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General Finishes Logo

Updating your kitchen cabinets
on a budget?

Updating your kitchen cabinets on a budget?

Learn how to refinish your cabinets step-by-step with a General Finishes pro in this FREE COURSE.

General Finishes Logo

Updating your kitchen cabinets 
on a budget?

Sign-up for our FREE COURSE and learn how to refinish cabinets step-by-step alongside General Finishes pros for a fraction of the cost of replacements.

Fine Woodworking Magazine Logo
Woodcraft Logo
Green Building and Design Magazine Logo
Woodworker’s Journal Logo
Fine Woodworking Magazine Logo
Woodcraft Logo
Green Building and Design Magazine Logo
Woodworker’s Journal Logo
Fine Woodworking Magazine Logo
Woodcraft Logo
Green Building and Design Magazine Logo
Woodworker’s Journal Logo

How many times have you looked at your kitchen and thought....

How many times have you looked at your kitchen and thought....

"This kitchen does NOT reflect my style." 

"I am so TIRED of looking at that old, out-out finish."

"I see everyone else finishing their cabinets but I am nervous about starting." 

NOW is the time!
In this FREE cabinet refinishing course, we'll walk you step-by-step through EVERY DETAIL of the process.
This is our most value-packed educational resource ever!

When using the right tools and processes, anyone can transform their aging cabinets from golden oak to stunning!
 
No technical painting or refinishing skills required.

No previous experience required.

(Don't believe us? Click HERE to check out these kitchens submitted by customers on social media!)

When using the right tools and processes, anyone can transform their aging cabinets from golden oak to stunning!
No technical painting or refinishing skills required.

No previous experience required.

(Don't believe us? Click HERE to check out these kitchens submitted by customers on social media!)

What You Get

This course is jam-packed with value!

18+ Video Lessons


Tom Monahan and the pros of General Finishes shares step-by-step instruction along with insider tips and techniques.

We'll walk you through deciding what to buy, to how to pull off tape when you're done and everything in-between!

Lessons

1

Lesson 1: Assess The Existing Finish

Learn how to assess an existing finish to determine what will be required for it to be ready for a new coat of paint.

2

Lesson 2: Select a Color

What should you take into consideration when selecting a color?

3

Lesson 3: Choose a Topcoat

Topcoat is recommended over high-use surfaces such as kitchen cabinets and table tops for maximum durability, but there are a few factors to take into consideration before making a final decision.

4

Lesson 4: Test Your Finishing Schedule

Before getting started, always test your entire finishing schedule from prep cleaning to topcoat. You may discover something during this time that will save you a major headache (and expense) down the road.

5

Lesson 5: Calculate the Amount of Product Needed

Before you head to the store, know how much you need to buy!
Save money by planning ahead. You'll get more bang for your buck with bigger can sizes.

6

Lesson 6: What You'll Need

You'll only need to make one trip to the store if you plan ahead! Use our video lesson and printable checklist to make this process easy peasy!

7

Lesson 7: Remove & Number Doors & Hardware

For the best fit, remove doors and hinges so that they can be added back to the same place they came from. The original doors might be slightly different and screws may have been installed at slightly different angles.

8

Lesson 8: Prep Clean & Sand Doors

Despite what some brands and finishers claim, kitchen cabinet surfaces are often contaminated by oil from hands, cooking grease and other substances that can prevent lasting adhesion of any product on the market. If you don't want to be faced with the heartache of chipping, bubbling or peeling finish down the road, it's essential that all underlying contaminants and problem sources are removed before putting in all of the work of making your cabinets beautiful again. We'll walk you through pro-recommended approaches to starting from a clean slate.

9

Lesson 9: Brush Application of Paint

Learn our pro brush application techniques for a smooth, streak-free result.

10

Lesson 10: Finish Sand & Apply a Second Coat of Paint (Brush Application)

Pro Tip: Light sanding between coats will improve adhesion and durability long-term. We'll show you how!

11

Lesson 11: Spray Application of Paint

Applying paint with a spray gun is the fastest and easiest way to achieve a factory-finished result. Our instructions include everything you'd need to know, from pros to first-time finishers!

12

Lesson 12: Prep Face Frames & Protect Your Space

Your face frames need love too! Protect nearby surfaces and follow basic prep sanding and cleaning of your face frames before applying paint.

13

Lesson 13: Prep Face Frames & Protect Your Space

Even if you decide to spray doors, some homeowners prefer to not spray in the house. If your product is brushable, this lesson will provide tips and tricks for getting the job done right.

14-15

Lesson 14 & 15: Topcoat Brush & Spray Application

Pro tips and techniques for applying topcoat with a brush and spray gun.

16

Lesson 16: Finishing Up The Face Frames

You're so close! Here are some of the last steps to completing the project.

