Antiqued cabinets are a good fit for country-style kitchens.
Upgrade the look of white kitchen cabinets by using a glazing technique to give them an antique or textured appearance. Glazed white cabinets will look particularly good in a country, cottage or French country-style kitchen. The paint color you choose to mix with the glaze will give you varied results. Decorators typically use hues of brown, black or grey to glaze light-colored cabinets. Its important to practice your technique, glaze-to-paint ratio, and color choice on a sample board before trying to glaze the cabinets.
1
Remove all cabinet doors, using a screwdriver. Take off hardware, including knobs and hinges. Place all hardware in a container with lid for safekeeping. Wash cabinet doors and frames with warm, soapy water, unless you recently painted them white. Allow to dry thoroughly.
2
Cover all areas you wish to shield from glaze with painters tape. Protect countertops and the work area with drop cloths.
3
Combine the glazing medium and paint in a mixing container. Use the following ratios according to how much antiquing or texture you want to add. For a light texture, mix one part paint to three parts glaze. Use one part paint to one part glaze for medium. Mix three parts paint to one part glaze for dark. Stir with a mixing stick until well blended.
4
Apply the glaze with a 2-inch paintbrush, or dip a rag into the mixture and wipe glaze on the cabinet door using a circular motion. Work in a small area, covering about one-fourth to one-half of the door at a time. Concentrate on cracks, crevices and recessed areas where aging cabinets naturally darken. Use a small artists brush to apply glaze in narrow creases.
5
Use a clean rag to wipe away the glaze. Check the area to see if enough color remains. Move on to the next section if you are satisfied. Apply a second layer if you need more color. Layer the color for the best result. Repeat the process for all exposed cabinet frame surfaces.
6
Allow the glaze to dry thoroughly according to the manufacturer's instructions. Apply the urethane sealer with a paintbrush. Reattach the hardware and rehang the cabinet doors after the sealer dries completely..
Things You Will Need
- Screwdriver
- Drop cloths
- Painters tape
- Glaze
- Paint
- Mixing container
- Mixing stick
- 2-inch paintbrushes
- Small artists brush
- Soft dry rags
- Urethane sealer
- 220-grit sandpaper
- Tack cloth
Tip
- Before glazing, use 220-grit sandpaper to lightly sand areas where the cabinets would naturally wear. Clean dust with tack cloth. This will help the color stick to those areas.
- Replace modern-looking, shiny hardware such as chrome, brass and nickel, with antique brushed brass or antique brushed copper hardware to give antiqued cabinets a more natural look.
About the Author
Michelle Radcliff owned a retail home furnishings business for eight years. She offers home decorating advice and ideas on her blog and has published articles on interior design, decorating, bedding, antiques, furniture and home improvement. She completed the interior decorating program at Penn Foster College, where she earned certification as an interior decorator in 2013.
Photo Credits
- Hemera Technologies/Photos.com/Getty Images
Have Feedback?
Thank you for providing feedback to our Editorial staff on this article. Please fill in the following information so we can alert the Home Guides editorial team about a factual or typographical error in this story. All Fields are required.
×
Travelling is my life
ConversionConversion EmoticonEmoticon