How to chalk paint and glaze old cabinets under $200 - Part 1 - Prep

This is how I went from this:


To This:



Cabinet Revival for less than $200.

Prep Materials:
Sandpaper and sander - had on hand

Paint and Glaze Materials:
Velour Rollers - $10.00
Roller frame - had on hand
Paint tray - had on hand

My total out of pocket: $198.00

If you have to buy a sander, sandpaper, paint brush, paint tray and a roller frame, the total would come to just under $250.00. If you only need one gallon of paint, then the total is about $200.00.

I've included links to the items I purchased on Amazon as well as links to items I had on hand but would work for this project. My kitchen cabinets are approximately 9' long and 10' wide in a U-shape.


After spending a year designing a perfect kitchen using Ikea's design feature, we removed the wall between our kitchen and dining room and installed a bar. All of those steps are laid out in detail on other posts. We decided we liked the bar and wanted to keep it in our remodel. I created new kitchen designs on the app to incorporate the bar.

When the Covid-19 pandemic emerged, we were both sent home to work and we self-quarantined because Mauricio is high risk. My desk is right beside the kitchen. Day after day I would envision what it would look like totally redone. Due to Covid, we were not going shopping. I decided if I could redo my current cabinets, it might be a temporary fix and make me like the kitchen. I watched countless YouTube videos, read blogs and articles, trying to find the best methods. Eventually, I came up with a plan.

We live near the ocean and the house was meant to be in the style of a Spanish villa. Our house has a lot of dark wood and iron features salvaged from a hotel built in 1924 and torn down in 1983. The color had to be light but also complement the existing wood. I wanted the design to incorporate both the beach feel that is a trademark of many houses in the neighborhood, and an old-world Spanish feel.

I liked both the chalk paint and glaze techniques. I decided to try to use both on my cabinets. In my research I found:

  • Cabinets should be sanded for the paint to last.
  • Most people recommend using a primer on the cabinets before painting.
  • Some recommend latex paint with a hardener or cabinet paint. (I used neither)
  • Recipe for chalk paint
  • There are many methods to glazing. I found one that made sense and modified it.
Because everything had to be ordered online, the process was slow. I ordered a sample of KILZ Tribute Misty Morning paint that would serve as my primer and my paint, and General Finishes Water Based Glaze Effect in Van Dyke Brown. It took five days for both to arrive and the paint came busted with just a small amount left in the container. It was enough to let me test the color on a door from the cabinets we had removed.


I did not like how the glaze made the paint appear off white. I decided I needed to go with a stronger blue and I ordered two gallons of KILZ Tribute in Sailing Water. I wasn't sure how much I would need but knew I would likely need half a gallon of chalk paint. I used just about a gallon. One gallon would have been enough. It was ordered on May 9, 2020. Because of delays in shipping, due to arrive on May 28, 2020.

Preparing to Paint: 


I made a plan to use the long weekend of Memorial Day to prep to the cabinets.

The Doors
  • Remove cabinet doors - what I will say about this is, if you have old cabinets like mine, it is very tricky to get them to hang right when you put them back. I did not want dust from sanding all over the house so I chose to remove them. I might not do that next time because I feel like I spent as much time trying to hang the doors as I would have on clean up.
  • Label the doors in a place you don't need to paint. I used a chalk pen.
  • Remove hardware from the doors - if you opt to remove the doors.
  • Sand the doors 2xs to remove the old stain
    • 1 time with 80 or 120 grit sandpaper
    • 1 time with 150 or 220 grit sandpaper
  • Wipe the doors with Denatured Alcohol
The Cabinets
Next, I describe the process of painting the doors and cabinets.

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