What’s included in a cabinet painting project

1. In-home estimate and colour help. We count doors and drawers, check the cabinet material and condition, and talk through colours, sheen and hardware. You get a written price.
2. Remove and label. Doors, drawer fronts and hardware come off and are numbered. Doors go to our Monroe shop.
3. Prep, the part that matters. Degrease (kitchen grease is the #1 reason DIY cabinet paint fails), scuff sand, fill chips and old hardware holes, grain fill oak if you want a smooth finish, then a bonding primer.
4. Spray. Two coats of professional cabinet enamel, sprayed for a smooth finish with no brush marks. Frames are masked off and sprayed on site; your kitchen stays usable most of the time.
5. Reinstall and adjust. Doors rehung and aligned, new hardware fitted if you chose it, soft-close bumpers replaced. Walk-through and care instructions.

Cabinet types we paint

• Oak (the 1990s–2000s builder cabinets all over Union County). Grain filled for a smooth finish, or left with visible grain if you prefer the look.
• Maple, cherry, birch, poplar stained or previously painted.
• MDF and thermofoil – with the right primer these paint beautifully; peeling thermofoil can often be repaired or the doors replaced.
• Laminate – case by case; we’ll tell you honestly.
• Bathroom vanities, laundry cabinets, built-ins, bookcases, fireplace surrounds, pantry doors.

Popular colours right now

Whites and off-whites (Benjamin Moore White Dove, Simply White, Chantilly Lace; Sherwin-Williams Alabaster, Pure White) remain the most requested. Two-tone kitchens with a navy, green or charcoal island (Hale Navy, Salamander, Iron Ore, Cyberspace) and warm greige perimeters are very popular in Waxhaw and Weddington’s newer homes. Alicia has samples and can spray a sample door so you see the colour in your own light.

What cabinet painting costs

Most kitchens in our area run $3,500–$8,500. A small galley or a bathroom vanity is much less; a large kitchen with an island, glass doors and a colour change is more. The biggest factors are door/drawer count, oak grain fill, and whether the inside of the boxes is painted. Full breakdown: Cabinet Painting Cost Guide.

Painting vs. refacing vs. replacing

	Painting	Refacing	Replacing
Typical cost (10×10 kitchen)	$3,500–$6,500	$7,000–$14,000	$18,000–$40,000+
Time	4–6 days	1–2 weeks	4–8 weeks + lead time
Keep your layout?	Yes	Yes	Optional
Best when	Boxes and doors are solid, you want a new colour	Doors are damaged or you want a new door style	Layout is wrong or boxes are failing

Recent projects

More before & after photos →

Where we paint cabinets

Based in Monroe, we work every week in Union County and south Charlotte:

• Monroe, NC
• Indian Trail, NC
• Stallings, NC
• Matthews, NC
• Mint Hill, NC
• Weddington, NC
• Wesley Chapel, NC
• Marvin, NC
• Waxhaw, NC
• Ballantyne
• Charlotte, NC
• Fort Mill, SC
• Indian Land, SC
• Concord, NC

Reviews

“It looks like we spent $10k on new cabinets!”

“OCD painted cabinets in multiple areas of our home. They are honest, attentive, responsible, expert and do an incredible job.”

All reviews →

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to paint kitchen cabinets?

Most kitchens take 4–6 working days from removal to reinstall. Doors cure in our shop while the frames are done on site, so you keep partial use of the kitchen.

What paint do you use on cabinets?

Professional waterborne cabinet enamels and urethane-fortified enamels (Benjamin Moore Advance, Sherwin-Williams Emerald Urethane, and commercial cabinet coatings) over a bonding primer. We do not use wall paint or chalk paint on kitchen cabinets.

Will the paint chip or peel?

Not with proper prep. Chipping comes from skipped degreasing and the wrong primer. Our finishes are degreased, sanded, bonding-primed and sprayed with cabinet-grade enamel, and we stand behind them.

Can you paint the inside of the cabinets?

Yes, as an add-on. Most customers paint the face frames and the door/drawer fronts only, which is what shows.

Do I need to empty the cabinets?

Only if we are painting the interiors. Otherwise, clear the counters and the tops of upper cabinets and we handle the rest.

Do you offer free estimates?

Yes. Text or email a few photos of the kitchen for a ballpark, then we confirm with a quick in-home visit.