Painting Preparation

• 1). Wipe cabinets down with a liquid sandpaper product on a cloth to clean off any grease and dirt and to make the the existing finish slightly rough and better able to hold a new finish, according to Utah State University Extension.
  
  
• 2). Take the cabinet doors off of the cabinets by unscrewing their hinges with a screwdriver or taking out the metal pins that hold the hinges in place.
  
  
• 3). Remove metal hardware, such as cabinet handles and hinges, from the cabinets unless you want to paint them red as well.
  
  
• 4). Place the cabinet doors on plastic sheets to protect the workspace from paint stains.
  
  
• 5). Sand wooden cabinets if they have any areas that are not smooth to create a good surface for the paint to adhere to.
  
  
• 6). Apply tape to the walls around the borders of the cabinets to protect them from paint stains.
  
  

Painting the Cabinets

• 1). Apply primer with a brush. Make sure to choose a primer that is compatible with the material the cabinets are made out of and with the type of red paint you purchased to use on the cabinets. Use a thick enough coat of primer to obscure the wood grain on wooden cabinets for the glossiest finish.
  
  
• 2). Allow the primer to dry thoroughly before painting the cabinets.
  
  
• 3). Double-check the paint label to make sure it is compatible with the type of primer on the cabinets.
  
  
• 4). Paint the cabinets with a glossy red paint using a brush. When painting wooden cabinets, paint in the same direction that the wood grain runs in. Don't forget the cabinet framework.
  
  
• 5). Allow the paint to dry thoroughly.
  
  
• 6). Paint the cabinets with another layer of the glossy red paint if the single coat of paint looks thin. Two coats of paint are better than one coat.
  
  
• 7). Allow the paint to dry and cure to a hard finish. This can take up to a week, depending on the type of paint. Oil paint can dry to a hard finish within 48 hours, while it can take up to seven days for acrylic-based paint to cure.
  
  
• 8). Reattach the hardware, such as handles and hinges to the cabinets, and put the doors back onto the cabinets.