This week I FINALLY painted my bathroom cabinets. This was not my first go-around with painting cabinets white. About a year ago I did the kitchen cabinets with the Rustoleum Cabinet Transformation kit.
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When I used the kit for the kitchen I was disappointed with the price, the decorative glaze, and the top coat. At $150 it was not cheap. The decorative glaze made the “pure white” look dirty rather than antiqued, and the top coat immediately began to yellow. Over the past year I have experimented on just about everything and decided for painting the bathroom cabinets I would use my “DIY Cabinet Transformations Kit”.
I am super happy with the results. Goodbye yellowed 60’s cabinets, hello fresh white and clean!
I decided to leave the doors off above the toilet and it feels SO much bigger!
I didn’t “antique” mine with the stain, but I included it in the “DIY” kit for the sake of comparison, since the Rustoleum kit comes with it. Mine actually came in much cheaper than the $85 because I keep Bulls Eye Primer on hand for EVERYTHING, and my little can of Polycrylic has gone a LONG way since I bought it for my green buffet. I also still had the white paint left from painting the hall trim and closet doors. I think my total for this project was only about $15!
After a lot of painting what I learned is that the Cabinet Transformation kit is just common painting supplies compiled into one user friendly kit. Rustoleum prides their kit on “no sanding or priming required”, but when I used their kit I had to use three coats of the bond coat. Using my DIY method there is priming involved, but that is followed by just two coats of the paint, rather than three.
So here’s what you need to build your own (cheaper & better) cabinet transformation kit:
- Scotch Brite Scrub Pads
- White knit rags
- Gel Stain
- Minwax Polycrylic
- Bulls Eye 1-2-3 Primer
- Klean Strip Deglosser
- Ace Alkaline Door and Trim Paint
- Stir Sticks
Here’s a few reason’s why I think the DIY kit is even better:
- You can paint your cabinets ANY shade of ANY color, rather than being limited to Rustoleum’s colors.
- You can use materials you already have on hand to save money.
- Polycrylic does not “yellow” the way the kit’s protective coat did (at least on my cabinet’s it did)
- You don’t need to purchase stain if you are not “antiqueing”.
If you are overwhelmed and want the simplicity of the Rustoleum kit they actually have their instructional video and PDF directions available for download online!
Because I had purchased the kit in “pure white” for the kitchen and I liked the color, I had Ace color match the Rustoleum paint in their cabinet and trim paint and this is the formula they came up with, it is a perfect match (I’ve even touched up the kitchen cabinets with this and you can’t see the difference).
Don’t be overwhelmed by all the cabinet painting tips and tutorials online, save yourself some money and let me know how much you love this method!
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Andrea Dolan says
June 28, 2013 at 5:59 pmLove it! Big difference.
Jessica McGurn says
July 2, 2013 at 1:36 amThanks! It’s amazing what paint can do!
Selene @ Restoration Beauty says
July 1, 2013 at 4:09 pmAwesome! I like the idea of crating your own kit to your preference instead of purchasing an over priced one!! Thanks!
Selene @ Restoration Beauty
Jessica McGurn says
July 2, 2013 at 1:36 amThanks! When I bought the kit I was inexperienced and didn’t even know where to start, after a lot of experimenting it is encouraging to feel like I’ve got my preferences figured out!
Natalie says
June 10, 2014 at 3:00 pmSo which did you perfer, the rustoleum kit or making your own?
Trying to decide which to do.
Thanks
Natalie
Jess says
June 10, 2014 at 3:55 pmThanks so much for your comment! I definitely would do my own DIY kit again before buying the kit. So much cheaper and more personalized. A bit more intimidating, but worth it!
Amber Koogler says
July 2, 2013 at 9:59 pmOk..you’re the best!!Great tips and it turned out awesome! Pinning! Thank you for sharing at Give Me The Goods!
Dimples & Pig Tales
Craftivity Designs says
July 3, 2013 at 4:09 pmGreat tip! I’ve looked at the Rustoleum kits before, so this is great to know.
– Lora @ Craftivity Designs
hopeallie says
July 4, 2013 at 10:56 pmWow! What a transformation! Looks awesome.
Allison @ http://www.allisonskinnyjeans.com
Carrie @ My Favorite Finds says
July 6, 2013 at 8:26 pmThese are great tips! Painting cabinets seems scary to me LOL! But you made it look so easy! Thanks for sharing at Pinworthy Projects.
Jennifer Schroader says
August 2, 2013 at 12:45 amIf I was painting my cabinets an espresso color and the current cabinets are a medium dark color do I still need to prime?
