How to Refinish Kitchen Cabinets With a Distressed Look

Use sandpaper and other tools to distress cabinets.

While some prefer their home décor to look new and pristine, others find a lived-in, antique look more comfortable and inviting. Replacing modern cabinets with genuine antiques or faux-distressed versions can be expensive; if you prefer a worn look, you can distress cabinets yourself with paint and some common hardware supplies.

Things You'll Need

• Liquid soap
• Sponge
• Painter's tape
• Newspaper
• Two contrasting colors of paint
• Paintbrush
• Sandpaper
• Keys
• Chains
• Hammer
• Drill
• Varnish

Instructions

1. Wash cabinets with a sponge, liquid soap and warm water to clean off grease and dirt. Allow the cabinets to dry thoroughly before proceeding.

2. Remove cabinet hinges and handles and the drawer pulls or cover them with painter's tape to protect them from paint. Clear the counters and cover floors and counters with newspaper to protect them from paint.

3. Apply a coat of light paint to your cabinets. You can skip this step if your cabinets are already painted in a color you like or if you'd like the bare wood to show through. Let the paint dry for 12 hours, then apply a second coat if you'd like and allow that to dry for 12 hours.

4. Cover the light paint with a contrasting paint and let it dry for 12 hours. Follow with a second coat if you'd like more coverage, and let that dry for 12 hours.

5. Sand your cabinets with sandpaper to wear down the darker paint so the light base coat shows through. Pay special attention to areas around handles and drawer pulls, which would naturally receive more wear and tear with continued use. Also sand down edges and round the corners.

6. Scratch cabinets in strategic areas with keys or other sharp objects.

7. Bang cabinets with chains and a hammer in strategic areas to make dents and dings.

8. Make a few small drill holes to simulate worm holes.

9. Coat the cabinets with varnish to seal your paint and markings.

10. Reattach handles, hinges and drawer pulls or replace them with antique or faux-antique hardware.

References

• Tuscan Home 101: Distressed Kitchen Cabinets
• The Kitchen Design Room: DIY Distressed Kitchen Cabinets