The best paint for kitchen cabinets is a hard-wearing, water-based eggshell or satin that bonds properly to the surface and stands up to daily handling and cleaning. Of the brands we stock, the two easiest systems are Little Greene's Intelligent Eggshell and Paint & Paper Library's Architects' Eggshell and Architects' Satin: both are self-priming, so on clean, sound cabinets two coats from one tin do the job. Farrow & Ball's Modern Eggshell is the third excellent option, used over a separate primer.
All three will give you a beautiful, durable finish. The differences lie in sheen, preparation and the colour palette you want to choose from, and this guide sets them side by side.
Photo Credit: Paint & Paper Library; Colours Used: Salvia (596), Glass II (582), Canvas I (301), Deep Water Green (599), Clean White (101)
What makes a good cabinet paint
- Adhesion. Cabinet doors are often MDF, laminate, foil-wrapped or previously painted. The paint has to grip a smooth surface, not just sit on it.
- Toughness. Doors and drawer fronts are handled, knocked and wiped every day, so a wall emulsion is never the right choice.
- Sheen. A little sheen makes paint harder and easier to wipe. Eggshell gives a soft, painted look; satin is a touch shinier and more robust.
- Water-based. All the finishes in this guide are water-based, so they are low odour and brushes clean in water.
Little Greene Intelligent Eggshell and Satin
Little Greene's Intelligent finishes have the primer built in. Little Greene state that they adhere to wood, metal, melamine and Formica, which covers almost every kitchen door, and that in industry-standard scrub testing they withstood 10,000 scrubs. They describe them as up to 15 times tougher than ordinary decorative paints.
- Intelligent Eggshell (10 to 15% sheen). A soft, low sheen that looks like a hand-painted kitchen.
- Intelligent Satin (30 to 35% sheen). A little more polish and wipeability, good for busy family kitchens.
Clean, give a light key and apply two coats. Recoat in 1 to 4 hours; the paint takes up to seven days to reach full hardness, so treat doors gently that first week. Paint in a room of at least 8°C. Only for deep, dark colours or a big change of colour is it worth adding a first coat of Intelligent ASP.
Photo Credit: Little Greene; Colours Used: Hicks' Blue (208), Green Verditer (92)
Paint & Paper Library Architects' Eggshell and Satin
Paint & Paper Library's Architects' finishes are also self-priming on cabinetry and woodwork, needing just two coats. Paint & Paper Library say the range works on wood, metal, tiles and even Formica and plastics without a separate primer.
- Architects' Eggshell (10 to 20% sheen). A subtle yet protective low-sheen finish for cabinetry and woodwork.
- Architects' Satin (30 to 35% sheen). Paint & Paper Library describe it as the ideal finish for painting wood kitchen cabinets and cupboards, because kitchen cabinets see very high use. You may see it called Architects' Satinwood, its former name.
Lightly sand to create a key, then apply two coats. Both can be recoated in four hours. For cabinetry colour, Paint & Paper Library suggest Roben's Honour (344) on the cabinets with The Long Room (457) on the walls.
Farrow & Ball Modern Eggshell and Flat Eggshell
Farrow & Ball recommend two finishes as hard-wearing kitchen cabinet paint: Modern Eggshell (40% sheen) and Flat Eggshell (20% sheen). Unlike the two ranges above, they are used as a system over a primer: one coat of Wood Primer & Undercoat in the right colour tone, then two topcoats. On MDF, Farrow & Ball suggest lightly sanding the edges to reduce absorption, and sanding lightly between coats if the fibres rise.
For colour, Farrow & Ball suggest Setting Plaster (231) cabinets with Templeton Pink (303) walls, or Railings (31) on lower cabinets with De Nimes (299) on the walls.
Photo Credit: Farrow & Ball; Colour Used: Purbeck Stone (275)
Which should you choose?
- Laminate, melamine or foil-wrapped doors. A self-priming finish: Little Greene Intelligent or Paint & Paper Library Architects'. Our guide to painting IKEA furniture covers the preparation step by step.
- A soft, hand-painted look. Intelligent Eggshell, Architects' Eggshell or Farrow & Ball Flat Eggshell.
- Maximum wipeability. Intelligent Satin, Architects' Satin or Farrow & Ball Modern Eggshell.
- A particular colour. Choose the brand whose colour you love. Each brand's colours are available in its own cabinet finishes, and we mix them all to order.
Whichever you choose, the basics are the same: remove doors and handles, degrease thoroughly with sugar soap, rinse, let it dry, give a light key, and apply thin coats with a good brush and a small foam roller.
Questions we are often asked
Do I need to prime kitchen cabinets?
Not with Little Greene Intelligent or Paint & Paper Library Architects' finishes on clean, sound surfaces, as both are self-priming. With Farrow & Ball Modern Eggshell or Flat Eggshell, use Wood Primer & Undercoat first.
Eggshell or satin for kitchen cabinets?
Satin is slightly tougher and easier to wipe; eggshell looks softer and shows fewer imperfections. Both work well in a domestic kitchen.
How long before I can use the kitchen?
Doors can be rehung once dry, but go gently while the paint hardens. Little Greene give up to seven days for Intelligent finishes to reach full hardness.
