Painting Cabinets With Glazes

Begin with a clean surface. Kitchen cabinets tend to build up a layer of grease and grime over the years, so clean them well with a degreaser. Trisodium phosphate (TSP) will remove the gunk. Mix 1/4 cup TSP with one gallon of warm water in a clean bucket. Wear rubber gloves while you scrub the mixture onto all cabinet surfaces. Let the mixture sit on the cabinets for 1 to 2 minutes, then use a clean, wet rag to remove the TSP and grime.

Remove hardware, doors, and drawers with a screwdriver or drill. Set the hardware aside in a container for later re-installation.

Paint the cabinets, doors, and drawer fronts with an oil-based primer. Allow the primer to dry for 24 hours.

Mix the glaze and your chosen paint color together with a paint mixing stick in a clean container. If you would like a more translucent color, add more glaze than paint. If you desire a brighter, more opaque color, add more paint than glaze. It may take a little experimenting to get the look you want. Keep track of your paint-to-glaze ratio and experiment on a piece of scrap wood until you get the desired effect. Then mix up a large batch of paint and glaze with your chosen ratio.

Alternate between the paintbrush and rag by painting a section and then using the rag to rub off the glaze in small circles. Make sure not to let the glaze dry in between painting and rubbing. Allow the paint to dry for 24 hours.

Apply two thin coats of clear polyurethane with a paintbrush to all painted surfaces, allowing the polyurethane to dry (to the touch) between coats. Let the polyurethane sit for 24 hours.

Re-install the doors, drawers and hardware.