DIY Distress a Cabinet

Look over the cabinet for any rough or uneven areas. Run your hands over the cabinet to check for peeling or splintering. Sand the cabinet with medium-grit sandpaper to remove any problem areas.

Remove any hardware from the cabinet and set it aside. Lightly sand the entire cabinet with fine-grit sandpaper to give the cabinet a bit of texture. Rub a tack cloth over the whole piece to pick up any sawdust on the surface.

Paint the entire cabinet with latex paint. This is the base color. This color shows the least, so think of it as an accent color.

Let the first layer of paint completely dry. Paint the cabinet again using the top-coat color, which should be lighter than the base color. Wait 24 hours for the paint to dry thoroughly.

Select areas on the cabinet that would naturally receive the most wear over time, such as the edges and door front. Carefully sand these areas with medium-grit sandpaper. The goal is to reveal the base color in these areas and weather the surface a bit, but not to expose the wood beneath or to damage the cabinet.

Give the cabinet a well-loved appearance using a rubber hammer. Hit the cabinet in random areas with the hammer to mark the paint and dent the wood a bit. Once you are satisfied with the appearance, seal the cabinet with two coats of clear polyurethane and reinstall any hardware.