLove says

      December 27, 2011 at 9:53 am

      Wow – that’s awesome! Good luck!

      xo,
      s

  2. Avatar for paigepaige says

    December 27, 2011 at 9:51 am

    lovely jubley!

    Reply
  3. Avatar for LindaLinda says

    December 27, 2011 at 9:51 am

    I feel like each post is just a little bit more of a tease as to what everything will look like once the painting starts. I, for one, am pretty dang excited! I can’t imagine how much you guys must be chomping at the bit to get it all done – I admire your patience. haha

    xoxo Linda

    Reply
    • Avatar for YoungHouseLoveYoungHouseLove says

      December 27, 2011 at 9:52 am

      Haha- we’ve been dying to get there… but we’re there now! We’re officially in primer progress!

      xo,
      s

  4. Avatar for HeatherHeather says

    December 27, 2011 at 9:52 am

    I’m dying to see the finished product! I can imagine you guys are ready for that part too. I’d be like hurry up and finish I want my new kitchen already :)

    Reply
  5. Avatar for Melanie @ Mailbox JourneyMelanie @ Mailbox Journey says

    December 27, 2011 at 9:53 am

    Lots of work, but I’m sure it will be worth every second in the end!

    Reply
  6. Avatar for JenniferJennifer says

    December 27, 2011 at 9:56 am

    Yes!! Take your time. I hate waiting too, but you are right. It is so worth it! Rushing just makes for more work in the future!! We are all waiting…and trying to do it patiently! Good luck!!

    Reply
  7. Avatar for MelodyMelody says

    December 27, 2011 at 9:56 am

    I love how thorough you are, taking no short cuts. Can’t wait for the big reveal, I’m on the edge of my seat!!

    Reply
  8. Avatar for Amanda @ Our Humble A{Bowe}dAmanda @ Our Humble A{Bowe}d says

    December 27, 2011 at 9:56 am

    Priming, finally! Such an exciting time. Not really, but the painting is because you’re finally seeing the finished look. We just shared our cabinet painting tutorial (http://ourhumbleabowed.wordpress.com/2011/12/19/how-to-paint-cabinet-doors-and-drawer-fronts/) and the reveal of our installed drawer fronts (http://ourhumbleabowed.wordpress.com/2011/12/20/i-like-big-drawers-and-i-cannot-lie-2/) I’m sure yours will look fantastic!!

    Reply
  9. Avatar for SunnySunny says

    December 27, 2011 at 9:57 am

    What are you going to do about the backs of the cabinets that you retrofitted? Did you puddy those holes too? Are you going to paint both sides of all the doors? What about the insides of the cabinets? Sorry about so many questions! Just curious. Looks great!!

    Reply
    • Avatar for YoungHouseLoveYoungHouseLove says

      December 27, 2011 at 10:46 am

      Yup! Full putty job on both sides and we’ll paint both sides of the door so they look as good coming as they do going! More details as we go!

      xo,
      s

  10. Avatar for PipPip says

    December 27, 2011 at 9:58 am

    So thorough – the cabinet gods should heap maximum adherence upon thee. Happy Priming!

    Reply
    • Avatar for Sew ViewSew View says

      December 27, 2011 at 7:47 pm

      Ha ha. Ditto.

  11. Avatar for MollyMolly says

    December 27, 2011 at 9:58 am

    Great job, guys! I have slooowly tried to become a more patient person when it comes to this sort of stuff. Way better to do it at the beginning than to rush through it and kick yourself in the end.

    I did a little puttying on this side table I painted red. Still have no clue what the hole was for in the first place! Maybe a cord?
    http://thenestinggame.com/2011/10/12/red-spindle-table/

    Keep going!

    Reply
    • Avatar for YoungHouseLoveYoungHouseLove says

      December 27, 2011 at 10:48 am

      Oh my gosh that looks amazing! And hooooooray for all the wood puttying goin’ on! Woot.

      xo,
      s

    • Avatar for WrenariaWrenaria says

      December 28, 2011 at 12:24 pm

      Molly – Looks to me like it might have been one of those lamp tables, where the lamp is attached to the top as a permanent feature (but in this case someone removed it).

      Looks lovely in red! Nice work.

