How to Paint French Country Kitchen Cabinets
French country kitchens are warm, colorful and very stylish. Elements such as faux-finished walls, cozy wood floors and freshly painted, distressed kitchen cabinetry all combine to create this very beautiful kitchen home decor. A great place to start your remodeling is to refinish your kitchen cabinets with a weathered, "old-world" paint finish. With a few simple items and easy techniques, a French country kitchen is well within reach and is a good project to begin your kitchen renovation. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Phillips-head and flat-head screwdrivers
- Masking tape
- Marker
- Gloves
- Eye protection (optional)
- Trisodium phosphate household cleaner (TSP)
- Sponge
- Sandpaper, 120-grit
- Tack cloth
- Paintbrushes
- Primer, water-based
- Semigloss paint, antique white, water-based
- Steel wool
- Translucent glaze in desired color
- Foam brushes
- Cloths
- Clear latex sealer
Instructions
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1
Remove the cabinet doors, hinges and hardware with the screwdrivers.
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Put all the hardware and hinges in plastic bags and label them. Take a small piece of masking tape and stick it to the back of each door with a notation of its location, so replacing doors will be easy when your project is complete.
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3
Wearing gloves, clean your doors and door frames with a sponge and trisodium phosphate dissolved in water per the manufacturer's instructions. The solution is helpful on stained cabinets. You may want to wear eye protection as well.
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4
Sand the doors and door frames of your cupboards with 120-grit sandpaper, going with the grain of the wood, and wipe areas clean with a tack cloth.
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5
Paint the doors and frames of the cabinets with a thin coat of water-based primer to seal the wood and prepare it for the water-based semigloss paint. Allow to dry.
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6
Rub the cabinet doors gently with steel wool and wipe away dust with a tack cloth.
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Paint doors and frames with water-based paint. Using an antique white hue, paint your areas with a thin coat of paint. Allow to dry. Apply another coat and let dry.
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8
Take a small drop of translucent color glaze on a foam brush and follow the lines of any crevices on your cabinet doors. Rub in and wipe off immediately with a soft cloth until you get an antiqued look.
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9
Paint doors and frames with one to two coats of clear latex sealer to protect your cabinets and allow to dry.
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10
Replace all hardware and hinges and reattach the doors to the frames.
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Tips & Warnings
Always paint in the direction of the wood grain for best results.
Paint surfaces in thin coats to eliminate paint runs.
Practice using your glaze before rubbing your cabinets with it.
Make sure the room is well-ventilated to reduce harmful fumes.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit flowers in kitchen image by araraadt from Fotolia.com
