Remove cabinet doors and hardware, including pulls, hinges, catches and stops. Store the hardware in a safe place so pieces don’t get lost

After priming, fill dents and scratches with a patching compound. Sand smooth after the compound dries.

Lightly sand between coats of primer with a very fine, 320-grit abrasive paper.

Remove dust, ideally by blowing with compressed air, and then wipe with a tack cloth before proceeding with each coat.

I used Benjamin Moore’s Impervo alkyd-base enamel mixed with Flood’s Penetrol leveling additive. Follow the manufacturer’s directions when mixing the paint and the additive.

Working from a small container, load your brush by plunging its tip (an inch or so) several times into a container filled with about an inch or two of paint.

This will fill the brush with more paint than mere dipping would.

Apply paint with the grain. Cover recesses first; then work from the inside out.

To speed the job, apply paint to broad, flat areas with a high-density foam roller and follow up with a brush.

Be vigilant to catch drips, especially at recessed corners.

Working while the doors are laid flat reduces the risk of drips, but check for them and for paint buildup a few minutes after you’ve finished. Smooth out any imperfections with the tip of the brush.

Unless you have the luxury of an empty two-car garage, finding a place that will allow the painted doors and drawers to dry will be a challenge.

We had to make do with the sun porch. Once the paint was dry to the touch, we shuttled them outdoors to the deck.

Reinstall doors and pulls. A drill driver speeds the job.