  12. Avatar for MichaMicha says

    December 27, 2011 at 10:00 am

    There is NO-THING more important than proper prep work. Trust me *grimace* I’m repainting every inch of painted woodwork in our 1915 home because previous owners didn’t use primer, used the wrong primer, didn’t sand, didn’t clean …. gah! It’s taking forever but at least I can sleep at night knowing -our- paint job will last :o)

    Reply
    • Avatar for YoungHouseLoveYoungHouseLove says

      December 27, 2011 at 10:45 am

      Aw man, that stinks but it’ll be so worth it in the end! Good luck!

      xo,
      s

  13. Avatar for KateKate says

    December 27, 2011 at 10:04 am

    I know the effort will be worth it in the end! A week before we hosted 17 people in our home for Christmas we decided it would be the perfect time to build and install open shelving on a blank wall in the kitchen. Fortunately I took the week off. I spent an entire 2 days filling, sanding, priming, and painting. But they’re perfect and lovely.

    Reply
  14. Avatar for KateKate says

    December 27, 2011 at 10:05 am

    I feel like I’ve been waiting for this moment since you moved in! Very exciting!

    Do you plan on painting in interior of the cabinets, drawers, etc?

    Can’t wait to see the end result!

    Reply
    • Avatar for YoungHouseLoveYoungHouseLove says

      December 27, 2011 at 10:45 am

      We’ll share all those details as we go!

      xo,
      s

  15. Avatar for Ashley@AttemptsAtDomestication[email protected] says

    December 27, 2011 at 10:05 am

    I can’t wait to see them painted!

    Reply
  16. Avatar for Erin MErin M says

    December 27, 2011 at 10:06 am

    How exciting! Can’t wait to see the next step(s).

    Reply
  17. Avatar for LaurenLauren says

    December 27, 2011 at 10:08 am

    I love coming back in to work to check out your progress! I was down in NJ with my mom this weekend and spent all of yesterday helping to paint their bedroom and brand new in-progress master bath (then cleaning and returning furniture to the bedroom). We chatted away about how much more fun it was to be painting than out shopping at after-christmas sales!

    Reply
    • Avatar for YoungHouseLoveYoungHouseLove says

      December 27, 2011 at 10:48 am

      Aw that’s my idea of a good time!

      xo,
      s

  18. Avatar for Kristen @ Popcorn on the StoveKristen @ Popcorn on the Stove says

    December 27, 2011 at 10:09 am

    You’re getting there! Can’t wait to see how painting goes!!

    Reply
  19. Avatar for nancyonancyo says

    December 27, 2011 at 10:11 am

    way to go! My weekend had no DIY projects involved. I’ve vowed to finish up remaining projects before beginning anymore. This week, I’m finishing up something that I’ve built thanks to Ana-White.com .. so, I took the holiday to run, swim and work off the extra holiday calories.

    Non-DIY related … does John do improv? Or, is he just a fan of dirty south improv? If he does do improv, will we some comedic relief on YH Life?

    Reply
    • Avatar for YoungHouseLoveYoungHouseLove says

      December 27, 2011 at 10:50 am

      Haha, he does. He did it in college and also a bit when he lived in NYC before we met (at Upright Citizens Brigade). It’s funny now because some of the kids he knew from there have made it big (they’re on SNL and The Best Week Ever) but he’s really happy to be into DIY and “daddy-ing” these days. Gotta love that funny man of mine.

      xo,
      s

  20. Avatar for VickyVicky says

    December 27, 2011 at 10:13 am

    Help! The background to every post has changed to a tile effect of a video of Sherry in a black shirt with the play button symbol. All the words that land on the black shirt are unreadable, I’m trying to view it on my iPhone, I’ve tried reloading, restarting the Internet app, I’m freaking out that I’m not going to get my daily fix of young house love now. It started when I clicked on videos in the side bar. Any idea how I can fix this? Thank you!!

    Reply
  21. Avatar for VickyVicky says

    December 27, 2011 at 10:19 am

    Nevermind!!! It’s fixed!! I restarted my phone and that put it back to normal :) SO relieved! Off to read today’s post!

    Reply
    • Avatar for YoungHouseLoveYoungHouseLove says

      December 27, 2011 at 10:44 am

      So glad! Yes, iPhones can be very glitchy, but we hear clearing the cookies/data can help if it gets weird. Glad it’s back to normal!

      xo,
      s

  22. Avatar for SaraSara says

    December 27, 2011 at 10:20 am

    I wish I could renovate my rental kitchen – this just looks like more fun every time I see a new picture! Just wanted to stop in and say Merry Christmas and that I asked for the Black and Decker 12 Volt Compact Drill you guys recommend in your Amazon shop and I got it and I love it!!! Thanks for always being awesome you guys!

