I hired a hotsy totsy painter to do my cabinets and can still see the grain. I know that it's hard for you to believe but by the time your kitchen is finished, you won't notice it. I like the color; at least the way it appears on my computer.

Hang in there.

I like it!

It's looking great so far! You've done loads of work! Hard to do late at night when the kids are in bed, I know.

It's probably too late, but the other day Beekeeperswife mentioned a product she used over her cabinets to sort of fill in the grain before painting. I can't remember what it is called. She also mentioned that there is another product available that's less work than the one she used. I'm not sure if you can use it when there's paint already on the cabs, but you probably can. Hopefully, she'll see this and provide the info.

The issue now is that you've done so much work already. Do you want to live with it or use a grain filler and paint again? You might regret spending so many hours on this and not having it exactly as you envisioned. I know I'm that way! Are you going to be living in this house forever? Are you just refreshing the kitchen until you can do a big reno?

The color is pretty! You said it might not be accurate, but I'm looking at the grayest spots on all the photos and I like it a lot (I even like the parts that look more gray-green). I can't offer any advice about how to hide the grain, but I just wanted to tell you that I think the color was a good choice.

I think it looks great and I really like the colour.
I did the same thing that you are now doing. My kids are older now but years ago, when they were toddlers, I painted my kitchen cabinets after they were in bed. I would start painting at 8:00 at night and paint until 1:am and it took me 9 weeks to do it.
I painted my walnut cabinets yellowy cream and changed the hinges and handles to brass hardware (that's how long ago it was) and I too noticed the grain coming through. But when I was done and everything was back up it looked so much better than before. Lighter and brighter and soon I stopped noticing it.
Ten years later I repainted them to white with nickel hardware but this time they were in school and it was so much easier.
You'll be glad you did it and no one else will ever notice the grain. I also think that it all settles down and sort of disappears with the lights and other accessories that you will do. Right now it is the only focus that you have. You'll be good. Been there and done that. You'll be good.

Awww... thank you. This is a refresher to tide me over for a while. Maybe a long while (depending on the economy). I spent a TON of time caulking, sanding, and using wood filler on all the imperfections. But that grain... *gulp* I'll see if I can find beekeepers product. Perhaps it's my pride that I feel is in jeopardy. :) This is my first major project.

I love the color of the frames. Are the doors getting painted that color? If so, I think it will look great. It's very cool and calming but not too gray or too cement-ish (cementious?)

I think the grain won't be an issue at all. You are painting wood cabinets, if after painting they still look like wood, so be it. I would get one cabinet's doors painted and hung before I worried about it too much. Having them hung will give you a better sense of how they will look when they are not laid flat and inspected.

Are you kidding me? All that buildup about how dreadful they were--they're turning out perfect! I don't mind the grain on painted oak. I think it's sort of a plus. But if you just can't stand it, instead of starting over on these, you could pick up some inexpensive unfinished doors to paint. But your doors do have a certain classy look you won't be able to get on cheap doors. You could cut out the middles and use a glass insert.

But really, they are NICE! Let wood be wood, even under paint. I like it.

I'm typing on my iPhone while waiting for dh. So I will be brief.

Looks great.

Lovely color, very fresh.

If grain bothers you read up on pore-o-pac, it is what I used. Brush on wood filler. Brush it on, "squeege" off excess, let dry, sand , repeat. Until u are happy with results.

Painting the cabinets is a Pain. Nothing great comes easy. Hang in there, you will get through this.

Now then, I'm hungry. Where s my dh?

farmersdaughter (I'm guessing, sorry it's tough to spell that with the vowels dropped)

The colour looks grand. Not a warehouse - rather Martha Stewart's kitchen from her grand makeover a couple of years ago. :-) Looks lovely.

Don't cover the grain! That's what shows you the cabinets are wood under the paint and not MDF or furniture board or whatever! I like the other two very much - don't get me wrong - but why when you have wooden doors do you want 'em to look like the other? Else do what someone else suggested, give these up, get the furniture board doors to your size and prime & paint those. Don't go through the bother of trying to transform one into the other.

Its looking great! Get through it and step back and admire the work - it is really looking great.

Thanks for the confirmation all. Some very good thoughts here. Maybe the grain IS okay. I think I will get a couple of the doors up with hardware before I paint them all and get a good look. I plan to put glass in a couple of the uppers. I don't think getting new doors is really an option - these cabinets were custom built around saggy ceilings. Nothing is straight in my home.
Anyway, I just tucked my kiddos in so I'm off to paint. Feeling much better about this. Thank you all!!

Very pretty and up-to-date looking. Nice

It's really pretty. The color combination is fresh and calm and you've done a great job of painting. The grain doesn't bother me a bit. I bet you've pictured a smooth surface because that's what you see in most manufactured paint-finished cabinets, but it provides an unexpected touch of authenticity here. I wouldn't try to hide it.

I'm so glad you checked in because just this morning I was wondering how your project was going!

My goodness, you are thorough with all that taping and priming! All your careful prep work is going to pay off--your kitchen is going to look great! Once the oak floors are uncovered and you get the hardware on (you are putting pulls or knobs on the doors/drawers? because I was going to suggest that that might distract from the graininess that you dislike) it is all going to blend beautifully. Keep on plugging away...it WILL be worth all the work and I think you'll be very pleased with the result.

I would suggest painting your window frame to match the cabinets, but I like that sort of English look.

What paint color are you using?

I think it looks fantastic! The color is wonderful. Once you get the doors back on with hardware and accessories you'll have the kitchen you imagined. You deserve a metal for all your hard work and it will all be worth it in the end.

aww- it really does look good! keep it up! you're so close!

