Hi amav31
I am in the process of painitng my kitchen cabinets. I was going to use Cabinet Coat but chickened out at the last minute. I just bought SW Pro Classic paint this morning. I will let you know how it good it works. I am still in the priming process. I am doing 2 coats of primer then 2 coats of topcoat so it is verryyyy slow going. I am trying not to rush.
I have found that using a good quality paint brush especially 1 1/2" (see prior posts) for the areas in the cabinet that are lower than the raised area and then a 4" foam roller works great so far!
I am not painting the insides of the cabinets- its so much work already.
I had the SW paint guy match BM White Dove which,like you, I hope isnt too stark. I will let you know. SW Informal Ivory isnt on their new paint decks but they can still make it. You would have to get a sample of it I guess.
Good luck, hope this helps.

Pro Classic is a very nice paint. However, it's not a miracle paint. Use a quality Chinex brush (Corona Edge) and practice first. Don't over brush it, that is what causes an ugly finish.

Michael

I am wondering too about all of this. FOr the priming stage, I have only done the insides of the doors so far(figured if I really see a disaster I can address it sooner). I was under the impression that the primer does notneed to go on superheavy. I am painting similar cabinets (medium to dark oak) and with the primer, it looks fairly streaky. I was under the impression that I only needed one coat of the primer and that it would look crappy with just that, but that it owuld take the paint really well. I am also using the SW primer. Do I need to put another primer coat on and make sure it is covered better?

snickysnacker,
do post your experiences and any tips. Good luck to you.
can't wait to see some pictures of your kitchen.

I can tell you so far, that I only primed the inside cabinet doors once, and the first coat of paint I applied looks kinda thin. I am putting two coats of topcoat on and it is only the cabinet backs so I hope its ok. Everywhere else I primed w/2 coats. I do not want any chances that the wood will show through.
I will definitely post pictures when I am finished. Ughhh, I am guessing I still have 12 hours or more of painting to go. Hope the end is worth all this effort.
By the way, bought SW Pro Classic paint and had it color matched to BM White Dove....sure looks more cream colored than I expected when I compare it to the ultra white of the primer..... I am slightly nervous.... Oh well, I am going to finish it out anyway, the paint is too expensive to toss!

How is everything going on so far snickysnacker.
Did you buy 2 different sets of brushes for the primer and the paint.? How is the creaminess of the white dove.

Hi amav, everything is going smoothly! I LOVE the BM White Dove- it looks just right in my kitchen. I did get 2 sets of brushes but I have only used the 1 1/2" size of both brushes. I am going to return the 2" sizes. I have gone through about (10) 4" foam rollers. That has been a lifesaver. The foam roller doesnt leave stippling marks like I feared and makes the painting go so much faster. Only 1 more coat of topcoat to go- then wait a few days for it to cure and I will be back in business by next Monday. I will def. post pix when I am done. I am happy with the effort so far. I love the SW Pro Classic paint, its very nice.

WOW that is great to hear. you are inspiring me to get with the program! I need to get motivated to do something and I think you just did it.
(so, thanks!). btw where did you get the foam rollers? are they easy to find?

Good for you snickysnacker. I cant wait for the pictures.
I would like to know too more about the rollers. Is there a specific brand.....Home depot/Lowes? Is the roller frame 4" or the roller foam itself 4". I assume you used short nap. Are your brushes Purdy or corona.?
Also whenever you take breaks during painting, how are you storing your brushes and foam rollers.?
Good luck with your topfinsh.

Hey amav and mayvenne, I am just motoring through the final stages of the cabinets. The foam rollers are 4" (there is no nap in foam) and I just looked for a 4" roller frame. In fact, I got it at Walmart and it's Rubbermaid brand, but I think any 4" foam roller is fine. Another life saver, I found is at Walmart too! It's a paintcan lid with a spout. Since this project has taken me 2 weeks, I found this paint lid (about $1.50) prevents the paint from drying out inside the can once the rim gets all gunked up from pouring out of it time and time again. I usually paint in segments, so I havent been storing the rollers. I have gone through about (20) 4" foam rollers-I just treat them as disposable b/c they are a pain in the neck to clean out. I bought 2 Purdy 1 1/2" angled sash brushes at Lowes and then another one which is by E&J (which I dont like). Get the expensive brushes- it makes a difference. I prefer the angled one it seems to help in the crevices of the cabinet doors. I am waiting for new cabinet hardware that I just bought on an Ebay store. I saved a ton of money buying online versus buying at Home Depot (I bought satin nickel drawer pulls for $1.50 each compared to HD that were $4/piece... the hinges were about $1 each compared to $3-4 at HD!!)
I cant wait to be done this project, I will tell ya that... it has consumed my every waking moment, ha ha!!

