Painting sound cabinets is the lowest-cost way to change a Boston kitchen, and it suits the small kitchens in condos and older houses well. Doors and drawers come off, every surface is degreased, sanded and primed, and a hard enamel goes on. Winter is a good time for this work, because it is all indoors.
Kitchens in Boston condos and older houses tend to be small, often a galley or an L in what was once a pantry or back room. Replacing cabinets in a space like that means new boxes carried up narrow stairs and a kitchen out of use for weeks. Painting is lighter work. If the boxes are solid and the doors hang straight, a new finish changes the room while the layout, counters and plumbing stay exactly where they are.
The work follows a set order. Doors and drawer fronts come off and are numbered. Hardware is bagged. Every surface is washed with a degreaser, since years of cooking leave a film that paint will not stick to. Then we sand, fill dents and old hardware holes if you are changing pulls, prime with a bonding primer and apply a hard enamel in thin coats. Frames are finished in place with the counters, floor and appliances masked.
Expect the kitchen to be partly usable throughout. You can reach the sink and the fridge, but the cabinets stay open and empty for several days. Enamel feels dry within a day and keeps hardening for a few weeks, so we ask you to close doors gently at first. Cabinet painting is indoor work, which makes it a good winter job in Boston, when exterior painting has stopped and schedules are easier to fit.
Cabinet painting in Boston: common questions
Where do you paint the doors if my condo has no spare room?
We look at this during the estimate. Doors can be finished in a cleared room, a basement or garage if you have one, or taken off site. The frames are always painted in place.
Can laminate or thermofoil cabinets be painted?
Sound laminate can, with the right bonding primer. Thermofoil that is peeling at the edges is a poor candidate, because the paint only holds as well as the skin under it. Show us a door and we will tell you honestly.
Will the old wood grain show through the paint?
On oak, yes, unless the grain is filled first. Some people like the texture. If you want a smooth face, say so at the estimate, since grain filling adds a step and time.
How it works
- Free estimate: Call, text or book online. We walk the job and measure.
- Written quote: Prep, paint and price in writing.
- Prep & protect: We cover floors and furniture, repair and prime surfaces.
- Paint & walk-through: Two coats, clean lines, full clean-up and a final walk-through.