Adding Cabinet Side Panels + Repainting Cabinets

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I first saw a creator add decorative side panels to her cabinets and immediately knew I wanted to do the same in our space. It’s one of those details that feels subtle at first glance, but once you notice it, it makes the cabinets look more custom and intentional, almost furniture-like instead of builder basic.

So naturally, I got to work building my own.

For these panels, I used 1×6 primed pine because I wanted them to feel chunky and dramatic, not thin or flimsy. This size gives the cabinets more visual weight and really elevates the overall look. After measuring the sides of the two cabinets I planned to cover, I cut each board down to size and added pocket holes to the back. Side note: I used primed pine often. It’s more expensive than the cheap wood that isn’t primed, but it saves me from having to prime and they put on a nice thick layer so you can’t see the wood grain.

After adding pocket holes, I applied wood glue to the ends and used a clamp to keep everything aligned while I secured the pieces with screws.

Once everything was assembled, I lightly sanded the piece using my orbital sander and 220 grit sandpaper to smooth out any rough edges.

Then I did a test fit with just this to make sure it would fit correctly.

Once I knew everything fit properly, I used wood glue to attach a sheet of brown board to the back of the panel. Normally, I would route out a recessed area to inset the brown board, but I’ll explain why I didn’t do that this time in a bit. For this project, I simply glued it on and weighted it down while it dried. Since this isn’t a door that will see regular use, but a fixed panel installed directly onto the cabinet, this method works perfectly. No need to overcomplicated things.

Once that was dry, I measured and cut down some decorative base cap molding at a 45 degree angle. I picked this up from Home Depot. I glued these in place as well, cutting them to fit snug. On the longer pieces, I set something heavy on top to make sure they stayed pressed down while the glue dried.

This is what it looks like before paint.

And speaking of paint, once I decided to tackle this project, I knew it was time to repaint the cabinets. It had been about 4–5 years since I painted them the first time, and while they were still in great overall condition, they did have a few scratches here and there that I wanted to freshen up.

I started by numbering the cabinet doors with sticky notes to make it easy to know exactly where each one went once it was time to put them back on. I number them from left to right going in order.

I got the doors removed. Normally, I would number the hinges as well to make sure they went back in the same spot, but since I’m planning to replace them with soft-close hinges, that step wasn’t necessary this time.

You can see in the photos below that the cabinets have a few small chips along the edges of the most-used areas, which is why I decided to give them a fresh coat of paint.

Once all the doors were removed, I cleaned them thoroughly and then lightly sanded them with 220 grit sandpaper to scuff up the existing paint so the next layers of paint would adhere really well and then wiped them off with a tack cloth.

A few of the cabinets had a sticky drip that caused the paint to pull up when I sanded. I tried cleaning it really well with a cleaner, but that just made the paint tacky. I then tried using a paint stripper, which honestly made it worse. In the end, I cleaned it again and sanded it down as much as I could to remove the residue, then called it good enough and moved on.

Then I pulled out my trusty paint sprayer and gave the cabinets a solid coat of primer. I’m using the same products I used when I originally painted these cabinets, the BEHR Kitchen, Bath & Trim Stain-Blocking Primer & Sealer, followed by the BEHR Cabinet & Trim Enamel for the paint in a satin sheen. I use satin for everything!

My house is on the smaller side and I don’t have a ton of extra workspace, so while the doors were drying they basically took over every flat surface I had, kitchen countertops, the dining table, the coffee table, and pretty much anywhere else they would fit. That’s also part of the reason I do the bottom cabinets separately from the uppers, it helps keep things a little more manageable in a smaller space.

Once the primer was fully dry, I went back over the doors with paint. One of the most common questions I get is, “What color are your kitchen cabinets?” The answer is Pewter Green by Sherwin-Williams, and it is such a great color. I still love it 5 years later!

And just look at how smooth that paint finish is. That’s all thanks to the paint I’m using paired with my paint sprayer. It’s not cheap, but it’s 100% worth it for the results, it’s held up incredibly well over the years (unlike the cheap sprayers I’ve had that only last for a few jobs, even if you clean them out as directed), and the finish is noticeably smoother than any other sprayer I’ve used in the past. They also make a plug-in version that’s a bit more affordable; you’ll just have to deal with a cord instead of battery power.

Side Note: This is how you mix your paint right?! Just shake it around a whole lot while you get an ab workout??

And of course, the most frustrating part about painting in my backyard is dealing with gnats getting into the paint. One landed right in the wet paint, so I had to pick it out with tweezers, so frustrating!

Now this is the part I’m doing differently than the first time around. I didn’t bother with a clear coat back then, I didn’t realize how important it was, and I was so excited to get the doors back up that I skipped it. Don’t skip it! After living with no clear coat versus having the lower cabinets clear coated over the last few months, the difference is huge!