Well I have been monitoring this thread and can now add some. I decided to paint (join the club-huh?) a vanity in a guest bathroom which doesnt get used much (in case I screw it up who will really see it?).. the vanity is a dark oak. The floor and wall tiles, bathtub, toilet and sink are all medium grey. Currently the walls are a mauve with shades of white spongepainted (that was handy work circa 1995 or so). I have painted walls, but never wood before so I am still a bit hesitant. I could not decide between painting the vanity white, dark brown or black. I was leaning towards the dark colors but then decided to go with white. I have primed using the SW Prep Rite, PRo Block and just last nite started to use the Pro Classic in Greek Villa ( very nice white).Since I am chicken, I have started doing everything on the insides of the doors. After one coat of primer and one coat of the paint, it looks decent but definitely will need another coat of the paint. ( I was planning on 2 coats so that is not a surprise). I am pretty sure I got the satin finish, am wondering if that is what you are using? I am so chicken. Now I am having second thoughts if I should have painted the vanity a darker color. I also don;t know what color to paint the walls.
I frequently don't decide these things until each step is done... but if you have any suggestions for wall color with grey and white and I am typically more traditional as opposed to contemporary.
Thanks for letting me spew!

How about terracotta on the walls? Definetly a dark color. The white cabinet against a terracotta would look great.
There are different sahed ranging from light peach to dark terra.
I think snickysnacker painted the cabinets in semi-gloss and not satin finish.

Wanted to update that I did finish painting before thanksgiving yay! I did use the SW ProClassic, in Greek Villa in a satin finish. I did buy the foam roller things but ended up not actually using them. I used a brush instead. That paint really is very cooperative! I am not a good or neat painter, and I did not do a perfect job, but really considering how laid back I was, it came out fine. I just still cannot decide if I would prefer it with more of a gloss. The guy in the store had said either would be fine, semi gloss or satin, but he would suggest satin. So, now I think I will put the doors back on, probably put on knobs or pulls(there were none) and decide. I also do have to paint the walls which I really want to do before getting the new countertop.
Anyway I will try to get some photos shortly, just to show how decent a job I did being a very un-in?-non? precise painter.

ok- I too, finished my kitchen project -sooo happy to be done. I used SW Pro Classic Paint (semi gloss finish) on the cabinets in BM color (White Dove). I also painted the kitchen red after I stripped off all the wallpaper. I still need some decorative "tweaking" and I think it looks warmer in person, but here are the results:
Before:

Snickysnacker (sorry dont know ur first name)ur kitchen looks amazing!
Does SW proclassic acrylic comes in any other colors? I dont see it on sw site though.

And did you paint the cabinets as tjough you'd paint a wall with a roller? Did you pay special attention to your strokes?

Thanks
Nami

Nami, I've also used SW ProClassic Acrylic and had wonderful results. The guys at the store said it can be tinted in most of the lighter colors available. All you have to do is pick the chip! Not so easy, I found out :)

I used a Purdy brush and my finish came out just fine. For me, rollers put on too much paint that tends to collect in the grooves. I'd have to use a brush anyway, to distribute it all evenly.

Here is my kitchen before (sorry, blurry pic) and after in SW Divine White.

Nami,
I followed the detailed instructions for prepping the cabinets (do a search on Cabinet Coat for more info). I painted using SW Pro Classic paint but I had them color match a Ben Moore color. I used both a 4"foam roller and 1 1/2 " brush (brush for the crevices/grooves of the cabinet raised area). Hope that helps!! It's pretty forgiving paint- I would definitely use it again!