northstory + co.

How to paint kitchen cabinets with Fusion Mineral Paint

Raise your hand if you when you walk into your kitchen, you have fantasies about the wrecking ball from Miley Cyrus’ video smashing it into a million pieces. Do you ever stare at the cupboards and wonder “Who willingly chose these at some point in time? Why were they popular?” Do you hate cooking in it and dream about painting your kitchen cabinets but have no idea how to paint your kitchen cabinets, because you’re terrible at painting? Then this post is for you. I am going to share, step by step, how to paint kitchen cabinets with Fusion Mineral Paint.

We moved into our new home last Halloween. I remember when we were just looking at the house to consider if we would make an offer on it, as soon as I walked into the kitchen and saw the kitchen cabinets, I was like “Why? Why why why?!”

It looked like this.

Try and pry your eyes away from the gas range. 20 years old and burnt to a crisp.

You have to understand that we had just finished renovating our old kitchen. Which had the curved cabinets that I lived with for 5 years. You’re probably wondering why we moved if we just renovated a kitchen but that’s a whole other post to come.

That renovated kitchen looked like this.

I joke that I am cursed with kitchens that have the arched kitchen cabinet fronts. If there was a style that I would banish from the face of the planet, that would be it. I am not talking about the gorgeous cathedral gothic V shaped ones. The 80’s oak ‘why did this ever become a trend’ cabinet.

I mean WHY?

If you have them and you love them, please understand this is just a personal style issue. We are fairly contemporary in our home decor. Very Scandinavian meets modern antique. I like old nice looking pieces within a new environment. So this new home kitchen was like the anti thesis of any kitchen I would want. It was worse than our old one and I didn’t think that was possible.

And we bought the house anyway, with the intention of doing a full renovation this year.

Then real life got in the way. As in after we redid the roof, the garage doors, painted 90% of the home and replaced 90% of the windows, we were left with exactly zero dollars and zero cents to do any kitchen renovation. So this new house kitchen, is the kitchen that we are stuck with for at least the next 4-5 years. Something had to be done.

I want to make it very clear. I am grateful to have a kitchen in a wonderful home. I have running water, food in my fridge and a roof over my head. But we should also try to make the best of the space we live in. Sometimes, something as simple as paint can be the answer.

In which case, I reached out to my blogger friends and was like that’s it, I need to paint the entire kitchen. And blogger after blogger all said “You need to do this with Fusion Mineral Paint.” I’ll be honest I had never heard of Fusion Mineral Paint. I was all is this chalk paint? How much sanding do I have to torture myself with? and so on.

Well Fusion Mineral Paint isn’t a chalk paint at all. In fact, go and check out Lost and Found Decor’s post about the differences between Chalk Paint and Fusion Mineral Paint and all the other user friendly differences.

What if I told you I painted this entire kitchen with almost no sanding. The only part I sanded were the front painted cabinets that the previous owners had tried to paint on the kitchen island. I didn’t even sand the rest of the island. Sold right?

Oh and you don’t need a top coat. No really, no top coat. Unless you want to make them shiny and glossy and they have products for that as well.

I was put in touch with owners at Fusion Mineral and we chatted about what could work best for my kitchen. They sent me some samples to try out different colors with and to see what I thought of the paint.

I loved it upon first use. You see, I am a big white paint aficionado, meaning I’ve painted enough spaces and items with white paint to know when a white paint has good coverage and levels out and isn’t drippy. I was smitten with Casement which is the white on the bottom left corner.

So we sent the kids to my parents house during the summer and it was Project Kitchen Makeover week. And this is how it went.

ITEMS USED TO PAINT THE KITCHEN:

  • Fusion Mineral Paint in Casement
  • Krud Kutter
  • Paint Brushes – I used a variety of different brands but Purdy is a good brand and so are Fusion’s offering of Staalmeester brushes
  • Paint roller – I preferred the microfiber one

STEP 1 – How to paint your kitchen cabinets with Fusion Mineral Paint

First I started with Krud Kutter.