17

Lesson 17: Door Installation & Final Looks

Add doors back to the frame, step back, and admire your new kitchen!

18

Lesson 18: Final Thoughts

You're done! In this lesson we review all that we learned along the way.

It's time to FINALLY make your dream kitchen a reality!
It's time to FINALLY make your dream kitchen a reality!

Why Trust General Finishes?

General Finishes video crew creating our online cabinet refinishing course

General Finishes

manufacturer of wood finishes- Made in the usa

General Finishes has produced trusted, quality finishes for over 8 decades. During the last 28 years, General Finishes' dedication to engineering the best water-based stains and finishes available has made us the leading manufacturer of innovative water-based finishes; we simply know water chemistry better than anyone else.

Our team includes professionals in a wide variety expertise that span across wood finishing industries. We draw upon this expertise in our written and video instruction.

General Finishes’ pro Tom Monahan refinishing furniture.

Tom Monahan

Sale Rep, General Finishes

Tom has been working for General Finishes for over 30 years, but refinishing has been a lifetime passion and hobby.

You may recognize Tom from General Finishes YouTube channel and Facebook live videos.

The General Finishes cabinet refinishing course staff

Customer Transformations

We love seeing pictures of your completed projects and sharing your inspiration with others on social media. Once you are done with your project, we would love to hear from you!

The Dropped Leaf

Greenville, South Carolina


Loving this kitchen cabinet transformation with a custom mix of General Finishes Queenstown Gray and Coastal Blue Milk Paint.

Painted Pieces

Klamath Falls, Oregon


Beautiful, spacious kitchen refinished using General Finishes Enduro White Poly tinted to General Finishes Alabaster.

Red House Reverie 

Towanda, Kansas


"Check out the kitchen repurpose I took part in! We were able to recycle these cabinets from another home remodel project to save the museum some money, and refinished them in General Finishes Blue Moon. It’s my favorite blue!!!"

Flipping Unbelievable

Green Bay, Wisconsin


"Navy blue is a timeless classic color. My client chose the color Coastal Blue by General Finishes for these cabinets, and we re-created the color by tinting Enduro Poly. This shade gives the kitchen such an elegant and sophisticated look."

Made 2 Love

San Antonio, Texas


"Before and after kitchen cabinets in General Finishes Linen water-based Milk Paint!"

Bellflower Grove

Avon, Indiana


"Beautiful expansive kitchen refinished using General Finishes Enduro White Poly tinted to Alabaster and new hardware for a more modern look.

Flipping Unbelievable

Green Bay, Wisconsin


"I love the cabinet transformation on this kitchen. It went from a grainy dark oak to modern light finish. The paint color is Toque White by Sherwin-Williams but tinted in General Finishes Enduro White Poly. Paint is powerful enough to transform this kitchen by giving it a whole new look. New hardware from D. Lawless Hardware also made a huge impact!"

Goodwillhunting Lawson

New Lenox, IL


"General Finishes Perfect Gray Milk Paint cabinet refresh."

Bellflower Grove

Avon, Indiana


"Another orangey oak kitchen updated with a popular shade of white and new cabinet pulls. GF Enduro Poly tinted to the popular Alabaster! Sprayed with Fuji Q5."

Bellflower Grove

Avon, Indiana


"Huge kitchen cabinet job! Client added crown moulding, cabinet trim and upper boxes on top of cabinets. Island had to be stripped of previous paint. Finished this enormous job in one week! General Finishes Enduro tinted to GF Alabaster."

Goodwillhunting Lawson

New Lenox, IL


"General Finishes Driftwood Milk Painted kitchen cabinets."

In Sweet Time

Fuquay Varina, NC


"A little creative thinking, lots of elbow grease and General Finishes Brushable White Enamel tinted to Alabaster took this cabinet from what looked like an afterthought to something awesome with a purpose. The paint went on like a dream! The new home owners absolutely loved it!"

Goodwillhunting Lawson

New Lenox, IL


"Vanity painted with Persian Blue Milk Paint."

Painted Pieces

Klamath Falls, Oregon


"We used the new General Finishes 2K Enduro Poly tinted to Reverent Grey (uppers) and SW Grey Harbor (lowers)."

Flipping Unbelievable

Green Bay, Wisconsin


"The dark wood cabinets are nice, but the painted cabinets make it seem so much brighter in the room! Cabinet color: General Finishes Enduro White Poly tinted to Agreeable Gray by Sherwin-Williams."

Flipping Unbelievable

Green Bay, Wisconsin


"Bright and airy is how I would describe this kitchen now. Painting the cabinets in a classic color makes it seem less busy. The cabinets were painted using General Finishes Enduro Poly tinted to the Sherwin Williams color Repose Gray."

Bellflower Grove

Avon, Indiana


General Finishes Enduro Poly was tinted to General Finishes Queenstown Gray Milk Paint color for the island.s job in one week! General Finishes Enduro tinted to GF Alabaster.

