How to Make Cabinets Look Primitive

Old wooden furniture and cabinets have a certain rustic charm. But even if your cabinets are new, you can give them the primitive, worn look of old cabinets. Through a technique called antiquing, you can apply a glaze to your cabinets, and make them appear as if they've been used for years. Antiquing your cabinets can add a homey feel to the room without having to wait years for natural wear.

Screwdriver
Bucket or bowl
Mild soap
Sponge
Paint
Faux-finish antique glaze
Rag

Instructions

- 1
  Remove all cabinet doors and handles. They are usually held in by Phillips screws. Set all hardware in a bucket or bowl, and take your doors to an area where they can be painted, such as outdoors or in a garage.
- 2
  Clean the cabinet doors with mild soap and a sponge. Make sure all debris is off of the cabinet doors, dry the doors completely with a soft towel before continuing.
- 3
  Mix paint and faux-finish antique glaze together. For a lighter glaze, mix one part paint to three parts glaze. For a darker look, mix equal parts paint and glaze.
- 4
  Cover a rag in your paint/glaze mixture, and apply it to a cabinet door. You can apply it with the grain, or rub it in circles. It doesn't matter, because the primitive look you want is inherently imperfect. Try both methods and see which you like best.
- 5
  Glaze all your cabinet doors, as well as the cabinets themselves, using the same motion that you decided on in the previous step (either with the grain or in circles).
- 6
  Allow the glaze to dry for 24 hours. Reattach the cabinet doors using the hardware you stored in a bucket or bowl.

Indie Home Decorating

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