I wiped down all the cabinets with this to clean off years of disgusting grease and grime. This product is a MUST. This is partly the reason you do not need to sand anything. Sanding vs wiping. Which would you prefer? Clean your surfaces that you want to paint.

Do. Not. Skip. This. Step.

If you’re like “But I just want to paint!”, stop! Your paint will only adhere as good as your surface prep is, and if you leave residue or oil or wax, your paint will not adhere properly. This is with *any* brand, not just Fusion. It doesn’t mean you have to break out the sander for every project, but it does mean if you have oil on your kitchen cabinets from years of cooking that is not removed properly, in a couple of months your paint may chip, peel or start bubbling up. Then you’ll be all like, “This paint sucks!”

Nope. It’s not the paint. It’s your bad prep. So clean and prep your surface to paint.

Another thing to pay attention to is bleed through (a.k.a. oils and tannins that show up under your painted surfaces from the wood knots in your cabinet surface). They are very visible when you use a lighter paint, especially white. If you absolutely want to ensure that your kitchen has no bleed through and stains under it, you must use a Shellac Based Primer first like Zinsser BIN.

I did not prime because I learned about all of this after the fact and was lucky my kitchen was fine.  So please pay attention to the type of wood your cabinets are made from as some species of wood are more prone to bleed through than others.

STEP 2

Then the cabinets came off. Ugh.

I laid them all out in our dining room and put little wood craft blocks under all 4 corners of each cabinet to raise them a bit, so that when I painted the edges, the paint would reach the entire side of the cabinet and they wouldn’t get dried to the tarp under them.

You can buy little yellow cones/triangles to put under them…

…but the wood blocks do the same thing. I also did not take off the hinges because of the way they are on my cabinets, you can’t see them.

NOTE: For all the laminate parts and already painted parts of the kitchen (the previous owners painted the kitchen island), I used Fusion Mineral’s Ultra Grip for my base. It basically is like a when in doubt and you don’t know if your paint will stick type of primer, you put this on first. For all those hard to paint surfaces. You put on one thin coat, let it dry for 12 hours as per the instructions and then apply your paint.

It’s that easy.

STEP 3

Then it was full on paint, paint and paint.

In terms of brushes, may I highly suggest using a microfiber roller like the one on the left and NOT a foam roller. I personally found that the paint adhered far better using the fluffy one. I started off the foam roller but then switched half way to the fluffy one and the application was way easier.

A SIDE NOTE ABOUT SANDING: This right here in the image below, is the only part I sanded. It was pre-painted by the previous owners of our home and in terrible shape. So just to be safe I got out the gritty sandpaper and went to town.

So.

Are you ready for the Almost After? I say almost because we are not done yet. We still have to do the following:

  • Change the counter top to butcher block as it’s rotting and falling apart
  • Get a new sink and faucet as the faucet is rotting and sinking into the counter top
  • Needs a new ceiling light – that was a temporary fix to get rid of the track lighting that was there. Ugh. Track lighting marks on the ceiling.
  • A back splash behind the gas range / counter top area.
  • Do not pay attention to the fridge. It’s not there – or at least I would like it to be not there, dents and all. Understood?
  • We did get a new gas range and range hood so yay! Progress.

I wound up using 3 coats of paint on each cabinet, which was approx 3 and a half containers of Fusion Mineral paint.

The cabinets themselves took me about 3 days to finish. The island took another day. Then we painted the rest of the kitchen white using a standard wall paint. Disclaimer – I did not paint the insides of the cabinets. So if you want to do that, add another couple of days work to your agenda.

I stare at it and I seriously cannot believe the difference.

And because I really like to see paint up close as photos online can be deceiving, here are some really tight shots of how the paint looks on the cabinets.