Jessica McGurn says
August 5, 2013 at 8:54 pmI would still prime because it makes for better paint adhesion and less scratches and nicks. Unless you’d be ok with the original color showing anytime there was a nick or scratch for a more antiqued weathered look, then I’d say don’t worry about priming. Hope that helps!
Liz Belajec says
September 14, 2013 at 1:20 amWhen u mention “antiquing”, is that done by painting it, then sand off the color in random spots and then clear coat on top?? Or is there a process used with stain? Could I ask you to explain that a little bit?? My cabinets are the long lost twins of your original kitchen and I’m search I g the web for painting kitchen cabinets and viola!!! I find your blog of which I am thrilled to follow!! But I’m unsure of how to achieve the antique process…. thanks!!
Jessica McGurn says
September 20, 2013 at 8:49 pmFor some reason your comment slipped through the cracks and I just saw it, sorry! I am far from an expert on antiquing because typically I am going for a more modern approach, but there are a few different ways to antique. Most people lightly sand edges and then apply a stain or glaze in cracks and on edges. The Rustoleum kit comes with a glaze to do this, but when I did my kitchen cabinets I applied the glaze to a test door and I hated the way it looked. It looked dirty and streaky. If you do want to antique yours I don’t recommend that glaze. I’m sorry that I don’t have a recommendation, I’m just not much of an antiqueing expert.
Gale Dacalio says
May 11, 2014 at 9:12 pmThis looks like great information. For some reason much of the left side is cut off from the sidebar. Is there a way I can set my computer to read it? Thanks:)
Jess McGurn says
May 13, 2014 at 3:55 pmI’m sorry, I’m not sure why that is happening, if you click on the little envelope at the bottom of the post you can get it e-mailed to you. I hope that works! Otherwise let me know your e-mail and I can send it to you.
Natalie says
June 10, 2014 at 3:16 pmThank you so much for your information. I bought the kit about month ago, made sure they did not tint my base so if I decided to buy product separately and return kit. I have also done lots of painting and woodwork but have been nervous about starting with kit. Friend used kit and came out great, but she went dark. I’m going light antique so just wasn’t sure about kit, thought it would work great but what else was I going to have to buy, more product or what. Spent enough on kit & when re-doing entire kitchen, didnt need to spend more money on cabinets than had already on kit. So KUDO’S to you for all the great information, listing exactly what you need and showing the cost difference. You have made my mind up to make my own
DIY cabinet transformation kit.
Post results when finish.
Thank you again! Natalie
Stephanie says
July 7, 2014 at 8:21 pmOkay so I see you listed these as your products…
Scotch Brite Scrub Pads
White knit rags
Gel Stain
Minwax Polycrylic
Bulls Eye 1-2-3 Primer
Klean Strip Deglosser
Ace Alkaline Door and Trim Paint
Stir Sticks
But do you have anywhere about the process of using those things?? I would love to try your method with these because I definitely DON’T want yellowing on my cabinets and I don’t want that antique stuff rustoleum uses. Please help a fellow DIYer 🙂
Stephanie says
July 7, 2014 at 8:22 pmOh wait, I just realized that that is what you used for the bathroom, NOT the kitchen. But what would the process be for the kitchen with those kinds of products, because I would not be staining my cabinets…
Jess says
July 7, 2014 at 10:01 pmWhat I did was purchase the Rustoleum kit for my kitchen, and then did my own “DIY Kit” for the bathroom.
After doing both I absolutely recommend purchasing just what you need and doing your own kit. The items on my list are the same items that you get in the kit, just labeled slightly differently.
If you are overwhelmed and want the simplicity of the Rustoleum kit they actually have their instructional video and PDF directions available for download online! (Links are in the blog post), with their instructions and your own “Diy kit” you can save a lot of money and customize it to your needs!
Sarah says
September 3, 2014 at 2:11 pmDoes the Polycrylic dry clear? I’ve got the Rustoleum kit right now and I noticed my topcoat dries white in some spots which is a big deal when your cabinets are Kona brown!
Jess says
September 3, 2014 at 4:18 pmI also did not like the Rustoleum kit top coat because mine appeared to be too thick and had a milky yellowish tint. As long as you do thin coats of Polycrylic it is clear. I’ve used it over black paint and the black is still crisp and black. Just make sure you do multiple thin coats or it can get milky.