    Reply
    • Avatar for YoungHouseLoveYoungHouseLove says

      December 27, 2011 at 10:44 am

      Aw, so glad! Happy drilling!

      xo,
      s

  23. Avatar for Molly M.Molly M. says

    December 27, 2011 at 10:20 am

    Have you used the Liquid Deglosser on other projects? Would you suggest it for refurbishing/refinishing a rocking chair for my daugher instead of regular stripper? Do you degloss, sand, then degloss again?? I am very intrigued with this product as I am starting a faux finishing/mural/painting business and have not used it before. I have a slew of questions but won’t bog you down since you have priming to do! Good luck!

    Reply
    • Avatar for YoungHouseLoveYoungHouseLove says

      December 27, 2011 at 10:51 am

      A deglosser isn’t as thorough as a stripper, so if you plan to stain something you’ll need to strip it down to bare wood for the stain to sink in evenly, but if you’re priming and painting, deglossing, sanding, and deglossing again might be all you need to rough things up for primer and paint. Definitely don’t skip the sanding step though! Hope it helps!

      xo,
      s

  24. Avatar for KatyKaty says

    December 27, 2011 at 10:20 am

    I’m sure every detail Team Thorough sees to will be worth it in the end! I’m definitely one prone to cutting corners to make it a little simpler. Call me Team Lazy. Your posts consistently remind me that in the long run, being thorough is way easier. Looks like Team Lazy is actually Team More-Work-Down-the-Road. Thanks for helping me redefine my lazy!

    Reply
    • Avatar for YoungHouseLoveYoungHouseLove says

      December 27, 2011 at 10:40 am

      Haha, go Katy, go! You can do it, girl!

      xo,
      s

  25. Avatar for AimeeAimee says

    December 27, 2011 at 10:22 am

    Nice tutorial. We are closing on a house this Friday, so there will be some putty in my future. I will look forward to the detailed instructions on priming/painting.

    Reply
  26. Avatar for Sally DurenSally Duren says

    December 27, 2011 at 10:23 am

    We are right there in the thick of it with you! Except we have to replace our fifty year old lower cabinets due to some serious rot. bummer.

    Reply
    • Avatar for YoungHouseLoveYoungHouseLove says

      December 27, 2011 at 10:39 am

      Aw man, such a bummer! Good luck with everything!

      xo,
      s

  27. Avatar for JaimeJaime says

    December 27, 2011 at 10:25 am

    Have you all spied Barker Doors for the impossible to find cabinet doors? Its the only place I was able to find online that sold custom doors for super cheap to the public. I bought all my new cabinet doors from them and I am pleased as punch! http://www.barkerdoors.com

    Reply
    • Avatar for YoungHouseLoveYoungHouseLove says

      December 27, 2011 at 10:39 am

      Yes, sadly they don’t do the half-sunk ones that we need that work with the same hardware and stick out the same width (we want them all to look identical, which is quite the challenge)! We really did look everywhere!

      xo,
      s

    • Avatar for Elisa @ The Self LifeElisa @ The Self Life says

      December 27, 2011 at 10:42 am

      Ooo, we’re replacing some cabinets with glass doors. Thanks for the link!

  28. Avatar for ShannahShannah says

    December 27, 2011 at 10:26 am

    Please don’t feel that you need to make this comment go live since I know you moderate comments. This is just faster than tracking down an email adddress for you.

    I wanted to give you a heads up since you are read worldwide. The word “bugger” is fun and funny for us Americans, but (speaking as someone who has lived all around the world) it’s not a very nice word to use at all. It’s a pretty graphically strong curse word (think F bomb with some multiples) throughout the Commonwealth. You might want to do a slight edit.

    Ref from this post: “But that’s not enough detail for chatty buggers like us”

    Love your blog and want to keep you embarrasment free!

    Reply
    • Avatar for YoungHouseLoveYoungHouseLove says

      December 27, 2011 at 10:36 am

      Ack- thanks for the tip! Off to change that!

      xo,
      s

    • Avatar for Skye @ Neathering Our FestSkye @ Neathering Our Fest says

      December 27, 2011 at 10:41 am

      Wow – good little tip to know! :) Thanks for sharing! (And thanks Sherry for posting this.) :)

    • Avatar for EmilyEmily says

      December 27, 2011 at 12:43 pm

      Most of my British and Irish friends use it fairly frequently (I live in Boston, its chock full), and while it has a different meaning than your use, I’ve never considered it a multiple of the F bomb. Someone might say bugger off, and that more or less means F off, or they may call someone a filthy bugger, but its really not all that terrible. But then again, maybe I have filthy friends?