Loving that grey!
and Kudos to you doing this at night!!! after the kids went to bed, i just collapsed next to them - for years it seemed. There was no way i would have gotten back out there to do that hard work! Way to go!!! :o)

I think it looks great! I started painting last August, and finished the week before Christmas. So it sounds like you're going fast to me! Mine are far from perfect, but I think as the other elements are added, I don't notice that my doors aren't perfectly smooth anymore. I tried to fill in all the grain, but I think it would have looked just as good with it still showing through more.

I love the color!

Your cabs look wonderful! I love the colors (both inside and frames)! Your frames look like a beautiful grey-green on my screen. Give yourself a huge hug and margarita for staying up nights and tackling this huge project--and doing such a great job at it!

You've got me considering painting my cabs to make them livable until we can tear them out! But I'm afraid that DH would then say we don't need to reno the kitchen at all, lol!

I'm so impressed that you're doing all this with kids!! I'm one week into priming a small kitchen with no kids, and I'm very, very thankful my kitchen isn't bigger!

Brushing putty (I think by Fine Paints of Europe?) has been recommended on the paint forum for filling in grain, and Ben Moore Enamel Underbody might work as well. Whether they could be used at this stage might depend on what kind of primer you have on already. The BM product is alkyd and thus probably shouldn't go over latex primer.

I agree with those who said to let wood be wood and you'll likely notice less once it's all together.

I guess I can see how you might be disappointed in the color if you were hoping for a warmer gray-green, but I really like the look of it. I, too, was immediately reminded of Martha Stewart's Cantitoe Corners kitchen: :)

Here is a link that might be useful: Martha Stewart's Kitchen

I think the color is beautiful! Great job!!

I agree with everyone else...it is already an amazing transformation! You are doing a great job, and I really love the color. Keep going, you are almost done and what a great feeling that will be! :)

I think it's coming along beautifully! I think it will be very nice with your backsplash. The gray doesn't look greenish on my monitor, it looks to be on the warmer side.

I don't think the grain showing is a bad thing at all. I like painted wood to be clearly identifiable as wood. But of course if you prefer the smoother finish, you should give it a shot. Both can be beautiful.

I really like that white beadboard inside the cabinets, too!

I think it looks right just as they are. I painted the knotty pine wainscot in our bsmt and the knots show through in the past year or 2. I painted 2 coats of oil based primer and 3 coats of paint, and the knots came out over time. I plan on repainting if the painting from our current reno ever ends, lol. I was expecting a problem like that when I read your post and would have had sympathy for you.
When I saw the pix, I was so relieved for your sake. I think the grain is just a texture thing and not a visual one, from what I can see. I think it adds a depth that is lovely. Keep doing as you have been and you will be amazed how good it all looks pulled together.

Wow! I think it's looking great!

I think you should fully paint a door, and see how you like it, then decide how to finish the rest, e.g. whether to sand the primer coat, apply more primer, use filler, etc. The paint coats will cover more of the grain, and so will the brushstrokes.

What look are you going for? If you want a perfectly uniform and smooth, mass-produced look, that is hard (very) to get without a sprayer and maybe sanding between coats. I don't think that is a look I'd aspire to. I think the paintwork in the kitchen should match the paintwork of the rest of the house's woodwork, which was likely brush-painted. You can get a subtler brushstroke using a flowing additive, ask at the paint store. If you paint straight from the can, the brushstrokes will be most visible.

If you do decide to sand some more, use a power sander if you haven't already. An orbital sander costs $30. Hand-sanding is the pits.

When you DIY, you will be your own harshest critic, you'll see every little imperfection. Step back and look at your finished work like a normal person would - with normal eyes, not magnifying glasses. You'll probably be very happy.

I really like the color! I think it is very comforting.

I agree with everyone else. I think it looks wonderful already. I was scrolling down slowly, preparing to go, "Oh no..." but instead I went, "Wow, that's beautiful!"

I'm one who LIKES to see the wood grain, and the brush strokes, a bit. Especially in an older home, I just don't think its appropriate to have perfectly smooth machine-made-looking woodwork. it seems you are going for a softer, painted, maybe farmhouse look, and in that case I definitely want to see that it is hand-painted. And the color looks great. O don't think it will look sterile at all, especially once you have accessories and stuff in there. It looks bright and cheery and soft and pretty... I think you're going to love it and all the hard work will be worth it :)

Oh, it looks really beautiful so far. We just had our OLD, dirty oak cabinets painted white, and I was very worried while the painter did it. (We had a painter do it...I wimped out with my 4 little kids and wanted it done FAST!)
Anyway, I could totally see the grain the entire time he was painting and I was examining the doors, and I thought I would hate it. But I love it. So much.

And, yes, the grain is visible, but only if you are looking for it. Otherwise you just see the whiteness of it all. And I actually like the hint of the grain under it all--it reminds me that it IS wood, and it looks great!

Yours is going to look even better! Please post finished pics when you are done! It's going to look so lovely once it is "lived in" again--it only looks sterile now because it is a work room still.

Subtle colors can be hard to differentiate on a monitor, but it looks lovely greeny greigish to me. Also, when we painted my sister's cabinets some years ago, we went well out of our way to find a paint that WOULD let the grain show through, which seemed right right for an early 20th century house.

I think it is going to be smashing, and amenable to all kinds of accent colors. Be of good cheer.

you are going to like it more than you realize probably.If the grain still has you with questions as you continue, think of really interesting hardware on the cabs-that will shift the visual focus somewhat,and against a color would be a good choice anyway.So far, it looks a big improvement.

I take ever single one of these suggestions to heart. Y'all are the best! :D