How to Paint Cabinets with Benjamin Moore Advance

Welcome to week seven of the One Room Challenge (ORC). This week, I painted all the components of the desk unit, including drawer units, centre cabinets, and all the trim pieces. In case you’re joining me for the first time in a while, I’m participating in the ORC with a basement renovation project. I’m taking an area of our unfinished basement and transforming it into a home office. In this post, I’m sharing how to paint cabinets with Benjamin Moore Advance. I’m also sharing an update on my One Room Challenge progress. The final reveal is in just a few days, on May 22!

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In case you want to see the progress I made in the first six weeks of the One Room Challenge, you can read my earlier posts here:

Our Home Office

If you’ve been following along with me and this year’s first One Room Challenge, you will have seen this project from its humble unfinished basement beginnings. In the fall we finished framing and drywalling this room. Then, a few weeks ago I painted, installed flooring, built a shelving unit, and constructed a daybed from scratch. To save time and to take advantage of the functionality of IKEA furniture, I decided to construct a desk unit using IKEA pieces. Last week, I put together the structure of the nearly 18-foot-long desk wall. And this week, I painted and wallpapered, built more things, and added trim.

Benjamin Moore Advance

Benjamin Moore Advance is designed specifically for painting cabinets and can be used for all types of cabinets (kitchen, bathroom, mudroom, home office) or wooden furniture. It has an exceptional application and feel and provides outstanding coverage. It cures to a hard, furniture-quality finish that is very durable and washable. The paint is tinted with Benjamin Moore’s proprietary waterborne colourants and is a low-VOC paint.

My Paint Colour – Benjamin Moore Lush

From week two of this project, I knew I wanted to use this gorgeous colour by Benjamin Moore. Lush is a rich grey-green with blue undertones somewhere between a mid-tone and a deep tone. It’s from the Affinity Collection, AF-475. The company provides the following description: “Subtle blue undertones create a rich, comforting green that evokes the rainforest after a strong summer rain.” It’s a very comforting and inviting colour in my opinion. I purchased this paint at my local Benjamin Moore supplier, Kanata Paint & Leisure in Ottawa, Ontario. I’ve been going there for years and they are very helpful and knowledgeable. I chose the pearl finish for my cabinets as I wanted a gentle sheen rather than a glossy look.

Preparation

The first step is to remove the drawers and cabinet doors and place them where you can easily access all sides that need to be painted. Protect your flooring by placing a plastic sheet, painter’s drop cloth, or cardboard boxes beneath the items you will be painting. Remove all hardware and hinges. I placed small pieces of wood under the cabinet doors to raise them up off the ground. This makes it easier to paint the sides, plus you won’t have to worry about the cabinets getting stuck to the cardboard underneath.

Next, you need to clean each surface that will be painted. If the cabinets are brand new, this step can be omitted. If the cabinets have been used, even lightly, you will need to wash all surfaces with TSP to remove grease and dirt. Paint cannot adhere well to dirty or greasy surfaces. Once you have given the cabinets a thorough cleaning, you will need to scuff sand every inch of the cabinets. I used a 120- to 180-grit sandpaper for this. The purpose is to rough up the surface so that the primer will have something to adhere to. Then, use a tack cloth or damp cloth to remove all sanding dust.

Priming

The type of primer you use will depend on what you’re painting. For glossier surfaces or IKEA furniture, it is recommended to use a bonding primer. This will ensure the paint sticks to the surface well. I used Valspar’s Stainblocking Bonding Primer. One coat of primer is usually sufficient. Just make sure to thoroughly cover all surfaces. For best results, wait at least 12 hours after priming before you paint with Benjamin Moore Advance. I used a 2″ brush and microfibre mini-roller to apply the primer.

Painting

The painting is kind of the easy part with Benjamin Moore Advance. It is comfortable to work with and has self-levelling properties (in part due to the extended dry time) so minor brushstrokes will level out and the finish will be smooth. I used a 2″ brush and microfibre mini-roller to apply the paint. First, I used the brush to get into any creases and seams and then I quickly followed up with the mini-roller for larger, flat surfaces.

Benjamin Moore recommends waiting 16 hours before you do the second coat. I misread this as 26 hours and ended up waiting 10 hours longer than necessary! It’s important to note that newly painted surfaces will be somewhat delicate at first and will take several weeks to fully cure and become hard and durable. Avoid bumping, rubbing, or wiping the cabinets for the first 3 weeks.

I love the gorgeous finish and colour. The satin finish is really lovely and I’m so pleased with how the desk looks now. It really changes the look of the space.

One Room Challenge Progress Update

My main accomplishments this week were building the desktop shelves and a smaller storage unit, painting the entire desk unit, installing wallpaper, and adding trim.

Building the desktop shelves took a bit of planning. First, I built a plywood frame and used solid wood for the shelves. Then, I painted the frame in the same cabinet colour and stained the shelves to match the IKEA desktop.

I had to build a smaller storage unit mainly to provide additional support for the desktop on my husband’s side of the desk. His counter is 98″ long and quite a bit heavier than mine so the extra support seemed prudent. I designed it to fit standard 13″ by 13″ storage bins. I constructed this unit from scratch using leftover materials.

Finally, I spent a long time this week painting the various parts of the cabinet and affixing them securely to each other. Cutting, painting, and securing various kinds of trim also took up a large portion of my time this week.

Before Trim:

After Trim:

Installing the wallpaper was the easiest and most fun part of the week. It took only a couple hours and I am absolutely thrilled with how it looks with the green paint colour and gold accents in the space.

My new chairs arrived and I love the colour. I’ll be sharing all the product details on Wednesday with my final reveal post!

Progress on the Project List for the Home Office

Here’s my updated project list for the One Room Challenge Spring 2024 edition:

Plan an optimal layout for the space ✔
Clean up the space- remove everything, sweep, and wipe every surface clean ✔
Construct window jamb extensions and frame the window ✔
Prime and paint walls and ceiling ✔
Install vinyl plank flooring ✔
Design and construct a reading bench ✔
Plan and construct built-in shelves ✔
Design and construct a two-desk wall unit with storage ✔
Apply feature wall behind desk unit ✔
Prime and paint desk unit ✔
Apply and paint trim ✔
Install shelving on top of desk unit Almost done
Install lighting ✔
Add freestanding shelves and a craft table
Make a cover for the reading bench and choose/make pillows
Decorate with rugs, cushions, plants, and accessories

Note that I added a couple of items to the list this week- the desk-top shelving, the freestanding shelves, and the craft table are all new additions.

Plans for the Coming Week

My goal for this week is to finish the room and complete the challenge by May 22nd!

Summary

I hope you enjoyed reading about how to paint cabinets with Benjamin Moore Advance. With a little preparation, your cabinet finish will last a long time. Thank you for joining me for the first seven weeks of the Spring 2024 One Room Challenge. Stay tuned for the big reveal on May 22. I can’t wait for you to see how this turns out! Please head over to the One Room Challenge site to check out the posts by the other participants.

Our Home Office