Michelle says
September 4, 2014 at 2:39 amI am getting ready to paint my kitchen cabinets. Originally I was going to buy the cabinet transformation kit but instead went the DIY route. Would you have any suggestions on how to make a DIY kit from rustoleums countertop transformation kit?
rachein says
January 12, 2015 at 6:09 amThanks so much for this post, this is exactly what I was looking for. I too used the kit to refinish a piece of furniture in white and the top coat yellowed right away. I am now planning my kitchen painting project and was looking to put together my own “kit,” thanks for sharing!
BrightGreenDoor says
January 12, 2015 at 1:43 pmI’m so glad you found it! Good luck with your cabinet painting! Since writing that post I did another cabinet painting project that I blogged about here: https://www.brightgreendoor.com/spray-paint-cabinets-like-the-pros/ Thanks for commenting!
faith says
February 1, 2015 at 10:05 amSo with the kit there are 4 different steps with 4 different product’s, can you break down what product’s you used for each of the steps?
BrightGreenDoor says
February 1, 2015 at 9:40 pmYes, Step 1- Clean and Degloss is the deglosser. Step 2- Apply Bond Coat is the Bulls Eye and then the Cabinet paint. Step 3- Decorative Glaze (Optional) the Gel Stain. Step 4- Protective Top Coat is the Polycrylic. Hopefully that helps! Here is the Rustoleum guide with more details for each step! http://www.rustoleum.com/~/media/DigitalEncyclopedia/Documents/RustoleumUSA/instruction-sheets/Cabinet-Transformations-Instructions.ashx
susyobert says
July 8, 2015 at 2:57 pmFor my kitchen, should I double the amount of these items do you think? I’m excited to go for it!
BrightGreenDoor says
July 13, 2015 at 1:15 pmIt’s hard to know how much, but the gallon of paint went a long ways. The kit only gives you 2 quarts. Good luck with your project!
Renee G says
July 27, 2015 at 12:13 pmOK…I’m about to start the process of painting the vanity cabinet in one of our bathrooms using the products and process you’ve laid out. I’m excited to do it this way instead of with an expensive kit. Especially since I want to paint the vanity a particular shade of green to match an antique chest. I couldn’t do the paint match with a pre-made kit.
Wish me luck and I’ll share before and after photos. Thank you!
BrightGreenDoor says
July 27, 2015 at 1:50 pmAwesome! You’ll be happy you didn’t pay for the kit! Yes I’d love to see photos! I’m curious about the antique chest too. Thanks for letting me know!
Renee G. says
November 15, 2015 at 7:03 amHi there! I finished the one small bathroom and am almost finished with another of our full baths. Your DIY Cabinet Transformation process/system is perfect! I did decide, on the advice of the experts at the Diamond Vogel paint store, not to put a top coat on. They cautioned me about the potential for yellowing and peeling over time. I put one coat of primer and three coats of paint on the vanity cabinets, so feel confident that it will stand up to the wear and tear.
I also used a product on the formerly-pink laminate counter tops called Giani Granite paint that was simply amazing. We couldn’t believe how much better the bathrooms look with just a bit of paint!
I’d love to share my photos with you. How do I post them?
BrightGreenDoor says
November 18, 2015 at 10:39 amIt sounds like your cabinets look awesome. I’ve never had a top coat yellow or peel, but I have heard of it happening to others. With three coats hopefully it shouldn’t be a problem. I’ve considered Giani Granite paint multiple times and have always wondered how it turns out! If you share any pictures to instagram or Facebook just tag BrightGreenDoor in them. Thanks! Congratulations on finishing your bathrooms!
Amelia says
September 30, 2015 at 10:56 amhave you only tried this with white or have you tried with a dark kit?
I am literally about to go get a Rustoleum kit when I came across this on pinterest. I have already sanded and stripped the cabinets AND I have 5 gallons of Killz primer for the rest of the house already. That’s 2 steps of the Rustoleum kit already done.
BrightGreenDoor says
September 30, 2015 at 11:44 amI have only ever done the light kit. I’d say you’re already halfway there though and not to waste your money on the kit. I shared another post on painting cabinets here that might encourage you to go for it! https://www.brightgreendoor.com/tips-for-painting-cabinets-from-a-pro/
Debbie says
November 14, 2015 at 9:25 pmDo you use a paint brush or roller?
BrightGreenDoor says
November 14, 2015 at 10:22 pmA combination… roll everywhere I can and then brush the smaller spaces. Hopefully this helps!
Julie A Minor says
April 6, 2016 at 2:02 pmWow! Thanks for all the great tips! We were given some honey oak cabinets that need major cleaning and updating. I am hoping your tips will get me through! I will keep you posted. Thanks, again!
