disclosure: This post is sponsored by Sherwin-Williams®.

This post is all about how to paint a kitchen island.

But more importantly?

This post is REALLY all about how the smallest of changes can make the biggest of differences.

Truth?

When we remodeled the kitchen there were so many choices and so many decisions and I was a little overwhelmed. So when I had to decide on the color of this island for the kitchen, I went with my all-time favorite gray on the planet, Mindful Gray SW 7016.

This gray has been my choice for many rooms and many pieces of furniture and it’s never let me down.

But just between us?

After I lived with the kitchen for three years, I felt like I wanted a bit of contrast to the space. There is a lot of white and a lot of neutral and lately, I’ve been drawn to color.

So the kitchen island and I?

We took the color plunge together.

Here’s a little before and after and how paint can COMPLETELY transform a room.

Let’s start with a trip around the before of the kitchen island.

1. It has three sets of drawers on one side.
2. It has four cabinets with shelves on the other side.
3. It has a counter with two stools on the end.
4. The other end has molding (I think I’m going to add a kitchen towel bar here, too, eventually).

If you are thinking about painting your kitchen island (or even your kitchen cabinets) here are some questions to consider.

Q: Is it better to spray or paint the kitchen island?

We thought about spraying the island, but there were so many challenges. We have wood floors and marble countertops and I was concerned about the overspray. The amount of prep work that would go into spraying the island was going to be considerable.

Instead, we went with a brush and roller combination.

I’ll show you the exact steps that we took when painting the island, but here are the tools that we used.

1. A small roller with a low nap
2. Purdy paint brushes (I like the XL Glide brush)
3. Painters tape
4. Drop cloth

The best way to figure out what type of brush and roller are best for your project is to ask the experts at Sherwin-Williams. They put together this handy brush and roller guide. I cannot recommend it enough. It was so helpful when choosing tools to make this kitchen island process even easier. All of these products are available at your neighborhood Sherwin-Williams store, making it a one-stop shop for all of your painting project needs.

Q: What type of paint is best for kitchen cabinets?

We had a special challenge with this kitchen island. It was painted originally with oil-based paint. Part of the reason I was a little reluctant to paint it another color is that I was concerned about painting over the glossy paint.

I shouldn’t have worried.

Sherwin-Williams has the BEST solution. They recommended that I use Emerald Urethane Trim Enamel.

It cleans up with water but has long-lasting coverage.

We used Emerald Urethane Trim Enamel in a Satin finish.

Did you notice I said Satin?

My marble countertops are so glossy, I wanted the kitchen island to have a low sheen paint on it so it wouldn’t compete.

This product is AMAZING. The coverage. The clean-up. The durability.

I’m never using anything else.

Q: What prep work did you have to do to get ready?

1. We removed all of the hardware.
2. We taped off around the countertops.
3. We wiped down the island to get rid of any dust and dirt before we started painting.
4. We laid down drop cloths to protect the kitchen floor.
5. Then we painted one coat of primer before we used the Emerald Urethane Trim Enamel.

Q: What are your best tips for a smooth finish?

I love the combo of an angled brush and a mini roller.

We started cutting in around the edges of the top of the island and around the molding with the angled brush.

Next we painted the flat surfaces of the cabinet with the roller.

See how the low nap of the roller rolls on so smoothly? Trust me from someone who has painted a zillion things. You will get a much better finish if you use quality tools. I have used cheap brushes and the bristles are always coming out and getting stuck on the surface of where I’m painting. Investing in quality brushes makes sure that doesn’t happen.

Q: How many coats of paint do you need when painting a cabinet?

It depends on if you are going from a light to a dark color or vice versa. For example, when the island was painted gray, it only took one coat. This time, however, we went with a darker color, so we used two coats on the kitchen island.

Here’s one more look at our before.

And now?

Here’s the after.

CAN YOU EVEN BELIEVE IT?

Seriously.

Look at the difference it makes in the space. It balances out the blinds and the wood floors and anchors the entire room with this beautiful, amazing Sherwin-Williams color:

Peppercorn SW 7674.

Let’s take another 360 degree around the island from the same perspective and see the difference just changing the color makes.

Before

After

Before

After

Before

After

Isn’t it amazing the difference a coat of paint makes?

See what I mean?

If you are not friends with your kitchen right now, you don’t have to rip everything out and start over. You don’t need to spend tons of money to fall back in love with your kitchen again.

Just remember, the smallest of changes can make the biggest of differences.

Sometimes all you need is a new perspective.

Or a new coat of paint.

disclosure: This post was written in collaboration with Sherwin-Williams.

All opinions are my own.

Please see my disclosure page for more information.

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