How to Paint Kitchen Cabinets Distressed White

Clean the cabinets with a degreasing cleaner, if you are working with existing cabinets. Allow the cabinets to dry completely before beginning the painting. If you are applying a distressed white finish to new cabinets, do not clean them with a cleaner.

Remove the cabinet doors and all hardware. Place the hardware for each door in a plastic bag. Use a pencil to number both the bag and the door to ensure they go back in the same place. Write the number on the inside of the door, in a location where it won't be seen once the cabinets are reassembled. Alternatively, you can leave the doors in place, masking off the hinges with blue painter's tape.

Sand previously painted cabinets with 100-grit sandpaper to roughen the surface. This will help the new paint adhere. If the cabinets have any sharp corners, sand these as well. This helps the cabinets look as though the corners have softened with age.

Distress the cabinet surfaces by hitting them with a heavy chain. Add a few dings to the surfaces by holding a large nail sideways on the surface and tapping the head of the nail with a hammer.

Paint the cabinets with a base coat of a dark contrasting color. This is the color that will show through parts of the white finish paint. If you want the color of your existing cabinets to show through, you do not need to paint them. Common base colors for distressed white finishes include dark brown, sage green, gray and black. Use a satin latex paint and apply it with a 4-inch chip brush. Allow the paint to dry for at least 12 hours.

Paint the finish coat on the cabinets. The cabinets are supposed to look old, so do not use a bright white paint. Instead, opt for a creamier white with a hint of color. Antique white is a popular choice for the finish coat. When choosing the finish color, compare it with the base coat color to make sure they complement each other. Your paint sample may look white in the store, but once you hold it up against your sage green cabinets, you may find that the white paint has a hint of pink. Use a satin latex paint for the finish coat. Apply it with a 4-inch chip brush and allow the paint to dry for at least 12 hours.

Sand portions of the cabinets with 80-grit sandpaper to remove the white paint and expose the base coat. Concentrate on the corners of the cabinet doors, raised trim work and areas around knobs. Work slowly to avoid taking off too much of the white paint.

Apply a latex antiquing glaze to the cabinets. Most distressed white paint finishes will use a brown antiquing glaze, but cabinets with a black or gray base coat use a black antiquing glaze. Dip a soft cotton rag in the glaze and wipe it over the cabinets. After applying the glaze, use a clean cotton rag to remove excess glaze. You need to work the glaze while it is wet, so only apply the glaze to one section of cabinet at a time. As you remove the glaze, take off just a little at a time, stepping back to check the effect. Concentrate on removing the glaze from flat areas, such as the center of the cabinets, and leaving the glaze on the dings, dents and crevices. Once you are satisfied with the effect, allow the glaze to dry. Follow the manufacturer's directions for drying times.

Paint a protective coat of satin polyurethane over the cabinets, using a 4-inch brush designed for use with polyurethane. Allow the polyurethane to dry completely, following the manufacturer's directions for drying times.

Replace the cabinets in their original positions, or, if you did not remove them, peel off any blue painter's tape.