How To Paint Thermofoil Cabinets

In this post:  Today I’m dishing on how to paint thermofoil cabinets.  It was a lot easier than I thought it would be.  Here’s how I painted my thermofoil cabinets.  This post is in collaboration with Fusion Mineral Paint (but all opinions and cabinets are my own).  🙂

I’m basically an impatient person.  I’ve struggled with it all my life.  I want things done right now and I’m not always so good about getting everything totally set before starting a project.

I know.  Shocking, right?

I forget to take “before” photos because I start a project too fast.

I have an enormous amount of paint clothes because I don’t always take the time to change my clothes before starting a project.

I don’t take drawers out of furniture before I paint it because it just takes too much time.

If impatient and impulsive had a baby…it would pretty much be me.

When I decided the cabinets needed to go white and I was going to paint them…I was even apprehensive about my ability to do a good job at this.  I thought painted cabinets should be left for the “real” DIY’ers.  You know, the ones that do all the correct prep work and follow all the directions and do it all perfectly.  Not for women who jump into painting projects with wild abandon.

I was wrong.  This was easy and even I ended up getting amazing results.  If I can do this…you can do this.  Cross my heart.

Here’s what my cabinets looked like before I started.

They are off white with a chocolate glaze.  Pretty…just not the direction I wanted to go.  They are thermofoil cabinets you can buy at Home Depot called American Woodmark.  Thermofoil cabinets are wood cabinets with a finish on them that looks like it is “baked on”.

I had seen tutorials about pulling all the thermofoil off your cabinets in order to paint them.  I didn’t see a need for this because the thermofoil on these cabinets don’t really even feel like a covering because it is adhered so well.

My painted cabinets turned out beautifully because I used the Fusion MIneral Paint products from Homestead house.  Here’s how to paint thermofoil cabinets without pulling the thermofoil off.

Supplies (Affiliate links provided for your convenience, see my full disclosure here)

• Jasco TSP
• Fusion Mineral Paint Ultra Grip
• Fusion Mineral Paint (Picket Fence)
• Fusion Mineral Paint (Coal Black)
• Fusion Mineral Paint Tough Coat Wipe-On Poly

Step 1: Prep (ugh)

Okay, prep for this falls in the category (almost) of having a clean house.  I was a little shocked and little more than horrified by the grime that came off my kitchen cabinets…and yes…I do wipe them down often.

Take the doors off your cabinets and drawers out and label them with painters tape so you know where they go when you are finished.  Take off cabinet hardware and put all parts for each door in a sandwich bag and label it as well (I didn’t do this because my hinges are hidden and I’m kinda good at cutting in…and did I mention I’m impatient?)

Clean your cabinets with TSP.  I bought mine at Ace Hardware and it has to be diluted with water.  Simply spray on your cabinets and wipe down.

That wasn’t too bad huh?  This is an important step because it helps everything adhere better.  I promise it is worth the effort.

Step 2:  Apply Ultra Grip

Because these are thermofoil cabinets I didn’t want to go the route of sanding for prep because I didn’t want to damage the “foil”.  With such a smooth finish I knew I needed something for the paint to grip to so it wouldn’t chip off.  Fusion Mineral Paint’s Ultra Grip to the rescue.

I applied this to the doors and drawers but not to the cabinet boxes.  Use a foam brush to apply the Ultra Grip in a very thin layer.  I poured a small amount in a plastic solo cup and would dip my foam brush in it to get a light amount.  Spread it over the drawer or door in long strokes trying to go the whole length in one stroke.  The thinner the layer, the less likely you will see any lines in your finished paint project.

I applied the Ultra Grip after dinner and let it dry overnight since the directions say to let it dry for 12 hours.  That is seriously the only way I could resist not starting to paint…because I was asleep.

Step 3:  Paint On The Color

We are in my favorite step!  The one where the clouds part and angels sing and you are giddy because it just.looks.so.good!  Apply the color of your choice using a good quality small brush for the grooves and a foam roller for a smooth finish.

I always use the brush on the parts of the cabinet that had grooves or the edges first, then I go over the cabinet/drawer with the roller to smooth it all out and give good coverage.

Painting cabinets is like painting your nails…more thin layers with ample dry time will give you a better finish than slapping a thick layer of paint on just to be done fast (there’s a reason you never see my nails).

I let the thin layers of paint dry for 4 hours before applying another coat.  I applied three coats to my cabinets.

I used two different colors on my cabinets.  Picket Fence which is a very pure white and Coal Black which is a very dark black.

Step 4:  Apply Tough Coat

I knew my cabinets would take a beating with kids in the house (especially the lower cabinets).  Fusion Mineral paint has a built in top-coat so technically an additional top-coat isn’t needed, but I knew I wanted something extra to protect the finish.  After painting the cabinets with the three layers of paint I let the cabinets cure for 48 hours before applying Tough Coat.  I wanted to make sure they were really dry and ready for a finish coat.

I applied this again with a foam brush to avoid brush marks.  It dries rather quickly so when applying it I used the same method as the Ultra Grip…long strokes.  I didn’t put quite as thin of a layer because I wanted to make sure I had full coverage on each coat.

I put two coats on my cabinets.  I waited about 12 hours between coats by applying one layer first thing in the morning and then another one before bed.

When I woke up in the morning I was ready for this!

Perfectly painted cabinets!  They have such a smooth silky finish and feel every bit as durable as the thermofoil finish felt.

I painted the island Coal Black and I love how it contrasts with the white without having a “we live in a 50’s diner feel”.

One of the things I really liked about the Tough Coat is that it dries matte but with a nice sheen.  I know that doesn’t make sense.  What I mean is that it isn’t the kind of matte that makes you wonder where the richness of the color went…it enriches the color without making it shiny.

I liked it so much I decided to install a fun backsplash and use the Tough Coat to seal it.

I wouldn’t have thought I could use reclaimed wood on a real working kitchen’s backsplash because of the “non-wipe” surface.  However, with two coats of Tough Coat, it is completely low maintenance without losing the rustic look.

Would I paint my cabinets again?  Yes!  In a heartbeat!  I’m so happy with the results.

This is probably the last you will see of the kitchen until the big reveal.  I only have a few more projects to complete and I’ll be sharing the final look with you!  I can’t believe how quickly this has come together.

I can’t wait to show you guys!  Again…with the impatience.

See you back here for some more fun on Thursday!  It’s going to be a good one!  If you don’t want to miss one of my posts, you can subscribe by clicking the picture below.  I’d love to have you as part of this Slightly Coastal community!

Have a fantastic day!