My husband, who is not easily impressed by anything, hung the cabinets back up and he couldn’t stop raving about the paint and how clean and crisp the lines were. There was no paint build up anywhere. No drips. You can see all the details and it looked better than some of our spray paint jobs of the past. He called it a “respectable looking kitchen” as in, we no longer have to be embarrassed about people coming over and seeing it.

Eventually once the counter tops are changed along with the other cosmetic items, the butcher block will help to warm up the space a create a cozier environment. I usually have more stuff on the counters but I wanted this post to be about the paint to show the impact it made.

So the answer to the question “Should I paint my old kitchen cabinets to update them?” is always ALWAYS yes.

Always.

I really want to thank Fusion Mineral Paint for working with us on this project. If you have any questions about the paint or the process, feel free to ask then in Comments or email me and I’ll happily help where I can.

PS – the hardest part of the kitchen painting was not painting the cabinets. You know all those little pesky lines at the side of the inside cabinets under the exterior cabinet fronts. Those had to be painted too. Yes that is a Hans Solo mug. And even he agrees, painting those, is not fun. I know.

UPDATE:

Since I wrote this post, we have actually renovated our kitchen. Actually we are still renovating it because we can’t decided on upper cabinets but that’s another story. I had this painted kitchen for over a year before our dishwasher flooded and ruined everything. Here’s what I can tell you about the paint.

We had no chipping, no staining, no bleed through, no fading. I scrubbed tomato sauce splatter off of the surface of these cabinets and the paint did not budge. It was easy to clean, even with harsh cleaners.

One thing that I actually wish I had taken photos of was when we tore apart the kitchen, we wound up throwing and dragging the cabinets over the asphalt driveway to the collection bin. THE PAINT DID NOT BUDGE. Honestly, I remember saying, “This would make a really good scratch test ad for Fusion.”

I have since painted our kitchen table using Fusion in Coal Black and it’s done just as well. I have kids who attack it with everything from paint to fork jabs and glitter glue (because you know, slime) and I regularly scrub it with a brillo pad. It’s still perfect.

I did NOT use a top coat for either the kitchen cabinets or the kitchen table as Fusion has a built in top coat. So you do not need to add extra protection to your surface.

As always, if you have any questions feel free to ask in the comments. I just wish I had painted ours sooner.

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70 Comments

  • Reply
    Susan
    September 15, 2016 at 1:57 pm

    What a difference some paint makes. Fantastic. White has opened the area up and made it look like a new kitchen.

    • Reply
      Alex
      September 16, 2016 at 9:27 am

      Thank you so much Susan!

      • Reply
        Helen
        January 2, 2020 at 1:06 am

        I will be painting my hutch in the dining room! Should I do any prep to it? Or can I just start painting with Fusion paint?

        • Reply
          Alex
          January 2, 2020 at 10:57 am

          You should always prep. Always. I can’t answer how unfortunately as I haven’t seen your hutch so I do recommend posting a photo of it in Fusions Facebook group Paint It Beautiful. You’ll get a ton of advice there on what to do and how to do it properly. Every project is different depending on the surface materials and what color you are painting.

    • Reply
      Wanda Goodson Seawright
      August 16, 2017 at 7:49 pm

      Where can I buy the fusion mineral paint? Your kitchen looks beautiful!

  • Reply
    Tara
    September 16, 2016 at 12:17 am

    Whoa. Alex, this is gorgeous! I can’t believe the impact that the colour made! And yes, I love me some Casement. I think it’s my favourite Fusion white.

    Stunning. Great job!

    • Reply
      Alex
      September 16, 2016 at 9:28 am

      You know me and white paint. I cannot believe how self leveling it is. This is the first paint I have ever used that did not drip. I didn’t even know that was possible.

  • Reply
    melaniealexander
    September 16, 2016 at 8:44 am

    They look amazing!! I have been working on my kitchen for over 18 months now, a little at a time, and it is a beast of a project! But kudos to you for finishing up those cabinets! And thank you for sharing the link to my article as well. I am happy to help answer any Fusion Mineral Paint questions as well, and if you’re readers want to try some but don’t have a local retailer, I sell and ship Fusion from my website 🙂

    • Reply
      Alex
      September 16, 2016 at 9:30 am

      Your post was so helpful! Feel free to link your site in the comments as well so that people know you ship the paint.

