Shabby Chic Paint Ideas for Kitchen Cabinets

Basic

• Create a basic distressed look on your kitchen cabinets by painting them with a white base color. Then paint the cabinets the color you prefer. Most shabby chic decor consists of light colors, such as light yellow or light green. After the paint dries, rub fine to medium grit sand paper over the paint around the edges and cabinet handles. This makes the cabinets look as though they have been used for several years. This style also is known as the distressed look.

Layered Look

• Use sand paper to distress your kitchen cabinets and give them a shabby chic appearance. Apply several layers of different colors of pastel paints to the cabinets. Allow 12 hours for each layer of paint to dry for best results. Use a white paint for the final layer on the cabinets. After the paint has time to dry, take a piece of medium-grit sandpaper and rub it in different areas on the cabinets. This will create a distressed layered look that resembles many years of use.

Paint

• Gray paint also can create a distressed look without having to use sand paper. Paint your kitchen cabinets a light color, such as tan or light yellow. After the paint dries, take a soft bristle paintbrush and apply strokes of gray paint to the cabinets. Do not use large globs of paint; use a small amount of paint on the end of the paintbrush to create light strokes. The light strokes of gray paint will give the cabinets a worn out and distressed look. Make the gray paint an even lighter color by mixing it with white paint.

Store Bought

• If you are not the artistic type or do not have the time, purchase store-bought distressed cabinets from your local home improvement store. Home improvement stores offer a selection of distressed kitchen cabinets. The cabinets come in a variety of colors and distressed looks. You can purchase cabinets with small or high amounts of distress.