What Paint to Use in Painting Kitchen Cabinets

Most people who work on their houses know that paint comes in various different finishes:  flat, matte, eggshell, satin, semi-gloss, and high gloss.  The basic rule of thumb is The higher the shine, the more durable the paint. Bentonville, AR information can be seen at this link.

Flat paint has no shine at all, while high-gloss is very shiny. Flat paint shows everything that happens to it. The finishes in between are various degrees of shine.  Matte finish looks great in a bedroom, while the family room will probably need a satin finish because of the high traffic in that room.  Click here to read about Cabinet Painting in Bathrooms.

Kitchen Cabinets

So what would you imagine kitchen cabinets would need?  They need to be highly durable and stand up to lots of cleaning.  Professional cabinet painters would probably recommend high gloss or semi-gloss paint. High gloss paint is challenging and very shiny.  It looks terrible on walls but looks excellent on cabinets.  A high gloss paint shows every brushstroke and every little bump in the wood, so prep work becomes critical. 

Semi-Gloss

Semi-gloss paint is nearly as durable as a high gloss but is a little bit less shiny. It can take a lot of humidity and moisture in the room.  It stands up well to kitchen grease, frequent washings, and lots of use.