How to Antique Painted Cabinets

Here are the basic steps to antiquing painted kitchen cabinets. To read the tutorial – view the slideshow below:

Here are the basic steps to painting and antiquing your kitchen cabinets:
Before you begin, you may want to remove all cabinet doors and hardware to make your work much easier and cleaner.
1. Sand Cabinets and Doors Lightly – Assuming your cabinets are made of real wood and not MDF, you will want to lightly sand your cabinets with 220-320 grit sandpaper. The idea is not to remove the existing finish, but to scuff up the surface enough that paint or primer will adhere well. Once you have sanded all the surfaces, clean and remove all remaining dust with a wet washcloth – or Windex works too.

2. Apply Primer – If you want to make doubly sure that the paint will adhere well to the surface, I would apply 1 coat of primer to the surface before you begin painting. I would use a spray primer like Cover Stain or BIN shellac primer.

3. Paint 1-2 Coats of Paint – Whether you decide to paint your cabinets with a paint brush or a paint sprayer, apply 1-2 coats of paint and allow them to dry.

4. Apply Antiquing Glaze – For detailed instructions on how to apply glaze, visit the  How to Do an Antique Glaze on Painted Furniture  tutorial on glazing. To achieve the look of the image posted here.  These cabinets were painted with Sherwin Williams ‘Advance’ Paint.  Then, with a dry cloth wipe the following mixture into the cracks: 1/2 Old Masters Gel Stain (dark color), 1/2 mineral spirits, then wipe quickly away (within a couple of minutes)  and leave the residue of the stain in the cracks and crevices of the cabinet door.
5. Clear Coat – After you have finished the glazing process, allow the glaze to dry, fully. Then, apply 1-2 coats of clear coat. You can use Polyurethane or Polycrylic. You can also use furniture wax instead.