    • Avatar for YoungHouseLoveYoungHouseLove says

      December 27, 2011 at 1:20 pm

      Haha, I remember seeing people in British films saying “bugger off!” but I always thought it was more like sayin “shut up” – haha. Things definitely can change meaning from place to place though! We’ve also heard that giving the peace sign (holding up two fingers) can mean eff-you in some other places! Such a surprise!

      xo,
      s

    • Avatar for AnnabelvitaAnnabelvita says

      December 27, 2011 at 5:01 pm

      As a Brit I wouldn’t say it’s that rude when used to describe a person. It does have a sexual meaning but I think a lot of people use it without thinking like that.

    • Avatar for YoungHouseLoveYoungHouseLove says

      December 27, 2011 at 5:35 pm

      So interesting!

      xo,
      s

    • Avatar for ChrissieChrissie says

      December 27, 2011 at 6:12 pm

      In Australia it’s considered pretty harmless as well, it’s kind of like the little second cousin of swear words – it can be used in place of a swear word, but it’s not considered rude by most.

      There are a LOT of words in English and Australian English that seem to have dirty meanings that the rest of the world couldn’t know (like root – what the?), but (despite the odd immature giggle) I do know that people in other countries aren’t generally aware of those subversive meanings and can understand the context they’re being used in.

      It’s great that Shannah let you know about it, and it’s good to be aware of different language uses, but I just wanted to clarify that over here at least, chatty buggers are just fine :-)

    • Avatar for YoungHouseLoveYoungHouseLove says

      December 27, 2011 at 8:44 pm

      Haha- thanks Chrissie! SO interesting!

      xo,
      s

    • Avatar for EmilyEmily says

      December 29, 2011 at 11:26 am

      The peace sign has to be backwards to be dirty – like with your palm to you, rather than away. But you kind of give it with the same gusto as the finger, so there really isn’t any confusion between the peace sign and the F-off backwards peace sign.

      And like Chrissie in Australia mentioned, there are lots of bad words in both American English, British English, Irish English, etc., etc., that can be confused.

      For example, a fanny in America is not a butt across the pond. You write an American English blog – it would be impossible to try and keep up with every variant of English!

    • Avatar for YoungHouseLoveYoungHouseLove says

      December 29, 2011 at 11:39 am

      Haha- so funny about the gusto at which the backwards peace sign is given!

      xo,
      s

  29. Avatar for HollyHolly says

    December 27, 2011 at 10:26 am

    I was sanding and using wood filler yesterday as well on an old dresser!
    Looks great, good work! Looking forward to seeing the final results :)

    Reply
    • Avatar for YoungHouseLoveYoungHouseLove says

      December 27, 2011 at 10:35 am

      Woot! Wood filler in the house.

      xo,
      s

  30. Avatar for JoannaJoanna says

    December 27, 2011 at 10:27 am

    It’s looking great! It occurs to me – did you consider putting just one door through the whole process (resize, putty, sand, prime, paint) to see if you liked the results instead of doing the whole set together? I would worry that after putting all that effort in I’d be reluctant to go to the plan B even if I wasn’t completely satisfied with the results.

    Reply
    • Avatar for YoungHouseLoveYoungHouseLove says

      December 27, 2011 at 10:35 am

      Nah, we figure since we have 20 something drawers and doors to paint that five of them being retrofitted isn’t a big deal since we like to only have to dirty the paint brushes and rollers as few times as possible (aka: doing it all at once, if it works will save us some extra brush scrubbing on the back end). And if it doesn’t at least we’ll have tried them all!

      xo,
      s

  31. Avatar for Laurel M.Laurel M. says

    December 27, 2011 at 10:33 am

    The day after Christmas my husband sanded a 60 year old “trashy table with potential” so we could refinish it and fit our entire soon-to-be family of seven! I promise to follow you step by step!

    Reply
  32. Avatar for Jennifer RizzoJennifer Rizzo says

    December 27, 2011 at 10:35 am

    We did the exact same thing to our old oak cabinets last year. I was so glad I puttied them and filled in the grain. I was so happy with how they turned out! You are going to love them!

