Many Santa Rosa kitchens still have solid oak or maple cabinets from the 1980s and 1990s. When the boxes are sound and the layout works, painting them changes the room for far less than new cabinets. The result depends on degreasing, sanding and the right primer under a hard enamel.
Plenty of Santa Rosa kitchens were built in the tract years with oak or maple cabinets that are still solid today. The doors hang straight and the boxes are sound, but the finish has yellowed or looks dated. Painting suits that situation well. It does not suit cabinets with swollen particleboard, peeling thermofoil or water damage under the sink, and we will say so at the estimate rather than paint something that will not last.
Doors and drawer fronts come off and are numbered, and the hardware is bagged. Everything is washed with a degreaser, because cooking residue is the main reason cabinet paint fails. Surfaces are sanded dull, dents are filled, and a bonding primer goes on. Oak has open grain, so you choose whether to keep that texture or have the grain filled for a flatter look. The finish is a hard enamel applied in thin coats, with the frames painted in place and the doors finished flat.
Plan for the kitchen to be partly out of use for several days. You can normally reach the fridge and sink, but the doors will be off and the counters covered. Fresh enamel is dry to the touch quickly yet stays soft for a while, so we ask you to handle doors gently and skip harsh cleaners during the first weeks. Our dry summer air helps the finish cure, and in the damp months we give each coat longer.
Cabinet painting in Santa Rosa: common questions
Will the oak grain show through the paint?
Yes, unless it is filled. Painted oak keeps a visible grain pattern, which some people like. If you want a smoother surface, we fill the grain before priming. It adds work, so say which look you prefer when we quote.
Can you change the cabinet hardware at the same time?
Yes. If the new handles use different hole spacing, we fill the old holes before painting and drill for the new ones after. Bring the hardware to the estimate if you already have it.
Are bathroom vanities painted the same way as kitchen cabinets?
The steps are the same: degrease, sand, prime and enamel. Vanities see more standing water, so we pay extra attention to the edges near the sink and to any swollen spots that must be repaired first.
How it works
- Free estimate: Call, text or book online. We walk the job and measure.
- Written quote: Prep, paint and price in writing.
- Prep & protect: We cover floors and furniture, repair and prime surfaces.
- Paint & walk-through: Two coats, clean lines, full clean-up and a final walk-through.