Antiquing kitchen cabinets can be an easy task and can add warmth and character to your kitchen.
Antiqued cabinets go with many decorating styles from country to French to Italian.
Finishing your cabinets this way will give your room a more relaxed and comfortable feel.
There are 2 methods that we will discuss below.
You can do only one method or use them both together depending on the looks you want to achieve.
Staining
This method of antiquing kitchen cabinets works best on cabinets that are painted a light color or have a light stain.
You will need some dark stain, a brush or sponge and lots of paper towels.
Simply put a light layer of the stain on the cabinet and wipe off to the desired level of "antiqueness".
You'll want to make it look natural, so concentrate more stain on the areas that would get the most wear like around the
edges and handles.
Distressing
This method of antiquing kitchen cabinets works only on painted cabinets.
It is called distressing because it simulates the wear that an old piece of cabinetry would endure after hundreds of years of use.
Some people use chains and hammers when distressing furniture, but I think a little bit of sandpaper is enough for cabinets.
The object is to sand off the finish on the edges and worn areas. Therefore, you would take a medium grit paper and sand at the
door and drawer edges to reveal just a thin layer of the wood underneath. It looks best when the color underneath is a bit darker
or if the cabinets are dark then it looks best if the color revealed is lighter. Personally, I prefer to stick to the edges,
but you can sand a bit off in the middle if you want an overall worn look.
Some other methods of antiquing kitchen cabinets include crackle painting and faux painting.
Crackle painting is done with 2 types of paint - the bottom layer is painted on and the crackle medium is brushed on top
which causes the layer underneath to crackle. I have tried this method many times and have never been really satisfied with the
results. If you really like this look, I suggest you practice, practice, practice on something else before you attempt to crackle
your cabinets. Faux painting can be a very nice way of antiquing your cabinets. You can probably find a local artist that will do
this for a reasonable price - they can add depth to the cabinet as well as some nice artistry!
