How to Antique a Kitchen Cabinet With a Gray Color

Remove the cabinet doors from the hinges using a screwdriver.

Sand all surfaces that you intend to paint (such as the doors and body of the cabinet) to remove any old finishes. Sand the cabinet until there is no more shine left on it. Also sand the cabinet's edges and corners so that they are slightly rounded for an old and weather-worn look.

Paint the cabinet with primer and allow the primer to dry.

Paint the cabinet with a light gray paint and allow the paint to dry. Use a flat paintbrush for flat surfaces and an angled sash brush to apply the paint to the cabinet's corners and edges. While light gray paint will create the most obvious contrast to a dark gray stain, for a less-obvious antique effect, consider using a medium gray paint. The time the paint will take to dry will depend on the type of paint you used--oil-based paint dries more slowly than those with a water-base. Examine the paint can for an idea as to when the paint will be dry.

Paint the cabinet with a darker gray stain. After applying, wipe the stain away with a rag, allowing some stain to remain in the cabinet's edges and in the corners of any panels. The amount of stain you remove depends on how obvious you'd like the antiquing effect to be. The more stain that is wiped away from the flat surfaces and the more stain that is allowed to remain in the corners and edges, the more obvious the antiquing effect will be. Allow the stain to dry according to its directions.

Reattach the cabinet doors to the cabinets once the cabinet pieces are fully dry.