Cabinets & Built-ins
Cabinet Painting in Somerville & Greater Boston
Kitchen cabinets, bookcases and built-ins — degreased, sanded and finished to take daily use.
Cabinets are quoted per kitchen, because the number of doors and drawers matters far more than the size of the room. It costs a fraction of replacing the units.
A new-looking kitchen without a refit
Most kitchens that feel dated are not worn out — they are the wrong color. The carcasses are sound, the doors close, the layout works. What has aged is the finish.
Repainting the cabinets addresses exactly that, for a fraction of what new units cost, and it is one of the few jobs where the before and after is dramatic.
Why cabinet painting fails, when it fails
Two reasons, both avoidable.
The first is grease. Cabinets carry years of cooking residue, especially above the range and around the handles. Paint will not bond to it. If that residue is not properly removed before sanding, the finish peels off in sheets within a year no matter how good the paint was.
The second is the wrong primer. A previously varnished wood door, a laminate front and a factory-painted MDF door all need different bonding primers. Using one product for all three is faster and unreliable.
How we work
Doors and drawer fronts come off and get labeled, because cabinet doors are not interchangeable — a door refitted to the wrong opening will not sit flush.
Everything is degreased, then sanded to give the existing finish a key, then primed with a product matched to whatever is underneath. Two coats of a hard cabinet enamel follow.
Boxes and face frames are finished in place. At the end the doors go back on and get adjusted so the gaps are even, which is a carpentry job as much as a painting one — and it is why cabinet work takes longer than the square footage suggests.
Materials
What the job actually needs
The product matters as much as the brand. These are what this kind of job calls for — Benjamin Moore and Sherwin-Williams finishes, plus the standard primers the trade relies on. Ask Cayo which he recommends for your job, and why.
Degreasing
Cabinets carry cooking residue. Paint does not bond to it, and no topcoat fixes that
A professional-grade degreaser, then a clean-water rinse
Bonding primer
Matched to what is underneath — varnished wood, laminate and factory-painted MDF each need something different
Zinsser B-I-N or Bulls Eye 1-2-3, or STIX on slick surfaces
Cabinet finish
A hard-curing enamel, not a wall paint. This is what decides whether the edges chip in a year
Benjamin Moore Advance or Sherwin-Williams Emerald Urethane Trim Enamel
Cabinets & Built-ins — recent work
Photos from actual jobs
Questions
Cabinets & Built-ins — common questions
Is painting cabinets cheaper than replacing them?
Considerably. A cabinet repaint costs a fraction of new units, and if the carcasses are sound there is usually no reason to replace them. Where it stops making sense is when the boxes themselves are failing — water-damaged bases or sagging shelves are a replacement job, not a painting one.
How long will painted cabinets last?
With proper degreasing, sanding and a bonding primer, a cabinet finish takes daily kitchen use for years. Where cabinet painting earns its bad reputation is jobs where the grease was never properly removed. Paint does not stick to cooking residue, and no topcoat fixes that.
Can you paint laminate or melamine cabinets?
Often yes, with the right bonding primer. It depends on the condition of the surface and whether the laminate is lifting anywhere. Cayo will look at the actual doors before saying yes to it.
How long is my kitchen out of action?
The kitchen stays usable for most of it. Doors and drawer fronts come off and are finished separately while the boxes are done in place, so you lose the doors for the duration rather than the kitchen.
Do you paint the inside of the cabinets?
Usually not, unless you ask. Interiors see no daylight and painting them adds cost without changing how the kitchen looks. If you want it done, say so and it goes on the estimate.
Where we work
Cabinets & Built-ins across Greater Boston
Free estimate
Get a free estimate for cabinets & built-ins
A free estimate, no obligation. Cayo looks at the job himself and talks you through what it needs.
- The price you agree is the price you pay. “Completed project and price as agreed upon” — Neal E., Google review.
- Not sure what you need? Text a photo of the room to (857) 880-7832 and Cayo will tell you what it needs — and what it doesn't.
- Rather talk? Call or text (857) 880-7832. It goes to the owner, not an office.