I’m using Varathane Ultimate Clear Coat in Satin, which is a great water-based clear coat and does a really good job of staying clear without yellowing over time. I’m also applying the clear coat with my paint sprayer on the doors.

The clear coat goes on cloudy but dries crystal clear. You can see in the photo that the door on the left is already dry, while the door on the right is freshly coated. You can also see below, my supervisor was doing a good job of keeping the project going.

While the doors were drying, I got to work cleaning the cabinet boxes really well and painting them. They honestly didn’t need any touch-ups since they were still in great shape, but I decided to give them a fresh coat of paint and a clear coat anyway.

In between the paint and clear coat on the cabinet boxes, I also removed the drawer fronts by unscrewing them from the inside and labeled each one so I knew exactly where it went. I gave them a fresh coat of paint, then brushed on the clear coat since I was already brushing it onto the cabinet boxes. I made sure everything was well covered and finished by lightly swiping the brush straight across to smooth out any lines. Using a good-quality paint brush is key here, I swear by my Zibra brushes for this. Side note, painting triangles come in really handy for project like this!

I also painted the side panels I built at the same time I repainted the cabinet doors, and once everything was dry, it was finally time to install them. To do that, I first had to remove the baseboards in this area by scoring the caulk with a razor knife, then using a large flathead screwdriver and a hammer to carefully wedge them off.

Then I did a quick test fit, and when I looked at the cabinets from the front, I realized you could still see the white on the back because of the very slight lip.

If you look at the back of the panels, you can see where the brown board sits raised off the panel. I also added an extra strip of brown board along the far edge to build up the thickness. I did this because the cabinet face frame has a small lip on the side, and the combined thickness of two pieces of brown board (you could also use one thicker piece, I just had these on hand) matched that lip perfectly. That way, the panel sits flush and correctly against the side of the cabinet.

I took the panels back off and painted the edges that were still showing white on the back so everything would blend seamlessly once installed.

Once that was dry, I put the panels back in place and installed them using brad nails in the corners, no glue. If I ever decide to remove these, I didn’t want to deal with adhesive damaging the sides of the cabinets. I made sure to use 1.25-inch brad nails so they wouldn’t go through to the inside of the cabinet.

Have I mentioned how much I LOVE my Milwaukee Brad Nailer?!?! This thing is the best!!!

I know I’ve mentioned this before, but walls are almost never plumb and ceilings are almost never level. You can really see that here, on one of the panels, the wall is definitely not straight. There’s almost no gap at the bottom, but close to a half-inch gap at the top. Because of that, when I measured for this panel, I measured both the top and the bottom and went with the smaller measurement so it didn’t stick out past the front of the face frame. I haven’t done it yet, but eventually I’ll add a trim piece at the top to cover that gap, like you can see above the countertop here.

Then I added the baseboards back on using my brad nailer after I cut them down to the new sizes. Not pictured, I went back and caulked them and touched up the paint. Always make sure your fingers are out of the way when using a brad nailer! The nails can shoot out of the side and get your finger!

Then it was time to add the hinges back on. I gave away the original builder-installed hinges, they weren’t bad, but I really wanted soft-close. The soft-close hinges weren’t very expensive, and the more you buy, the better the price per hinge, so I ordered about double what I needed. I build cabinets often and use 1/2-inch overlay hinges all the time, so they won’t go to waste.

Then, using the labeled sticky notes, I organized the doors in front of the cabinets they belonged to and started installing them.

Luckily, the hinges I removed were the same style as the new ones, just without soft close, so I didn’t need to drill any new holes. I did have to adjust the hinges to get the doors lined up properly, though. There are small adjustment screws on the hinges, and you’ll want to use a screwdriver for those. The torque from a drill is just too much, and the screws don’t need to turn very far anyway. Side note: if you don’t have one of these screwdriver sets, what are you even doing with your life! It has all the different bits you need are in the handle and can be switched out, and the larger one has a ratchet.

Then I added new cabinet bumpers. These are small rubber pieces that keep the doors from sitting directly against the cabinet boxes, creating a slight gap and helping prevent noise when the doors close.

And here’s the before and after once the side panels were installed. What do you think, was it worth the effort? I definitely think so. They add so much character to the cabinets and really elevate the whole space.

I still need to repaint the uppers, you can see that our dish cabinet, which we use the most, has quite a few scratches around the hardware as well. I’m still in love with this cabinet hardware by the way! Knobs for the doors and pulls for the drawers.

But before I do that, I’m going to add a little more charm to the lower cabinets, and it’s super inexpensive!