Paint

Painting Cabinets with Chalk Paint

Today I’m sharing all about painting cabinets with chalk paint.

Painting Cabinets with One Step Chalk-Type Paint

I recently shared my laundry room makeover (to see more, click here). My laundry room lacks natural light, and I painted the cabinets to brighten the space.

Here’s the before:

Laundry Room - BEFORE

And the after:

Laundry Room Makeover To paint my cabinets, I used a chalk-type paint from Amy Howard at Home.  I love this paint because it eliminates the need for sanding or priming.  There is no prep work!  Here’s what is needed:

To begin, remove the hardware from the cabinets.

Remove Hardware before Chalk Paint

 Next, wipe down the cabinets with Simple Green All-Purpose Cleaner.

Clean Cabinets Before Painting

Use painter’s tape to tape off areas where needed.

Taping off Cabinets Before Chalk Paint Now it is time to paint!

Amy Howard One Step Paint Linen Begin with a brush to get all the areas the foam roller will not reach.

Using a Brush with Chalk Paint After the hard-to-reach areas are done, add a coat of paint to everything with the foam roller.

Rolling Chalk Paint Amy Howard Once the first coat of paint is dry, give everything a second coat.

Amy Howard Paint on Cabinets

I painted the insides of my cabinets with Vintage Affliction.

Amy Howard at Home One Step Paint

I painted the inside of the cabinets similar to how I painted the cabinet doors.  I used a brush for the hard-to-reach areas and went back through with the foam roller.  I gave the insides of the cabinets two coats of paint.

Trimming cabinets with Brush

Amy Howard One Step Paint Cabinets

I also painted the shelves.

Painting Cabinets with One Step Paint

Once the paint is dry, finish with Amy Howard’s Matte Sealer.  Add two coats using the brush and foam roller.

Amy Howard Sealer

My laundry room cabinets were painted in one day, and what a difference it made!

Starched Fabric Walls in Laundry Room

Laundry Room Reveal

I’ve painted a lot of cabinets over the years.  Here are a couple of other tutorials you may be interested in:

Happy Painting, and let me know if you try painting cabinets with chalk paint!

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*This post contains affiliate links and is a sponsored post through Amy Howard at Home. I received compensation in the form of product in exchange for my review. I take pride in reviewing only products that fit my brand and will be beneficial to my readers. And while this post is sponsored, all the opinions are my own.    

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25 thoughts on “Painting Cabinets with Chalk Paint

  1. Hi Sara. I’ve read all of your tutorials on painting cabinets with chalk paint. I would like to paint out my kitchen cabinets and was wondering which chalk paint you prefer….ASCP or Amy Howard? I’m really nervous ☺️ to start. Thanks. Stacey

    1. Hi Stacey! You can’t go wrong with Annie Sloan or Amy Howard paint – I would go with which is easier for you to get. I tend to lean towards Amy Howard paint because I love her colors and her paint is tintable if you buy at Ace Hardware. Also, I love her matte sealer for cabinets. Whichever way you go, do not use the wax. Use a polycrylic or the Amy Howard sealer I mentioned. Keep in mind your cabinets will have a little more rustic looks with chalk paint – even if you use a roller. They won’t have the factory finish, but I love the look for my house (and of course the price tag)! Good luck!

  2. I’m curious how it is holding up with the sealer? Do you still like it? I just used amy howard on my bathroom cabinets but didn’t put wax on yet. I noticed water streaks on the paint. I was going to buy wax today but didn’t get it done, and now tonight I read you prefer the sealer. I’m glad I read this before I bought the wax! Do you still recommend the sealer?

    1. I really prefer the sealer, and it has held up well so far. However, even though I used the matte sealer, it does have a shiny look. So, if you love the matte look of the one step paint, this will definitely change the finish and the color slightly. But for bathrooms and kitchens, I would always use a sealer over wax. I hope this helps!

  3. I love this! Does using a foam roller prevent streaks? My husband hates streaks, but I wamt.to do our kitchen. I’m hoping a roller will help against that??

    1. I do think the roller helps out with streaks. However, it’s hard to make any chalk-type paint look factory finished/perfect. It does have a little more of a rustic feel which I find charming. However, I would suggest testing out the inside of a cabinet to make sure you like the look first. Good luck!

  4. Love your work Sara. I’m going to start my bathroom project this weekend. My question to you is this: Do you use a specific product to clean the cabinet doors etc prior to painting? I have wood cabinets (bath and kitchen) and was just going to use some warm soapy water. Thoughts? Thank You!
    Stacey

    1. Hi Stacey! You can use soap and water or a product like Simple Green works well! I’ve also found cleaner at the hardware store that can act as a de-glosser if your cabinets have a shiny finish. Good luck on your project this weekend!

  5. Will the chalk paint adhere to laminate shelves? I am going to redo the laundry room, cabinet doorss are oak, but shelves and insides are laminate.
    Thanks!

  6. How far does the one step paint go and same with the sealer? My kitchen isn’t huge but I haven’t found any information on how much paint and sealer I would need. Thanks!

  7. I love the look of your cabinets 🙂
    I am wanting to do my kitchen cabinets with the Amy Howard all in one paint but can’t decide if the gloss finish or the matte would be best. Do you think the matte has held up and is easy to clean/wipe up? Or would the gloss finish be better since it will be in the kitchen and heavily used?
    Thank you!

  8. I have been painting my kitchen cabinets and I’ve been looking everywhere to see how to use the sealer. I have and 18 month old and feel like I could wipe them better if I use the gloss. Any suggestions on the gloss or should I go with the matte? Thank you for any information you may have!

    1. Hi Chandra! The matte is not what I would call matte because it does have a semi-gloss look to it. It is fairly easy to wipe down, so it really depends on the look you want. If you like the glossy look, go for it.

  9. Are they still holding up good. I am about to tackle my second cabinet project first one scratched. If I have IKEA like wood cabinets with a factory sealer on them. Do you suggest I use primer First then two coats of Amy Howard, then Matte sealer. Could I spray the 2nd coat? Just trying to make sure I have the best method for my kitchen. Thank you!!

    1. Hi Christie, I have had issues with chalk-based paint over laminate. I just wonder if your finish would be similar? Yes, I would definitely suggest a primer first. In regards to spraying this paint, you can but it’s a thick paint. You would have to water it down some which would require more coats. The beauty of this paint is that you shouldn’t need a primer or lots of coats of paint, but your situation may be different. In that case, I almost wonder if you just go the traditional route – sand, prime and latex paint? But, you can always test a small area with a chalk-type paint first. Good luck!

  10. Hi Sara,
    How does the look of the finish with the Amy Howard’s matte sealer compare to the wax sealer? It is always amazing to me how much the piece changes once it is waxed. I was planning on mixing some white and dark wax to distress the look a bit. I love the look of the wax, but I am doing a dresser that will get a lot of use. Is there some type of spray finish you can do over wax?
    Thanks in advance for your advice!
    Joan

    1. The sealer also changes the color and finish of the paint (it darkens and gives it a little more sheen).

      Unfortunately there isn’t a spray you can use over wax. However, if you want to distress and use something like the matte sealer, you can use a dark glaze instead of the dark wax. Good luck Joan!

  11. Hi Sara! I just finished my second coat of AH matte sealer on my kitchen cabinets. I’ve noticed marks / staining from occasional water drips that disappear after about 5-10 minutes. Has this happened to you? Do you think I need another coat?