Tips for painting kitchen cabinets Friday, March 11, 2011; 3:58 PM Painting kitchen cabinets is much easier if you remove the hardware. This takes time up front, but you'll get fantastic results at the end of the day. Be sure to put the hardware for each cabinet in a separate, marked plastic sandwich bag so that you can reassemble the cabinets and everything works perfectly. Be sure to read all written installation instructions before you start any task. Read them days before you start work so you can have all the tools and materials handy. Don't hesitate to practice something if you've never done it before. For example, if you have not put down vinyl tile flooring before, try to install eight pieces on a scrap piece of approved underlayment. Learn how to cut the material before you're in a bind.