How to Make New Kitchen Cabinets Look Old

Antiqued Style Kitchen

There are many cabinet manufacturers out there that will build and install your cabinets unfinished - meaning that there is no finish on them at all. Putting the finish on them is all up to you. This is especially nice for those that have a very specific style or color that they are trying to achieve. One of the most popular styles is the antiqued look; or in other words, the look of your grandma's kitchen, but with a hint of modern sophistication. If you can envision it, you can bring it to life.

Things You'll Need

• Hand sander
• 220 grit Sandpaper
• Latex interior paint
• Finishing glaze
• Oil-based polyurethane
• Paint sprayer
• 2 and 3 inch Foam brushes
• Tack cloths
• Old T-Shirts
• Painter's plastic
• Painter's tape

Instructions

1. Prepare an area where you can spray paint without damaging anything else. An unfinished basement with large windows for ventilation is a good option or a garage works well if the weather is nice.
   Hang up a large piece of painter's plastic in the area where you will be spraying the door and drawers. It is best to have this area up against a large wall so that it can be used as a support for the doors as you spray them.
   Set up a work table and drape it in plastic. Push the work table up against the wall that you have hung plastic on.
   If the basement is unfinished and you are spraying near cement walls, you may not need to cover them with plastic. The choice is up to you.

2. Remove the doors and drawers from the cabinets. If you ask ahead of time, the manufacturer will leave the doors and drawers off.
   Set the doors up on the work table that is draped with plastic. Lean them against the wall.
   Stand the drawers up so that the drawer front is looking upward.

3. Lightly sand the doors and drawers with a 220 grit sandpaper. You should not have to do a lot of work sanding since these are new cabinets.
   Wipe the sawdust off with a tack cloth. This part is important because you want them clean and free of all dust particles when you begin painting.

4. Add paint to the sprayer as directed by the manufacturer. Spray the drawers and doors. Allow paint to dry for four to five hours.

5. While the paint is drying on the doors and drawers, prepare to spray or paint by hand the installed cabinets that are in the kitchen. Tape around the edges so that you do not get paint on the walls, ceiling, and windows. Lay down painter's plastic on all the bare floors and counter tops. This is especially important to do if you are spraying.

6. Spray the paint onto the cabinets. Spray inside of cabinets if desired. If you do not want the inside of the cabinets painted it would be best to paint the cabinets by hand.
   If painting the cabinets by hand, use a 3" foam brush. Always paint in the direction of the grain of the wood.

7. Lightly buff the doors, drawers, and cabinets once the paint has dried. Wipe clean with a tack cloth.
   Spray another coat of paint onto the doors and drawers. Spray or manually paint the cabinets again.
   Allow the paint to completely dry.

8. Sand the edges of the cabinets, drawers, and doors once the paint has dried. Use a 220 grit sandpaper and nothing lower to avoid scratching the paint.
   Wipe the dust particles off the surface of the area with a tack cloth.

9. Wipe the glaze over the entire surface of a door, drawer, or cabinet area. Wipe the glaze in the same direction as the grain of the wood, which should still be obvious even through the paint. Allow the glaze to settle deep into the creases of the corners or moldings if there are any.
   Wipe the glaze off clean with an old t-shirt. If you do not want the cabinets as dark as the glaze has left the color to be, douse an old t-shirt in paint thinner and wipe over the surface until you get the color you desire. Leave the glaze in the creases.
   Allow the glaze to dry for 24 hours or until it is no longer tacky to the touch.

10. Apply a light coat of polyurethane with a 3" foam brush. It is important that you watch for drips and runs, since the dried polyurethane is difficult to remove once it has dried. Allow to dry for 12 to 24 hours depending on temperature and air flow. It will be totally dry to the touch - not tacky at all if it is dry.

11. Buff the cabinets and then wipe clean with a tack cloth.
    Apply a second coat of polyurethane. Allow 24 hours to dry.

12. Hang the doors onto cabinets.
    Replace the drawers.

Tips & Warnings

• Paint Sprayers can be bought for an inexpensive price or they can be rented at your local Home Depot or Ace Hardware. If your cabinets are not unfinished but are fairly new, follow the same procedure as mentioned above, except the first sanding will have to be more thorough since there is already a finish on them and the paint will need to adhere. Follow the rest of the steps as directed.

References

• Woodcraft Unfinished Cabinets
• Telisa's Furniture and Cabinet Refinishing