  • Reply
    Jean
    September 16, 2016 at 4:30 pm

    That looks fantastic! I am just about to start a refresh of my kitchen and will be painting my cabinets white as well. I have used Fusion Mineral Paint in the past and love it as well but for some reason never thought about using it for our kitchen! Are the brush strokes visible when finished? Also we will be replacing our countertop as well…would you suggest removing it before painting or after?

    • Reply
      Alex
      September 17, 2016 at 1:23 pm

      The brush strokes are barely visible. That’s why I loved it so much. I’ve never used a paint that was so self leveling. Meaning that as it dried, it just flattened out. The ones around the edges, if you really close in the close up shots are barely visible. So if you walked into the kitchen you would have to consciously stare at them to even notice them. The fluffy roller really helped.

      If we could have, we most definitely would have done the counter top first. But that’s because we have that trim that goes around the wall and the new one won’t have that. So, we’ll wind up having to paint that part of the wall after. The idea situation is paint while the counter top is off and then install the counter top.

  • Reply
    Mariola
    September 16, 2016 at 8:35 pm

    I just started to use Fusion paints on a few projects. I am having a hard time finding a good quality paint brush. What did you use on your cabinets and what would you recommend? I don’t want them to leave a lot of streaks.

    Great looking kitchen. I think that will be my next project.

    • Reply
      Alex
      September 17, 2016 at 1:32 pm

      The fluffy rollers I bought at Home Depot. They’re from Bennett and I highly recommend them. They held the paint so well (the exact name on Home Depot’s site is Bennett 2×4 Inch. Micro, 9.5 Handle, & 612-Tray – here’s the link for it: https://www.homedepot.ca/en/home/p.2×4-inch–micro-95-handle–612-tray.1000738793.html). The brushes I bought at Dollarama. I am not even joking. I used the angled one that was 2.5″ and the 1.5″ one the most. They cost me $1.25 each. The rollers I went through more of and those make a bigger impact than any of the brushes so if you can’t find the Bennett ones, just make sure to get a fluffy microfibre one. Hope that helps!

      • Reply
        Mariola Fik-Izydor
        September 18, 2016 at 5:04 pm

        Thanks for the peply. I will definitely be trying them.

  • Reply
    Laurel
    September 17, 2016 at 2:18 pm

    I just finished my cupboards two days ago. I used fusion champlain and I’m really happy with how they turned out. I used a microfiber roller also!

    • Reply
      Alex
      September 17, 2016 at 2:35 pm

      That’s great to hear! Champlain is a lovely colour!

    • Reply
      Isabelle
      March 13, 2018 at 1:56 pm

      Would u happen to have any pics of how ur kitchen turned out?
      How has the paint held up so far & how durable has it been?

  • Reply
    Zografia
    September 21, 2016 at 10:17 am

    I love Fusion. I have used it for a much much smaller project and it’s amazing. And brush strokes at all!

  • Reply
    Lynne Knowlton (@lynneknowlton)
    October 31, 2016 at 11:06 am

    Amazing. Amazing. Ahhhhhhhhhhhmazing!!!!! <— I screamed that!

  • Reply
    JMB
    November 21, 2016 at 11:06 am

    Such an amazing transformation!!! I am currently painting my cabinets with Fusion (painting them in the new Raw Silk colour) and came across your blog when looking for tips. I am using a fluffy 10mm microfibre roller that was recommended by the retailer I bought the paint from and I see you used that as well. Did you find that the cabinets have the dimpled “roller look” texture to them? I have only just started my second coat and I am seeing this texture on the doors but wanted them to have more of an even texture. Any advice? Am I doing anything wrong? Yours look so flat in the pictures!!!