Amanda says
May 10, 2016 at 7:50 pmThis is so great! Thanks so much for this post. I do have a question… Have you ever painted over the Rustoleum Cabinet Transformation paint? I just moved into a house where they used that kit on the kitchen cabinets and they look yellow and dirty so I wanted to paint over with white, but I’m not sure if I need to degloss or sand or just start priming? Any suggestions would be wonderful! Thanks!
Bismarck says
September 14, 2016 at 1:22 pmDid the ace paint match the rustoleum pure white bond paint exactly? I bought the kit and need more paint but don’t want to buy another kit.
BrightGreenDoor says
September 14, 2016 at 2:00 pmYes it was a perfect match, I couldn’t tell them apart at all. That is why I had them do it. If you’re leary of using the recipe I used just bring in your paint can from the rustoleum kit and they can match it.
Elissah says
April 29, 2017 at 11:57 amHi! Thank you so much for this! Could you please make a list of the things included in the Rustoleum kit and their counterparts in the DIY kit?
For example, I know the Klean Strip Deglosser is your version of their deglosser.
I’m not sure what your version of their bond coat is.
Carissa says
May 28, 2017 at 7:28 pmDo you have a step-by-step showing how you used everything? I’m a novice! Lol
BrightGreenDoor says
May 29, 2017 at 4:04 pmHere are the links to Rustoleums instructional PDF and to their youtube video, these should be helpful: http://www.rustoleum.com/~/media/DigitalEncyclopedia/Documents/RustoleumUSA/instruction-sheets/Cabinet-Transformations-Instructions.ashx, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EOHslKNrVxE&list=PL95C8378D52A51D91&feature=share
Jeannie says
June 19, 2017 at 10:36 pmHi there. I just finished my kit application and I’m disappointed with the top coat. I selected the pure white just as you did, and now the top coat is yellow. My question is, when you fixed your yellowing what process and product did you use?
BrightGreenDoor says
June 19, 2017 at 10:38 pmOh no! I sanded all of the yellowed sealer, touched up the paint, and then used Minwax Polycrilic instead. It didn’t yellow at all after that. I’m so sorry you have to deal with this!
Jeannie says
June 20, 2017 at 7:00 amThanks for the tip. Did you same the whole surface or just the actual yellow bits? Not sure I want to sand all the surface, wish I would have run into your blog before I started?
BrightGreenDoor says
June 20, 2017 at 7:42 amNo I just sanded off the yellowed parts. I remember how mad I was!
Kelsey says
July 28, 2017 at 8:46 pmProbably a dumb question, but were getting ready to try your DIY kit. The bathroom and kitchen cabniet kit list have different deglossers. Is there one that is better than another? We will be painting kitchen cabinets.
BrightGreenDoor says
July 28, 2017 at 8:52 pmAwesome! I’ve used tons of different deglossers and to me they all have worked exactly the same. I don’t think any are better than the other. Good luck! I hope you love how they turn out!
Barbara says
July 8, 2018 at 9:16 pmHi Jess! Thank you for sharing! I really wish I found this first! I purchased the pure white rustoleum kit, it only came in quart size, so I had to buy 2 kits! I did not use the glaze, I too wanted pure white. I did listen to all the reviews about the top coat turning yellow and purchased 3 qts of polycrylic crystal clear in semi gloss, of which I only used less than 1/2 a quart. I had to put on 4 coats of the bond coat (there is no other paint in the kit) on both sides of the doors. I did not want to see any wood through the paint. It was exhausting, and it was a very small kitchen, 17 cabinet doors and only 6 drawer fronts. In the end it turned out absolutely gorgeous. But as I complained about how long and how many coats it was taking, everyone said there must be something wrong with the paint. So to anyone reading this, trust the process BrightGreenDoor and Jess has laid out. Yes, it’s time consuming but don’t let it cost you a small fortune too. My project was a surprise rehab for my Dad, the entire transformation was amazing. I’m not a flipper or anything but pretty handy. I’m extremely pleased with the end result, wish I could share some pictures. My realtor said “It looks fabulous, you did a great job! Now let’s sell it!” Lol Mind you I just bought it 6 weeks prior.
BrightGreenDoor says
July 9, 2018 at 12:34 pmAw thank you so much for sharing your story with me! Thank you for your vote of confidence as well. What a sweet and loving gift for your dad. It is a long and time consuming process, but is well worth it once it’s done. Thanks so much for letting me know!