Do It Yourself: How to Get Distressed Kitchen Cabinets

If your kitchen needs a dash of personality, distressing your cabinetry gives the room a distinct edge. Distressed kitchen cabinets give the room a vintage, lived-in look that is good for country homes. The advantage of self-distressed cabinets, though, is that under the veneer of light wear and tear, the wood itself is new and free of rot and other damage. To give your kitchen this classic, antique look, don't invest in older, weakened cabinetry -- just give your own a makeover.

Screwdriver
Drop cloth
Sandpaper
Latex primer
Latex paint
Paint brush
Keys
Chain
Polyurethane

Instructions

- 1
  Unscrew your cabinet doors and lay them flat on a drop cloth.
- 2
  Sand the finish lightly. Don't completely strip the surface -- just roughen it up so that your primer will adhere.
- 3
  Paint a layer of latex primer and wait for it to dry, then do the same with a coat of latex paint.
- 4
  Spatter a darker shade of latex paint onto the cabinetry by flicking it off your paintbrush.
- 5
  Scratch the cabinetry very lightly with some old keys. Do not cut too deep and gouge the wood -- scratch just hard enough to remove some paint.
- 6
  Strike the cabinetry with a chain to cause light damage and distress marks to the finish.
- 7
  Sand the cabinetry lightly near natural distress points, like around the hardware and molding.
- 8
  Give the cabinetry two coats of polyurethane, allowing it to dry between coats. This seals the cabinetry and makes it smooth.
- 9
  Reattach your cabinet doors.

How to Make Concrete Floors Look Like a Tile Floor

DIY Photo Wallpaper Border

Faux Finishing