Painting Antiquing Kitchen Cabinets

Paint cabinets and replace the hardware for a new look.

New cabinets add a significant amount of money to kitchen redecorating costs. Before you replace outdated or worn kitchen cabinets, consider giving them a faux finish instead. Not only will you save money, but painting your cabinets will allow you to choose from a nearly limitless selection of paint colors. Applying an antiquing glaze over your base color will add a touch of elegance and make your freshly painted cabinets look as though they have been there for years. For a complete kitchen cabinet makeover, replace drawer pulls and doorknobs.

Things You'll Need

• Drop cloth
• Screwdriver
• Low-tack painters tape
• Primer
• 2 inch angled paintbrush
• Foam roller
• Paint pan
• Latex paint in satin or eggshell finish
• Water-based glazing medium
• Acrylic paint or tint in raw umber and burnt umber
• 1 inch bristle brush
• Clean rags
• Cheesecloth

Instructions

1. Protect surfaces near your cabinets with a drop cloth. Tape the walls around the cabinets with low-tack tape. Remove doorknobs and drawer pulls with a screwdriver. Carefully cover hinges with tape.

2. Select an appropriate primer for your kitchen cabinets. Latex primer is a good choice for wood cabinets, while shellac-based primer is more appropriate for metal cabinets. Apply the primer with an angled paintbrush. Roll out large areas with a foam roller. Smooth out lap marks and drips before they dry. Lightly sand the primed cabinets, if necessary.

3. Apply two coats of latex paint as a basecoat. Brush paint on in thin, even layers in the direction of the grain of the wood. Use a foam roller to apply paint to large areas, but brush out rolled areas with a paintbrush. Allow the cabinets to dry before applying antiquing glaze.

4. Mix water-based glazing medium with a small amount of raw or burnt umber acrylic paint or tint. Burnt umber has a warmer tone than raw umber. Test the glaze out on the cabinet by applying it and dabbing it with a rag or cheesecloth. Wipe off the test area with a damp rag. Adjust the concentration of color in the glaze, as needed. Thin the glaze with water to achieve the consistency of heavy cream.

5. Apply the glaze with a foam roller, using a 1 inch bristle paintbrush for areas not accessible with the roller. Soften and disperse the glazed surface with a handful of clean rags or cheesecloth. Replace the rags as they become saturated with glaze.

6. Wash all tools and brushes used with water-based paint with soap and water. Use alcohol to clean a brush used with shellac-based primer.

7. Carefully remove tape. Screw in doorknobs drawer pulls once glaze is dry.

Tips & Warnings

• Shake out cheesecloth before using to remove lint.

References

• "Recipes for Surfaces: Decorative Paint Finishes Made Simple"; Mindy Drucker and Pierre Finklestein; 1993
• Faux Painting Techniques: Faux Painting Furniture
• MarthaStewart.com: Decorative Painting on a Chair with Mark
• Golden Glow Paints: Surface Preparation Guide