Painted Pieces

Klamath Falls, Oregon


"General Finishes Alabaster Milk Paint for the win again! This is the most popular white by far. Turned out Ah-mazing."

Bellflower Grove

Avon, Indiana


"We used General Finishes Enduro White Poly."

Bellflower Grove

Avon, Indiana


"We used General Finishes Enduro White Poly."

Bellflower Grove

Avon, Indiana


"The cabinets are sprayed in Enduro White Poly tinted to GF Alabaster Milk Paint and Benjamin Moore Hale Navy."

Flipping Unbelievable

Green Bay, Wisconsin


"Kitchen cabinet makeover! From dark to light! Here, General Finishes Enduro Poly is tinted to Sherwin William's Roycroft Mist Gray."

Flipping Unbelievable

Green Bay, Wisconsin


"Sharing this kitchen update. The cabinets were painted using General Finishes Enduro Poly tinted to Sherwin Williams' Balanced Beige. The range hood previously had decorative small wood railing around it and just removing that part made it so much more modern looking. Painted cabinets bring such an update to kitchens, and I wish I had remembered to take a before picture on this one!"

Flipping Unbelievable

Green Bay, Wisconsin


"My pantry is finally done! It feels so good to declutter and organize. This was a small space, but had a huge impact on my kitchen as now I gained so much extra counter space in the rest of the kitchen. I custom built the shelves, modified the upper cabinets to look more likely built in then added a custom countertop. Cabinet color is Empire Gray by General Finishes. Shelf stain is General Finishes' Antique Oak."

Why Trust General Finishes?

General Finishes

manufacturer of wood finishes- Made in the usa

General Finishes has produced trusted, quality finishes for over 8 decades. During the last 28 years, General Finishes' dedication to engineering the best water-based stains and finishes available has made us the leading manufacturer of innovative water-based finishes; we simply know water chemistry better than anyone else.

Our team includes professionals in a wide variety expertise that span across wood finishing industries. We draw upon this expertise in our written and video instruction.

Tom Monahan

Sale Rep, General Finishes

Tom has been working for General Finishes for over 30 years, but refinishing has been a lifetime passion and hobby.

You may recognize Tom from General Finishes YouTube channel and Facebook live videos. 

General Finishes High Performance water based topcoat is a top seller in our store.  The quality, ease of use and support offered by General Finishes tutorials has given our DIY customers confidence in tackling anything small or large.

General Finishes High Performance water based topcoat is a top seller in our store.  The quality, ease of use and support offered by General Finishes tutorials has given our DIY customers confidence in tackling anything small or large.

Carole Naeff

Vintage Decor and Craftery, CO

The quality and consistency of General Finishes products and customer service have us looking forward to a partnership for years to come.

Philip Kelly

This End Up, NC

Products aside, the customer care at GF will exceed anyone’s expectations. From products to service, I can’t recommend General Finishes enough.

Pete Dettore

Owner of Furniture by Pete, MA

We have been a customer of General Finishes for over 6 years and love their products, service, and durability.  Water-base products help keep our people healthy and our customers safe also.

Jim Dorff

President of 366 Renovations, OH

General Finishes outstanding videos set the standard for the industry, bringing finishing to a level novices can understand with enticing glimpses into their friendly, passionate corporate culture.

Woodworker, VA

General Finishes offered 3 things that improved my business production, saving money and time, plus the ability to provide a better quality finish.


1. Water based products that perform well
2. Technical support

3. Excellent customer service

Owner of Ideal Stair Parts, NY

Frequently Asked Questions

— Refinishing Cabinets —

How much will it cost?

The total cost will be determined by the square footage of your cabinet surfaces, the type of finish and color you choose, the tools needed, and condition of your existing cabinets.

For example, a spray gun will cost more than a brush but it will save a lot of time. Extra coats may be required if you are applying a light color over an existing dark surface and stain blocking primer will be needed when applying a white or light colored paint to prevent tannin bleed-through.

On average, the cost of product is typically around $200 and the cost of tools at least an additional $50. The average kitchen takes 2-3 gallons of paint.

How long will it take to finish my cabinets?

The amount of time depends on the surface area of your cabinets, the condition of the existing finish, whether you spray or brush, and what products and colors you choose. Each of the products we recommend in the course take 2 hours to dry between coats, so you could complete more than one coat done in a day.

The kitchenette in this course took us 4 6-hour days to refinish with 2 coats of paint and 2 coats of topcoat. The doors were sprayed and the face frames were brushed. A larger kitchen can take anywhere from 2  to 3 weeks,

In the course we'll let you know about ways you can save time throughout the process, like using a spray gun and an electric sander.

— The Course —

How long is the course?