    • Reply
      Alex
      November 21, 2016 at 11:59 am

      Mine did not have a dimply texture at all. Did you use anything to clean the cabinets? What are they made of? If anything I found Fusion’s paint to be very self leveling, meaning that it flattened out in spots that looked like they would pool. Hence the very crisp lines it gives. Definitely try out another texture brush if you’re not getting the results and see if that changes anything. I used foam brushes on the walls for example and that was completely fine. So the base you’re painting over can make a difference. But don’t continue with the brush, otherwise it will dry and you’ll have to sand down the paint and re-coat it.

      • Reply
        JMB
        November 22, 2016 at 12:12 am

        Thanks Alex. My cabinets are maple and I cleaned them with TSP and did a light sand prior to painting. There is no grain at all (as they are maple) so am wondering if that makes a difference? I think I will give the one I have painted a light sand with very fine sandpaper and try another type of roller to see if I can obtain that even appearance I am looking for. My husband says I am being too picky but with all of the work I am putting into this I am not giving in this easily!!!

        • Reply
          Dee
          July 6, 2017 at 4:28 pm

          You need to buy the Fusion Mineral Paint brushes probably.

  • Reply
    Melanie
    December 10, 2016 at 8:20 pm

    Hi Alex. I am currently painting my cabinets with the same paint and colour as yours. I have the exact same ugly cabinets.
    I’m curious if your are holding up ok? Not sure if I should put a protective cover over them.

    • Reply
      Alex
      December 12, 2016 at 3:57 pm

      They’re wonderful!! Just this past weekend I scrubbed down the ones on the island after being coated by my kids with both tomato sauce AND strawberry sauce. I used one of the green/yellow sponges you can buy to scrub dishes with and the paint stayed on. I was like what is this magic? I fully expect a unicorn to show up. Here’s a really great post where a Mom tested out different stains on her paint to see how it would hold up: http://thepinkbeecompany.com/blog/2015/8/19/can-fusion-mineral-paint-withstand-three-busy-boys

  • Reply
    Gayla
    December 11, 2016 at 7:52 pm

    Can you go.over latex paint with fusion paint? Also how durable is the finish?

    • Reply
      Alex
      December 12, 2016 at 3:59 pm

      That is a very good question and I unfortunately do not have the answer to the laytex part but if you go to Fusion’s website, they have an FAQ section that may answer that: http://fusionmineralpaint.com/faq/ As for durable, very durable. I’ve scrubbed these cabinets when tomato sauce landed on them and they’re as good as the day I painted them.

  • Reply
    Tonia
    March 11, 2017 at 8:11 pm

    Wow! Can I just say thank you for this post! We have those EXACT kitchen cabinets in our home – we also moved into our home approximately 6 months ago and I have been debating about re painting them myself but was concerned about the amount of prep (sanding, etc) I painted the bathroom vanity in a black Behr product but I as well used the foam roller and it didn’t smooth on as nicely as I wanted it to. I had heard of Fusion mineral paint after the fact and I was still on the fence about it but now you’ve convinced me completely. Thank you again!

    • Reply
      Alex
      March 13, 2017 at 11:51 am

      I am I could help! It’s really great paint. I have scrubbed it using a brillo pad to get tomato and coffee stains off of the fronts and the paint stayed put. I find that the areas that do get little tiny dots of paint coming off are around the handles. Which is where they are frequently used but I find that’s normal for most painted items period. It’s nothing that tiny dot of paint can’t cover every year. Other than that, they look like they were spray painted. Good luck and I hope your kitchen project goes well!

  • Reply
    April Beasley
    March 31, 2017 at 9:31 am

    Did you use a top coat of any kind? Poly?

    • Reply
      Alex
      April 10, 2017 at 5:49 pm

      Sorry for the late reply. My WordPress app ate my comment and I just noticed now that it didn’t post from my phone. Fusion does not need a top coat. If you go to their website you will a wealth of information about what their paint is made of AND optional coats (i.e. if you’d like a different finish). But it already has built in top coat so you don’t need one. Hope that helps!

