01
The wood kitchens I see most
Honey oak, sometimes with arched cathedral doors. Dark cherry, raised-panel or shaker. Both are usually well built: solid frames, solid doors, boxes that still hold. What dates them is the colour and the yellowed lacquer.
Since July 2026 I have painted a honey oak kitchen with cathedral doors and glass uppers, a cherry kitchen with a butcher-block island, a cherry shaker kitchen in Town of Mount Royal and, in September 2026, a cherry raised-panel kitchen in Kirkland.
02
Tannins and old lacquer: why wood needs shellac primer
Oak and cherry contain tannins, natural compounds that migrate into water-based paint and show up as yellow or brown stains, especially under white. Old lacquer and grease do the same. Sanding alone does not stop it.
So after degreasing and sanding, every wood surface gets two coats of BIN shellac-based primer. Shellac locks the tannins and the old finish in; that is why dark cherry can go white and stay white. The primer is sanded smooth, then the Renner 2K colour coats go on.
03
Will the oak grain show through the paint?
Oak is open-grained: its pores are deep enough that primer and two colour coats soften the grain, and the texture stays visible under the colour. Painted oak still reads as wood.
Cherry is closed-grained and paints out smoother. Open-grain oak keeps some texture under paint unless the grain is filled, so we agree on how much grain you want to see before I start.
04
Raised panels, arches and profiles
Wood doors carry the most detail: raised panels, arched tops, beads, glass frames. The flat areas are machine-sanded with dust extraction; the profiles and curves are sanded by hand with Festool pads, because grease hides in the corners and primer lets go there first.
05
Common problems and what I do
- Yellow or brown spots coming through: tannins or grease. Sealed under two coats of shellac primer before any colour.
- Worn finish around the handles: years of hands and grease. Degreased and sanded back to a sound surface.
- Dents and chips in the wood: filled and sanded flush before primer.
- Old brass hardware: new handles can go on at reinstallation, with the old holes filled.
06
What painted wood looks like
The cherry kitchen on this site went white on top and soft sage below, with the butcher-block island top left natural. In Town of Mount Royal the cherry shaker went light soft white. Same doors, same boxes: the shape of the wood kitchen stays, and the colour and finish change.
From a client
“The cabinets were quality wood, replacing them was tens of thousands of dollars.”
