It's time to give your closets a makeover. (2023)

Oil-based paints used to be the best way to get a long-lasting finish on high-touch home surfaces like cabinets and furniture. ButWater based latex paintsThey've gotten much better over the years, without the high VOC (short for "Volatile Organic Compounds") content of oil-based formulas, even with the added dye. "Any quality latex paint should work on cabinets," says Gary McCoy, store manager at Lowe's, which serves the Charlotte, NC market, with 8 years of experience in all home improvement categories, including the paint department. McCoy adds that it's important to "make sure the paint is acrylic and not vinyl." Inexpensive contractor paints are often loaded with vinyl, which affects their adhesion and durability.

There's another option to consider, especially if your cabinets are pretty worn out:Hybrid-Alkyd(also known as water-based alkyds). This is a new category of paint aimed at professional painters, but can also be found by consumers. "Hybrids combine the best water-based paints with the best oil-based paints for a durable, glossy, water-resistant finish," says McCoy. The downside of hybrid inks is that they tend to be expensive.

Proving what the best hybrid alkyd enamel paint can be, Benjamin Moore Advance Interior Paint is specially formulated for kitchen cabinetry, as well as doors, trim and other high-touch surfaces in the home.Benjamin Moore is a favorite of professional painters and engineers at the Good Housekeeping Institute for its smooth, easy application, and that's the case with Advance.The paint also cures to an exceptionally hard, furniture-grade finish that holds up to the busiest kitchens. You might expect more chemical content with all that durability, but Advance is a low VOC formula, even after dye for any of the 3,500+ colors has been added to the bucket.

While many hybrid paints cost upwards of $100 per gallon, Behr's lower-priced version compares favorably with many high-end latex paints.It shares most of the same properties as other alkyd finishes, including excellent flow and leveling, which means brush marks won't damage your cabinets.The paint dries to a hard, durable finish. Brushes and splatters are easily cleaned with plain water, not the turpentine or mineral spirits that oil-based paints require. Our experts also appreciate Behr's extensive online color selection tools and the fact that Home Depot waives shipping charges for ordering peel-and-stick product samples.

You probably won't get a smooth, durable finish with a cheap $10 paint. But some designer paints can sell for over $100 a gallon, and they don't always last. With a mid-range price, this Infinity shade delivers exceptional results at the same time.Its semi-gloss formula is especially recommended for kitchen cabinets due to its ease of cleaning and excellent resistance to stains.While our expertsWe highly recommend priming your cabinets.If you choose to save time and money on this pre-painting step, Infinity's self-priming feature boosts your excellent coverage, often in a single coat (although we always recommend a second coat on cabinets as well, as they are all primed). ). day, every day).

Our experts recommend Behr to homeowners who need to revamp their cabinets on a tight budget.Despite costing half the price of other top picks, the Behr Premium Plus paint provided above-average coverage and stain resistance in our tests, and it can handle the scrubbing side of a kitchen sponge without marring.In our lab tests, we found it to be easy to apply and consumers rated it highly for its style and overall look. the painting isGREEN WATCHGold certified, which means it's third-party tested for low odor and emissions. As with the Behr alkyd paint on our list, Home Depot offers free shipping on peel-and-stick sample orders.

While the shift to looser based paints means that paints are less toxic than in the past, zero VOC paints are the healthiest of all.The Sherwin-Williams Ovation Plus line eliminates chemicals for low-odor results without compromising durability.While we haven't tested the claim, Sherwin-Williams says that the paint's antimicrobial properties protect against mold and mildew. All that plus a competitive price that you'll appreciate if you have a lot of cabinets to paint.

Valspar is to Lowe's what Behr is to Home Depot. So if Lowe's is your home hub of choice, then this brand is a great choice for your closet design. The latex reserve is a price increase over other Valspar products, including the Signature and Ultra series.But our experts say it's worth it for its excellent coverage and stain resistance, as well as its resistance to fading, which is good when a kitchen is flooded with sunlight.Our experts also like the online color calculator, which is helpful in determining exactly how much paint you need for your project.

Another great choice for budget conscious remodelers with competitive prices.Glidden excels in coverage and opacity, especially if you apply a foundation separately, as our experts recommend.Although the base color is VOC free, the VOC count can increase significantly depending on the color you choose (some stains have more chemicals than others).

Many designers and architects prefer luxurious colors for their selected color palettes. Of course, you can go to the home center and have a conventional color that goes with any shade. But luxury paint makers insist their formulas are unique, including Donald Kaufman, who touts "proprietary pigment blends for each color's unique character."In field tests, the boutique brand's semi-gloss color performed extremely well on cabinets in a busy kitchen.The hard surface is abrasion and stain resistant and is unlikely to fade, despite receiving intense sunlight throughout the day.