  • Reply
    Jen
    June 18, 2017 at 5:59 pm

    Great post! When you say that it took 3 coats (3.5 cans) per cabinet, do you mean per door or for each pair of cabinets? Thanks!

    • Reply
      Alex
      June 21, 2017 at 11:15 am

      Hello! It took 3 coats per cabinet front/door. 🙂

  • Reply
    Dee
    July 6, 2017 at 4:30 pm

    Question: There is a Top Coat product for heavily used areas. Wondering why it wasn’t used. Thinking of ditching my Advanced BM paint for FM. Love to know. Good job, thanks.

    • Reply
      Alex
      July 7, 2017 at 3:29 pm

      I didn’t use their top coat even with our kitchen cabinets or our kitchen table that I recently painted with Fusion in Coal Black. My guess is that it’s just an extra bit of protection but so far we haven’t needed it at all. I also think it’s a personal preference as to the overall aesthetic as top coats tend to leave a sheen so it’s whatever you want your final product to look like.

  • Reply
    mrsdio
    July 8, 2017 at 1:44 am

    Looks great! Love it and looking forward to reading through your blog. I’m wondering if you only painter the front of the doors and not the backside of the doors. I’m trying to decide whether I should do both sides of our doors for our kitchen “remodel” or just the fronts (and side edges). What did you do and what are your thoughts on this?

    • Reply
      Alex
      July 11, 2017 at 3:42 pm

      I only painted one side but that was because I knew we would not be keeping this kitchen down the line (which happened sooner than we had planned). Had it stayed, I still don’t know if I would have painted the inside. The way our cabinets sat on the cupboards you really couldn’t tell. But it’s a really personal decision. That is, if you have dark cherry wood and want to paint them white and every time you open up a cupboard and saw that wood, would it drive you crazy? So that’s only something you can answer. I had a lighter wood so it didn’t phase me that much. Had I had a dark one I probably would have done both sides.

  • Reply
    Janet
    July 18, 2017 at 11:25 pm

    How long did you leave your cabinet doors off to dry before putting them back on? Thanks for this post! I would never have tried this without it and I’m absolutely thrilled with the results using ash fm paint!

    • Reply
      Alex
      July 19, 2017 at 5:42 pm

      I finished painting the final coat and we let them dry overnight and then hung them that day. Paint does take time to “cure” properly but I just finished painting our kitchen table with Fusion Mineral Paints in Coal Black and we let it dry overnight again and started using it the next day. No issues at all.

  • Reply
    Petina
    August 20, 2017 at 1:14 am

    What white paint did you do your walls.
    ? We are using BM Simply White so I’m trying to figure out which white from Fushion to do our kitchen cabinets.

    • Reply
      Alex
      August 26, 2017 at 4:01 pm

      Sorry for the late reply. We used Dulux Kitchen and Bath White paint for the kitchen. Another great white paint is Behr Ultra Pure White. I’ve used that in previous homes as my go to paint. Lighting in your house will also affect how the paint looks in your space.

  • Reply
    Darcy
    August 29, 2017 at 2:11 am

    My kitchen walls are cocoa and buttercup soffit..how do you know what color to paint your cabinets? Thank you in advance and you are very very helpful!

    • Reply
      Alex
      August 29, 2017 at 2:29 pm

      I knew I wanted an entirely white kitchen so it’s honestly just a matter of personal preference. Are you willing to paint your walls again? Or do you want the cabinets to compliment the existing ones? Unfortunately I am not a designer so it would be worth it so meet with someone in your area to consult about colours if you’re hesitant on what colours to use. Good Luck! 🙂

  • Reply
    Victoria
    September 10, 2017 at 2:30 pm

    I just got some of this paint and getting ready to do my kitchen. You did three coats.
    To save money, what about priming first then doing maybe only two coats of the fusion? Just that it’s pricey paint and I have zinzer and Kilz primer on hand.
    Thanks…

  • Reply
    Kim Jones
    September 14, 2017 at 1:13 pm

    Great and informative article and feed. Thank you!! I am just finishing up my cupboards in Casement and the Pantry wall cupboards will be in Putty. I have done a prime coast and 2 coats of Casement. If you were doing your again would you use the Tough Coat? Just wondering if you found that they did mark or chip at all and an extra bit of protection would have added to its durability. Since I have them down and painting anyways; what’s one more coat at this point!!

