How to Paint Kitchen Cabinets to Look Antique

Place a drop cloth down in the area you intend to paint the cabinets as well as around the cabinet frames inside the kitchen. Tape off the area where the cabinet frames meet the wall to prevent paint from touching the wall.

Use a screwdriver to remove cabinet doors from the frames. Remove hardware such as hinges and knobs from the cabinet doors and drawers, and place in a plastic bag for safekeeping.

Wash the surface of the cabinet frames, drawers and doors with powdered trisodium phosphate (TSP) cleaner mixed with warm water. TSP is available in hardware stores near the paint or cleaning section. Rinse the surfaces with a washcloth and allow them to dry completely.

Fill any cracks, dents or imperfections with a thin application of wood filler, and allow the filler to dry for one to two hours.

Paint the cabinet frames, doors and drawers with a coat of the base paint color. Use a paint roller that has a cabinet-grade rolling pad to apply the base coat, or a nylon brush for areas where the roller cannot reach. Allow the paint to dry overnight.

Apply an even coat of the crackling glaze to the surface of the cabinet frames, doors and drawer fronts, using a brush or paint roller. Allow the crackle surface to dry according to the manufacturer’s instructions, which typically range from one to four hours. Do not wait longer than the drying time listed, because this will cure the glaze too long and require reapplication.

Use a paint roller and brush to apply the final coat of paint. Use a flat latex-based paint, and only apply a single coat, which will allow the glaze to crackle through. You will notice immediately the glaze start to crackle and the base coat color start to show through.

Allow the paint to dry completely before reattaching hardware and installing the doors and drawers.