How to Distress Kitchen Cabinets With a White Base Coat

Cover the areas below your cabinets with sheets of old newspaper, which keeps sawdust or paint from falling onto your counters or landing in your food. Tape the edges of the paper with masking tape to keep the newspapers from sliding off the counters.

Rub the doors, edges and sides of the cabinets with fine-grit sandpaper. Move the sandpaper along the natural grain of the wood. Rub down all areas of the wood, leaving behind a smooth surface, which lets the base coat adhere to the wood.

Paint the cabinets with your base coat of white. Use a paint roller on larger or smoother surfaces of the cabinets. Go over designed or decorated areas with a paintbrush dipped in the white paint, including any decorative trim on the cabinet doors.

Apply a second coat of paint on top of the first, picking a different shade. Paint two coats of the new paint shade on the cabinets. Once the paint dries, hit the cabinets with the screwdriver, hammer and chain, leaving behind signs of wear and distressing.

Cover the cabinets with a layer of crackle paint. As the paint dries, it breaks into different pieces, which lets the white base coat and other layers of paint appear through. The crackle paint resembles the natural wear and tear found on antique cabinets.