    • Reply
      Alex
      September 15, 2017 at 4:44 pm

      The finish was completely fine without a tough coat. In fact, I painted our kitchen table shortly after using Coal Black from Fusion and trust me when I say I scrub that table top from everything our kids throw at it. And it looks immaculate! Since this post was written, we have actually renovated our kitchen and when we took the cabinets down, we dragged them over the driveway and even threw them outside. No dings. No chips. NOTHING. I remember standing there looking at them thinking “This is a great ad for Fusion!”

  • Reply
    Catrina
    October 17, 2017 at 1:47 pm

    Thank you for the post and the updated comments. This post is literally the train I’m using Fusion. So again, thanks!!!

  • Reply
    Karen
    December 6, 2017 at 11:09 pm

    Beautiful! How much paint did it take to do the whole kitchen?

    • Reply
      Alex
      December 7, 2017 at 6:04 pm

      3 and a half containers of paint. That’s with 3 coats on each cabinet front (I did not do the insides). 🙂

  • Reply
    Chelsea
    March 27, 2018 at 8:24 pm

    Have you ever heard of anyone using a paint sprayer with Fusion Mineral paints? I know that people have used a paint sprayer with Annie Sloan chalk paint with success but wasn’t sure if Fusion Mineral could be interchangeable? I would love to try this route when I tackle re-doing my kitchen.

    • Reply
      Alex
      March 29, 2018 at 4:22 pm

      They absolutely have! There’s a great group on Facebook run by the folks at Fusion Mineral Paint called Paint it Beautiful. Check in the search there or ask, as it is a wealth of information on all Fusion and Homestead House products: https://www.facebook.com/groups/PaintItBeautiful

  • Reply
    Evelyn
    April 18, 2018 at 8:52 pm

    Thanks for this wonderful post! I have kitchen cabinets that are are an unstained knotty pine, but they came sealed with a matte finish. Will Fusion paint work for a heavy whitewash? In other words, I’d like the final effect to be mostly white, with a bit of wood grain showing.

    • Reply
      Alex
      April 19, 2018 at 6:06 pm

      The best place to ask this question would be Fusion’s Paint it Beautiful Facebook group. It is full of painter’s, novice and expert, Fusion merchants. You can share a photo of your kitchen cabinets and get tailored advice on the look you want to achieve. https://www.facebook.com/groups/PaintItBeautiful/?ref=bookmarks

  • Reply
    S Keough
    April 27, 2018 at 4:15 pm

    Hi….I just heard of Fusion Paint today. Did it really only take three containers to do all of that? Am I correct that it is only sold in pint size?? So only 3 pints were needed????? Looks amazing!!! Thanks!

    • Reply
      Alex
      May 2, 2018 at 3:57 pm

      Yes it is only sold in that size (except for small testers). And yes it only took me 3 and a half containers! It’s incredible furniture paint.

  • Reply
    Debby Spitzig
    May 28, 2018 at 1:25 pm

    Hi! I have the same lovely cabinets. I’ve used Fusion Mineral paint on furniture with a fluffy roller that left a rough textured finish. It’s nice on furniture but I want it to be smooth on the cabinets. What did you find in regards to the finish? Great job by the way!

