It’s the prep.
Cabinets collect grease, oils, and buildup you can’t always see — especially around handles and edges.
If paint can’t bond, it doesn’t matter how good your paint is.
Cabinet Prep removes contaminants and creates a surface paint can actually stick to.
Oak grain, dents, seams, and texture are what make cabinets look “cheap” after painting.
Wood filler shrinks, flashes, and cracks under paint.
Cabinet Mud fills grain and imperfections without flashing — so cabinets dry smooth and stay smooth.
Once prep is right, everything else becomes easier.
Rolling or spraying, satin or semi-gloss — the finish levels better because the surface underneath is correct.
This is where your paint and tools finally get a fair shot.
Same system I use on real kitchens — not theory, not shortcuts.
Oak cabinets finished using Cabinet Mud
You want cabinets that still look good years later
You’re painting oak, maple, or previously finished cabinets
You care more about the final result than rushing
You don’t want grain, flashing, or peeling after paint
You want to follow a proven process instead of guessing
You’re looking for the fastest possible flip
You don’t care if grain shows through later
You’re skipping prep entirely
You want to use whatever filler is cheapest
You’re painting cabinets “just to get by”
I teach the entire cabinet painting process for free using real jobs — not demos.
Watch how I prep, grain-fill, and paint cabinets so they don’t fail after the paint dries.
This is exactly where I’d start on my own kitchen.