    Reply
  33. Avatar for JulieJulie says

    December 27, 2011 at 10:36 am

    Okay, I’m just going to finally come out and say it, everytime I see I shot of the sun room I think ‘Wow, that would make the perfect playroom!’. I have to know if it has been considered. As a Montessori teacher, and nanny, and parent I have seen the playroom in many parts of the home. And it seems unless it is in the middle of the action it often goes ignored. Love the progress by the way!

    Reply
    • Avatar for YoungHouseLoveYoungHouseLove says

      December 27, 2011 at 10:37 am

      Of course! It’s just on a separate heating/cooling zone (we have to heat and cool that room separately) and it’s separated from the house by an exterior sliding door- so it just seems a bit more “external” than connected to us (which is why we love painting and project-ing in there, since it seals the fumes out of the house). But I’m sure as Clara grows and gets more independent it’ll be a great room for her to spread out in!

      xo,
      s

  34. Avatar for Skye @ Neathering Our FestSkye @ Neathering Our Fest says

    December 27, 2011 at 10:39 am

    You two just keep doing your thing because it is just pushing me to GET OURS DONE! I love it! I also agree with doing things right beforehand and a couple of extra days that really pay off in the long haul are SO SO worth it! :)

    Reply
  35. Avatar for MaryMary says

    December 27, 2011 at 10:39 am

    John, face mask but no shoes using an electric sander? I dunno about that…

    Reply
    • Avatar for YoungHouseLoveYoungHouseLove says

      December 27, 2011 at 10:43 am

      Feet don’t breathe, do they? Haha. Just kidding, but door sanding in our sunroom isn’t splintery or anything – so bare feet aren’t dangerous for that step (we often paint barefoot too since we can feel when we have something on them and avoid tracking it into the house that way)! Our method is actually to wipe down our bare feet and then slip socks on when we walk inside (and then shake those socks out in the bathroom before hopping in the shower) to keep from tracking the dust all around. Otherwise it gets caught in our shoes and we accidentally track it in at some point later in the week or something.

      xo,
      s

    • Avatar for ChristineChristine says

      December 27, 2011 at 5:01 pm

      My husband works in construction safety so I immediately spied the bare feet. Be careful, John! One unforeseen little slip with that sander and you could have a trip to the ER ahead of you…and that is one post I would not want to read! Dirt or no dirt, it’s much harder to deal with stitches than it is to mop the floor!

  36. Avatar for Cristina s.Cristina s. says

    December 27, 2011 at 10:41 am

    Don’t worry we spent time this weekend prepping & priming our banister… You’ve taught me to be a stickler for trim in glossy white ( something the previous owners did not care for lol)

    Reply
    • Avatar for YoungHouseLoveYoungHouseLove says

      December 27, 2011 at 10:52 am

      Haha- go Cristina! I bet it looks great!

      xo,
      s

  37. Avatar for Kaytie @ GardenKitchenHomeKaytie @ GardenKitchenHome says

    December 27, 2011 at 10:42 am

    Consider me inspired to play more by the rules. I’m guilty of cutting corners when I get bored, and it can show in certain projects. Maybe my problem is that I don’t do things in the assembly line set up that you do. (So not enough space in my little Philly condo.)

    Good job, guys!

    Reply
  38. Avatar for Seriously Sassy MamaSeriously Sassy Mama says

    December 27, 2011 at 10:43 am

    Do you think the wood filler would work with nicked molding? I rent and just want to clean it up a bit. Also, thanks for the deglosser info. I have a dresser and a table I want to redo!

    Reply
    • Avatar for YoungHouseLoveYoungHouseLove says

      December 27, 2011 at 10:53 am

      Oh yes, I bet it would. If it’s painted molding (or will be painted) sometimes white paintable caulk can help fill in little nicks and cracks too, so that might be worth a try if you give putty a go and it’s not as pliable as something more tooth-paste-ish might be. Good luck!

      xo,
      s

  39. Avatar for heatherheather says

    December 27, 2011 at 10:45 am

    I love how thorough you guys are—it’s a good thing. I’m crossing my fingers for you guys that the cabinets looks even when they are all painted up, I know how much it means to you guys (and to not have to pay the $800).