    • Reply
      Alex
      May 29, 2018 at 10:41 am

      The finish is smooth as butter. I used the fluffier roller for this one (as I affectionately call it) which is the microfibre roller versus the foam roller, which I found in this case left that slightly bubbly finish. And that is obviously not what I was going for. Fusion took care of the rest as it’s a self leveling paint. I’ve painted tables and other items with Fusion after and have always gone back to the microfibre ones. For the trim I used regular angled brushes from the dollar store but Fusion has a great line from Staalmeester which are phenomenal paint brushes for ensuring a smooth finish. Hope that helps!

  • Reply
    Mark
    January 6, 2019 at 10:57 am

    Hi – came across this excellent post and loved all the details. We are looking to do the same in a new home. One question now that it’s been a bit later, how is the durability? Did you end up using a sealer afterwards or has it been fine. Thanks!

    • Reply
      Alex
      January 8, 2019 at 10:36 am

      We did not use a top coat, even though Fusion offers a Tough Coat ‘top coat’ as an “extra protection” product, because Fusion actually has a built in top coat (their 100% acrylic resin). We have since renovated this kitchen but when it was removed, we dragged those cabinets on asphalt and that paint did not budge. We also have our kitchen table painted in Coal Black from Fusion and believe me, I have scrubbed that top with a brillo pad and bleach to clean off paint that my kids left on there after crafts and it looks as good as new. The biggest thing I can emphasize is to let the paint cure before being rough with it (aka harsh cleaning etc.). That takes about 21 days. It’s dry to the touch super fast but curing is the most important part. Also, do not skip on prep. If you have any greasy residue or wax on your cupboards, that will affect how the paint adheres.

  • Reply
    Karen Cizewski
    January 6, 2019 at 10:08 pm

    Absolutely beautiful job. Our 1993 kitchen badly needs a update. I’ve been using Annie Sloan paint but don’t like the waxing part. My husband and I are definitely interested in doing this. Can I use the Annie Sloan brushes on the sides of the drawers and doors? I like the idea of the fluffy roller. Will the paint chip? Thanks.

    • Reply
      Alex
      January 8, 2019 at 10:50 am

      I am assuming you can use those paint brushes but I have never used them so I can’t attest to them. I honestly bought my brushes at the Dollar store and my local Home Depot and Lowe’s for the rollers. The paint should not chip, but do read up on curing time for Fusion (which is approximately 21 days) and make sure that your surface is free of oil, dirt, grease or wax before you paint.

  • Reply
    Shannon
    January 7, 2019 at 11:05 pm

    I’m seriously considering this method fir tweaking our oak cabinets.
    We’ll need to fill holes where drawer pulls and cabinet handles were. What product should we use for fill that can be painted over with fusion mineral paint?

    • Reply
      Alex
      January 10, 2019 at 10:32 am

      You can use Fusion to paint over anything from wood to metal to glass. It’s a great paint! I just used basic store bought wood filler for any cracks and holes. Just make sure it dries before painting and sand down any rough spots to create a smooth finish to paint over.

  • Reply
    Elisa Grayer
    May 18, 2019 at 9:56 pm

    I just found this info and love results back in 2016
    I have a question
    Can u use fusion mineral on press wood
    Is a Mobil home.. if so where can I find the directions …

  • Reply
    Heather
    February 16, 2020 at 5:02 pm

    How long did you wait after painting to reattach hardware and get the cabinet fronts hung?

    • Reply
      Alex
      February 22, 2020 at 9:27 pm

      We let them dry for one full day after the last coat and then hung them back up and put all the handles back on. Curing takes 21 days whereas drying takes way less time – it’s dry to the touch within a couple of hours. It is best to cautiously use them for the first thing weeks with a bit more care. We didn’t have any issues but that’s the time frame that it could.

  • Reply
    Silvia
    March 4, 2020 at 11:09 am

    Apologies if someone has asked already…how did the oak grain look after painting?

    • Reply
      Alex
      March 4, 2020 at 12:35 pm

      I have several close up photos in the post of the doors. You can see the wood grain under it in them. Hope that helps!

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