Is It Necessary to Paint Behind Kitchen Cabinets? (It Depends…)

The kitchen is the busiest and the most visited room in your new home. As such, there are dozens of things that need to be installed and put in order here.

You are going to install cabinets, countertops, and set places for your stoves and other kitchen stuff.

Painting is a crucial step in creating a nice impression in your kitchen.

You might be thinking about whether it is really necessary to paint the walls behind your kitchen cabinets. After all, the walls will be hidden by the cabinets.

So, Is It Necessary to Paint Behind the Cabinets?

It is important to paint the walls behind the kitchen cabinets as such walls are known to accumulate grease and vapor. As we shall explain in this article, vapor causes odor developments. It may also lead to the growth of molds which are destructive to your kitchen walls and the cabinets. Follow the tips highlighted in this article to learn more about painting your kitchen walls, behind cabinets, and countertops.

Why Should You Worry About The Area Behind the Cabinets? Two Reasons

1. Moisture Prevention

Cabinets are great assets in your new home and you might be wondering if it is a cool idea to paint behind them.

Durability is key and painting behind the cabinets is a key step to achieve that.

So, we recommend that you paint behind the kitchen cabinets just as you would paint other walls and sides of your kitchen.

Your kitchen happens to be among the wettest places in your manufactured home. And there is no doubt, at some point water and moisture will find their place and sip behind the cabinet. A paint will prevent further percolation of moisture and save your walls and the cabinets.

So, the importance of painting behind the kitchen cabinets may not come out quite clearly but it is worth doing.

In the long run, it will save the entire kitchen and prolong the lifespan of your walls and the cabinets themselves. Additionally, molds and mildew are not likely to infest a painted wall.

2. Preemptive Measures

There is yet another reason why you should paint behind your kitchen cabinets.

Down the road, you may want to remove a cabinet in your kitchen to create space for something or simply for a better arrangement and symmetry.

Imagine how that space would look if you had painted it before. You will be forced to complete the painting, a task that you were not prepared for.

So, why not do this once and for all? The case would be different with an already-painted wall behind your cabinet.

It gives you room to do all the adjustments that you want and you won’t have to bother yourself looking for painting materials.

Trust me, it is tricky to match a paint color later on.

Six Construction and Painting Ideas of Kitchen Cabinets

1. Remember To Drywall

When installing new kitchen cabinets, remember to drywall them to get a cost of primer. This is a crucial measure to avoid the absorption of moisture and odor in the kitchen.

Bare walls tend to absorb moisture.

Painting the cabinets after installation may prove very difficult and consumes a lot of time.

In the same way, we strongly recommend that you paint the walls of the kitchen as soon as you are done with priming.

First things first. Even if the walls are going to be covered by the cabinets. It enhances durability since color blocks direct air effects and prolongs their lifespan.


2. Paint with A Quality and Consistent Color

When it comes to building, painting is core and it determines the impression of your home. So, choose suitable colors. Use quality paints and match them appropriately.

An expert painter should be in a position to ask you the required paints and the best quality around.

If you want recommendations as well, your painter should advise you accordingly and give you ideal painting plans from which to choose from.

Always go a step forward and paint the cabinets including the outlets, switches, and even crannies.

Trust me, whenever you slam open the cabinet door, the last thing you want to see is its old color. It will always remind you that you left a task incomplete.

On the other hand, for homeowners intending to sell their property, these painting plans add a lot of value to your property and the new buyer will not hesitate to purchase it.

So, handle this with a lot of professionalism.

Perhaps you didn’t know this, but most homebuyers are always on the look for appeal. They want a property with perfect paint.

They are aware that they won’t have to do matching colors after acquiring it. Everybody will always go for the ready-made thing.

3. Apply A Personalized Painting

Apply a blend of various shades of paint.

Everyone can create a color scheme that matches their style.

You also have personal preferences for painting and your preferences will differ from someone else’s.

So, please go for color combinations that best suit your preferences.

4. Paint Should prevent effects of humidity, stains, and heat

If you are living in a generally damp environment, paint hinders mold.

There is a tendency for mold to grow on the dark and warm sides of the cabinets.

Molds are destructive to wooden architecture.

Related: Should You Paint Both Sides Of The Kitchen Cabinet Doors? 

5. Where Can I Get Professional Kitchen Cabinet Painting?

Everything becomes smart when entrusted to professionals and people who are good at the job.

Unless you are a painter yourself, professional painting services are worth looking for.

Those guys have special skills that you don’t. They know how to match and blend colors. They will give you advice and choices from which to choose.

Do not attempt to face the job yourself.

You might end up doing an awful job. Entrust this on veterans.

Professional painters are found everywhere near you these days.

Wait a moment, always go for a reputable company and if you have no idea where and who they are, ask for recommendations from friends.

Related: Should You Paint DIY Or Hire A Professional?

6. Priming the Walls Behind the Kitchen Cabinet

It is strongly recommended to add a coat of prime behind your kitchen cabinet. The chief reason is that bare drywall tends to absorb moisture which creates a bad odor.

Besides, it leads to mold and mildew developments which equally affect your kitchen walls and the cabinets as well.

You need to prime the walls first before you embark on painting them.

It takes a lot of time and effort to prime and paint after the cabinets have been installed. So, consider doing it once the walls have been furnished.

Also, you risk getting the paint on your new and tidy cabinets if you do all this after installing them. You don’t want to make them look odd and spoil that nice appeal in your kitchen.


Priming is all about sealing. Even if you don’t prime the whole surface, though it is hidden behind the cabinets, penetration of moisture and vapor is possible.

This may seem insignificant to most homeowners, but it gradually becomes a problem if you don’t pay attention to it.

Additionally, your kitchen naturally generates airborne grease which can find its way behind the cabinets. Unprimed porous surfaces will absorb this grease and all that smell.

This creates an odd environment in the kitchen. Just not to mention that once the walls behind your cabinets have absorbed this grease, it makes priming very difficult.

Five Useful Tips Before Beginning The Painting Project

1. Choose your paint

The choice of color is the very first thing.

Select high-quality and more upscale brands.

Go for paint with higher gloss as they are durable and easy to clean.


2. Prepare the area

If you are considering reorganizing your kitchen and painting the walls, you need to do some preparations.

Areas in the kitchen especially those above the stove and food preparation zones tend to be creamy.

So, you need to clean such walls thoroughly so that the paint will stick very well. Sandpaper is the ideal tool to remove any grease.

3. Use painter’s tape to protect the cabinets and countertops

A tape will prevent any paint from falling on the cabinets and the countertops.

This is usually the case if you are painting while the cabinets are in place.


4. Use a thin angled brush when painting the edges

An Angled brush is crucial to ensure that there is a perfect color blend.

Use it if you are going to apply a different pain on the edges. It makes your work regular and incredibly appealing as well.

5. Use an even coat

Use an even coat if the area between the countertops and the kitchen cabinets s large enough.

The paint should be parallel to the countertops of the cabinet’s tops.

Final Words

You love a good impression that invites you when you walk into the kitchen.

The environment in the kitchen should be a conducive one.

All this is made possible by keeping your kitchen neat and tidy.

Painting is a primary step and the walls behind your kitchen cabinet are no exception. It helps to keep any grease developments at bay.

Follow the above steps and enjoy a worthwhile experience in your kitchen.