    We took the weekend off of house items and headed up to my father in laws on Christmas where we ate way too much homemade pizza, beer and hot tub time (while it was snowing out). A white Christmas topped by white Christmas hot tub time isn’t half bad. We had four dogs there (over 60lbs each) and six adults haha, it was so fun.

    My sister in law is redoing their kitchen now, so you guys came up and we realized we all read it (minus my husband and my father in law) so you guys and your reno was brought up in convo :) I’m glad to see the progress!

    Reply
  40. Avatar for Kate BattleKate Battle says

    December 27, 2011 at 10:48 am

    I’m glad you guys are tackling this project now! I’m getting ready to paint my kitchen cabinets (starting after my New Year’s Eve party) and I can use all the advice I can get! Never thought to do the liquid deglosser step, but I am highly considering it. May I ask where you purchased the low voc deglosser? Sometimes the eco friendly stuff is hard to find!

    Reply
    • Avatar for YoungHouseLoveYoungHouseLove says

      December 27, 2011 at 10:54 am

      It’s from Home Depot! Just check out their cleaning and stripping product aisle or ask where deglossers are! It should be right in there among them! So glad things are getting greener at big box stores!

      xo,
      s

    • Avatar for Kate BattleKate Battle says

      December 27, 2011 at 12:33 pm

      Thanks guys!

      Amen to the greener at the box stores comment! Especially when you are working indoors in the winter in Wisconsin…hard to get much needed fresh air when its 15 degrees out!

  41. Avatar for KarenKaren says

    December 27, 2011 at 10:49 am

    Rah, rah! Go John and Sherry! You guys are doing SO great! This is the hard part, where nothing is pretty and it feels like it’s been forever since the heart of your home was “normal” and you start feeling like you’ll never see the light at the end of the tunnel.

    You will! I’m here to encourage you! And you’re doing such a fantastic job of getting things right in this draggy-on prep part.

    I know you have a zillion and one things on your plates right now–you are both amazing at juggling what you do. It will all pay off in the end with a beautiful kitchen for your family, and lots of hits and comments.

    Have a WONDERFUL day. Kiss that little girl of yours and kiss each other as well, and take some deep breaths as you slug through everything this week.

    You are sweet, intelligent, hard-working people AND fabulous parents. It shines through in each and every post. That’s why the world loves you so much.

    God bless!

    Reply
    • Avatar for YoungHouseLoveYoungHouseLove says

      December 27, 2011 at 10:55 am

      Aw thanks so much Karen. You’re the best.

      xoxoxooxo,
      s (& the fam)

  42. Avatar for MelissaMelissa says

    December 27, 2011 at 10:51 am

    Just found your blog about a month ago and love it! (trying to catch up on all your posts, lol) It’s definitely helped get us back in renovation mode after taking a long break post-baby – our son Ned is almost 1 year to the day younger than Clara. Loving the info so far on refinishing the cabinets as that’s what’s up next in our house. We’re going to start in the bathroom for practice first and then hopefully move on to the kitchen. Can’t wait to see the painting during/after pics!

    Reply
  43. Avatar for Meg@ Keeping up with the Jenks[email protected] Keeping up with the Jenks' says

    December 27, 2011 at 10:54 am

    Just wanted to drop in and offer words of encouragement. Y’all amaze me (I mean are you sleeping?)
    I wish I was DIYing something, can’t wait to get our house built! I’m itching for a project.

    Reply
    • Avatar for YoungHouseLoveYoungHouseLove says

      December 27, 2011 at 10:56 am

      Aw thanks Meg! Clara actually slept until 9 this morning (it’s a post-Christmas miracle!) which is really nice since we went to bed at 2am last night! I feel like a new woman after my 9am wake-up. Although I guess I still didn’t get 8 hours. Maybe after Jan 4th when we hand in the final book manuscript! Haha. Gotta have a goal, right?

      xo,
      s

    • Avatar for Meg@ Keeping up with the Jenks[email protected] Keeping up with the Jenks' says

      December 27, 2011 at 11:27 am

      yay for Clara sleep, boo for 2 am bedtimes. We were up at 630 because Isla June was hungry (what the!?)
      Its super mommy power to just keep putting one foot in front of the other during these crazy times, y’all can do it! Good luck!

