What Is The Best Paint for Cabinets without Sanding?
Update your vinyl or laminate cabinets with a no-prime, no-sand, no-wax paint in beautiful boutique colors for a stunning and easy makeover.
“Can I paint that?”, is the question I get most from readers, friends, and family. And that is something other than wood. I emphatically respond “yes, you can paint anything.”
So can you paint vinyl or laminate cabinets without sanding? Absolutely. But you have to use the right kind of paint and take the correct steps.
*This post is sponsored by Velvet Finishes and contains affiliate links for your shopping convenience. You still pay the same price but I might earn a small commission. Thank you for supporting the brands I love and trust.
My Favorite Paint for Cabinets without Sanding
What holds you back on a new project? When I’m unsure of what tools or products to make my DIY successful, I tend to get discouraged and put them off. But I never feel this way about painting.
The power to instantly change something with paint makes me feel empowered. And I find the repetitive and mechanical motions of painting therapeutic! It’s a perfect time to listen to music or be engrossed in my own thoughts.
I’ve used my favorite paint for furniture and house projects for a few years. This low-VOC, non-toxic, latex water-base paint is easy to use, clean up and doesn’t require priming or sanding. The best kind of projects are ones without surprises and instant success. One of the many reasons I love using Velvet Finishes!
Have you seen my bird atrium er… I mean office? 🙂 I completed my dream workspace for the New Year New Room Refresh challenge with a built-in desk and office cabinets, beautiful bird wallpaper, and a sitting area.
The pre-assembled office cabinets I chose are wood with a crisp white vinyl overlay for easy care. But I’m always excited to punch up the design aspect a notch with color and additional details. I knew painting over vinyl would be easy with Velvet Finishes.
Velvet Finishes offers a captivating array of designer colors that produce amazing results. I went with a beautiful earthy green called Alluring for my office built-ins.
I have greens throughout our house to help unify decor, bring a garden-inspired color palette inside, and the sublime feeling of being embraced by my favorite color. As my grandpa always says,
“Try it! You’ll like it.”
This tutorial uses Velvet Finishes‘ three-step method with Ready, Colour, and Protect.
How to Paint Cabinets without Sanding
Use no-sanding paint for cabinets and get a beautiful and durable finish with these tips.
Materials
- No-sanding cabinet paint system like Velvet Finishes
Tools
- Towel
- Paint Brush and/or small paint roller and pan for furniture
- Stir stick
Instructions
- Remove hardware from cabinets. Optional: Disassemble doors and/or drawers and sit on a drop cloth.
- Use soap and water to clean cabinets and a deglosser if needed or use Velvet FInishes' Ready spray by applying a thin layer, let it sit a few minutes, and wipe off.
- Use a high-quality brush or paint roller and pan made for painting furniture and cabinets for the best application.
- Mix a water-base latex paint Velvet Finishes' Colour with a stir stick.
- Apply with a brush if the cabinets have decorative molding or a paint roller if they are completely flat. Always wipe access paint off the brush or roller on the side of the container or pan before application. Start with a light coat that will look streaky or watery especially if the cabinets are vinyl or laminate.
- Apply 1 or 2 more coats of paint once the first one is dry to the touch.
- Touch up as needed.
- Wait a few hours or overnight and apply a protective coat of polyurethane or Velvet Finishes' Protect to get a satin finish and prevent dings and scuffs. Use a sponge brush for a smooth finish.
Notes
You can paint cabinets without sanding including vinyl and laminate with the right paint system.
Recommended Products
This card contains affiliate links to products I love for your shopping convenience at no extra charge to you.
How to paint a vinyl or laminate cabinet without sanding.
- Remove cabinet fronts, drawers, and any hardware on the surface.
- Spray Velvet Finishes’ Ready, let sit a few minutes and wipe off.
- Use a good paintbrush or roller and start with a light coat of Colour. You may notice the paint looks splotchy or watery with the first coat on a vinyl or other smooth surface. Don’t worry, 2-3 more coats will give you even and complete coverage.
- You’ll need up to 4 coats of paint if you go from a dark color to light or light to dark.
- Let paint dry to the touch between coats.
- If you catch any dust, hairs, or drips; lightly sand when the paint is dry to the touch.
- Wash your brushes with water and soap. This paint is so easy to clean up!
- Wait a few hours (or overnight) and then apply Velvet Finishes’ Protect topcoat with a brush or sponge brush for a protective finish. I absolutely love this stuff! It protects against dings and scuffs and has a nice satin finish.
- Let your cabinets dry for a few days to completely cure especially if they are a smooth surface.
I have used my office 30-40 hours a week for over two years now and not a single ding or scratch on my painted built-in desk! That’s what I call a successful paint job.
Beautiful brass and wood pulls, painted toe kick and furniture feet add even more interest to the desk. You can find all of the details of the office makeover in how to decorate an office with no windows.
Join me on Instagram for behind-the-scenes, DIYs, decorating tips, room tours, and home inspiration. I’ll see you over there!
Here are some other projects I’ve completed with Velvet Finishes. They also offer furniture glaze, gel, and metallics. Click on the image link below for the project.
Colorful cabinets make such a statement! Check out these beautiful cabinet color options for more inspiration and before and after cabinet makeovers from Country Living. What do you want to paint?
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