This course Is approximately 90 minutes with  18 lessons packed with tips and techniques.
Each lesson has 1 video between 1 and 11 minutes long. Two lessons have 2 videos.
We will be adding printable worksheets, checklists, lesson summaries and additional information.

If it's a free course, why do we need to log in?

We will be updating the course content from time time with additional downloads and  checklists:  and may send emails to support you through the process of finishing this project and let you know when new courses are released. You can opt-out at any time.

This course also  includes community participation in the form of a comments section. In order for us to manage the community element of this course, a login is required.

Your name and email is safe and will NEVER be shared with others.
Click HERE to read our privacy policy.

— Right Fit —

BEGINNER: I have NEVER done anything like this before. Does that matter?

Nope! This course was created with beginners in mind.. It was planned, written and filmed by General Finishes pros.

In this course Tom Monahan,  General Finishes sales rep, helps Marcy refinish her kitchenette.

It was Marcy's first time refinishing, too!

PRO: I have experience refinishing cabinets. Is this just for beginners?

Nope again! We included General Finishes favorite tips and techniques that many experts may not  know. If you are considering a professional career in painting cabinets, this is a good place to get an overview of what is involved.

We also have additional resources such as a sample contract and tool recommendations created especially for new, advancing or experienced contractors.

RETAILER: I sell refinishing products. Why should this course interest me?

Use this course to help you save time with customers. - it  is the perfect resource for busy retail  sales personnel. Let General Finishes help you with answering questions regarding refinishing cabinets. with 18 on-point lessons in less than 90 minutes. General Finishes provides a brochure and shelf sales collateral that list the lessons /topics covered and directs the customer to the course with URL's and QR codes. The brochure includes a basic list of supplies needed for both brush or spray application so the customer  can complete the purchase of all the necessary supplies needed immediately and head home to get started with out delays.

Frequently Asked Questions

— Refinishing Cabinets —

How much will it cost?

The total cost will be determined by the square footage of your cabinet surfaces, the type of finish and color you choose, the tools needed, and condition of your existing cabinets.

For example, a spray gun will cost more than a brush but it will save a lot of time. Extra coats may be required if you are applying a light color over an existing dark surface and stain blocking primer will be needed when applying a white or light colored paint to prevent tannin bleed-through.

On average, the cost of product is typically around $200 and the cost of tools at least an additional $50. The average kitchen takes 2-3 gallons of paint.

How long will it take to finish my cabinets?

The amount of time depends on the surface area of your cabinets, the condition of the existing finish, whether you spray or brush, and what products and colors you choose. Each of the products we recommend in the course take 2 hours to dry between coats, so you could complete more than one coat done in a day.

The kitchenette in this course took us 4 6-hour days to refinish with 2 coats of paint and 2 coats of topcoat. The doors were sprayed and the face frames were brushed. A larger kitchen can take anywhere from 2  to 3 weeks,

In the course we'll let you know about ways you can save time throughout the process, like using a spray gun and an electric sander.

— The Course —

How long is the course?

This course Is approximately 90 minutes with  18 lessons packed with tips and techniques.
Each lesson has 1 video between 1 and 11 minutes long. Two lessons have 2 videos.
We will be adding printable worksheets, checklists, lesson summaries and additional information.

If it's a free course, why do we need to log in?

We will be updating the course content from time time with additional downloads and  checklists:  and may send emails to support you through the process of finishing this project and let you know when new courses are released. You can opt-out at any time.

This course also  includes community participation in the form of a comments section. In order for us to manage the community element of this course, a login is required.

Your name and email is safe and will NEVER be shared with others.
Click HERE to read our privacy policy.

— Right Fit —

BEGINNER: I have NEVER done anything like this before. Does that matter?

Nope! This course was created with beginners in mind.. It was planned, written and filmed by General Finishes pros.

In this course Tom Monahan,  General Finishes sales rep, helps Marcy refinish her kitchenette.

It was Marcy's first time refinishing, too!

PRO: I have experience refinishing cabinets. Is this just for beginners?

Nope again! We included General Finishes favorite tips and techniques that many experts may not  know. If you are considering a professional career in painting cabinets, this is a good place to get an overview of what is involved.

We also have additional resources such as a sample contract and tool recommendations created especially for new, advancing or experienced contractors.

RETAILER: I sell refinishing products. Why should this course interest me?

Use this course to help you save time with customers. - it  is the perfect resource for busy retail  sales personnel. Let General Finishes help you with answering questions regarding refinishing cabinets. with 18 on-point lessons in less than 90 minutes. General Finishes provides a brochure and shelf sales collateral that list the lessons /topics covered and directs the customer to the course with URL's and QR codes. The brochure includes a basic list of supplies needed for both brush or spray application so the customer  can complete the purchase of all the necessary supplies needed immediately and head home to get started with out delays.

All out of excuses?

It's time to make some
beautiful changes!

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