    • Avatar for YoungHouseLoveYoungHouseLove says

      December 27, 2011 at 12:02 pm

      Aw, sorry Isla June had you up so early! Probably a growth spurt! Grow baby grow!

      xo,
      s

  44. Avatar for AmandaAmanda says

    December 27, 2011 at 10:54 am

    I’m so excited to see the finished product! And I’m still amazed at how seamless the franken-doors look after you added putty and sanded! It’s going to be fantastic. :)

    Reply
  45. Avatar for AngAng says

    December 27, 2011 at 10:57 am

    I’m so jealous! Waaaa, I want a new kitchen. I have been waiting soooo long. But patience is a virtue and I’ll get mine soon. But this isn’t about me it’s about you! :) I truly can’t wait to see it finished! I LOVE how frugally you are doing it all. Great job! I’m dying to see the backsplash too. So close!!!

    Reply
  46. Avatar for tjack432tjack432 says

    December 27, 2011 at 11:02 am

    Ahhhhhh such a tease! The title should have been “teasing you with putty”

    I am looking forward to the big cabinet reveal.

    Reply
  47. Avatar for karenkaren says

    December 27, 2011 at 11:12 am

    Call me a ‘putty dummy’, but I’m not sure what yo mean by-(pocket holes with wood glue and a number of heavy duty hidden steel screws).

    Reply
    • Avatar for YoungHouseLoveYoungHouseLove says

      December 27, 2011 at 11:58 am

      Here’s that post all about retrofitting the doors for ya: https://www.younghouselove.com/the-doors/

      xo,
      s

  48. Avatar for SylvieSylvie says

    December 27, 2011 at 11:16 am

    Could you comment a bit on your sanding prep & cleanup? When we painted our paneling, we had sanding dust EVERYWHERE (we used the same sander as yours). I tried using tack cloths for cleanup and that in itself was a sticky mess! How do you contain all the renovation messes? I understand sanding outside or in a separate room, but what did you do when you sanded the cabinets inside the kitchen?

    Reply
    • Avatar for YoungHouseLoveYoungHouseLove says

      December 27, 2011 at 12:00 pm

      We cleared the room (art off the walls, chair out of the corner, stuff off the mantel and counter, etc) and then did all the sanding. Then we swept things off from top to bottom (starting with the tall items like the fridge built in, and working down to the floor. Then we swept the floor and followed that up with swiffering to get all the remaining dust up. Hope it helps!

      xo,
      s

  49. Avatar for Shannon @ Bungalow960Shannon @ Bungalow960 says

    December 27, 2011 at 11:17 am

    We found some old doors in our basement (our house was built in 1924, so they are the awesome solid oak kind) and puttied and sanded our hearts out to restore one for use on our master. There’s something satisfying about making something smooth… haha.

    Reply
    • Avatar for YoungHouseLoveYoungHouseLove says

      December 27, 2011 at 12:00 pm

      Haha- nice! Sounds like a major victory!

      xo,
      s

  50. Avatar for ElEl says

    December 27, 2011 at 11:20 am

    Hi,
    Now that the holidays are about over we are going to be painting our cabinets in our new to us home. Which, btw, have creepy squiggly mouth pulls instead of eyeball knobs! I know your detailed method has been proven successful, but I was wondering why you didn’t choose to use the Rust-Olium Cabinet Transformations (I think that’s what its called) We are debating between the two ways and like the no sanding possibilities that the kit provides. But your method is a plus to us because we are thinking of doing a pop of color on the bottom and white top. It’s a huge kitchen with the totally 80’s oak cabinets! So- what say you:)?
    Love your blog!
    Thanks!
    El

    Reply
    • Avatar for YoungHouseLoveYoungHouseLove says

      December 27, 2011 at 12:10 pm

      The Cabinet Transformations kit isn’t low VOC, which is a pretty major factor in our house (with a kid and a pooch and a penchant for anything eco, it’s just something that we value, but we know it’s not everyone’s top priority). We also heard it doesn’t have a sanding step, which makes us a bit leery since we love that method for a super durable possible finish. I also think it would have been $100+ to do a kitchen of our size, so we knew buying high quality primer + paint (even through Benjamin Moore) would be less. I also think it just comes down to knowing this method works for us since we’ve done it a number of times, so it’s what we’re most comfortable doing again. Hope that makes sense!

      xo,
      s

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John and Sherry smiling against pink backgroundHey, we’re John & Sherry. We’ve fixed up 7 homes, written books, designed products, started a podcast, and then downsized & moved to the beach! Here you’ll find over 3,000 DIY projects & home updates. More about us…
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