Paint for a Kitchen

Painting a Kitchen: The Scrubbable Finish Guide

Kitchens have unique painting challenges: grease splatter, steam from cooking, food stains, and heavy cleaning. A 12×10 kitchen has ~352 sq ft of wall area, but upper and lower cabinets, backsplash, and appliances typically reduce paintable area to 180–220 square feet.

Recommended Finishes

• Semi-gloss: Best for areas near the stove and sink — easy to scrub clean. Most common choice for kitchens.
• Satin: Good balance of cleanability and aesthetics. Works well for walls away from the cooking zone.
• Cabinet paint: If painting cabinets, use a dedicated cabinet paint (Benjamin Moore Advance, $55/qt) with an alkyd or hybrid formula for a factory-like finish.

Kitchen Painting Strategy

1. Degrease walls first. TSP (trisodium phosphate) solution removes the invisible grease film that builds up on kitchen walls. Paint won't adhere properly without this step.
2. Paint walls only — 1.5 gallons. Subtract cabinets, backsplash, appliance areas, and windows. Most kitchens need less paint than you'd expect.
3. Consider the backsplash area. Between the upper and lower cabinets, the 18-inch backsplash zone gets the most abuse. Some homeowners tile this area instead of painting it.

Pro Tips

• Use a grease-resistant formula. Sherwin-Williams ProClassic ($50/gal) and Benjamin Moore Advance ($55/qt for cabinets) resist kitchen grease and are fully scrubbable.
• Paint cabinets separately. If painting kitchen cabinets, budget 2–3 quarts of cabinet paint, a bonding primer, and plan for 3–5 days with doors removed.
• Avoid trendy dark colors above the stove. Grease splatter shows dramatically on dark matte surfaces. Keep the stove area in a lighter, semi-gloss color.