Painting Antiquing Kitchen Cabinets

Protect surfaces near your cabinets with a drop cloth. Tape the walls around the cabinets with low-tack tape. Remove doorknobs and drawer pulls with a screwdriver. Carefully cover hinges with tape.

Select an appropriate primer for your kitchen cabinets. Latex primer is a good choice for wood cabinets, while shellac-based primer is more appropriate for metal cabinets. Apply the primer with an angled paintbrush. Roll out large areas with a foam roller. Smooth out lap marks and drips before they dry. Lightly sand the primed cabinets, if necessary.

Apply two coats of latex paint as a basecoat. Brush paint on in thin, even layers in the direction of the grain of the wood. Use a foam roller to apply paint to large areas, but brush out rolled areas with a paintbrush. Allow the cabinets to dry before applying antiquing glaze.

Mix water-based glazing medium with a small amount of raw or burnt umber acrylic paint or tint. Burnt umber has a warmer tone than raw umber. Test the glaze out on the cabinet by applying it and dabbing it with a rag or cheesecloth. Wipe off the test area with a damp rag. Adjust the concentration of color in the glaze, as needed. Thin the glaze with water to achieve the consistency of heavy cream.

Apply the glaze with a foam roller, using a 1 inch bristle paintbrush for areas not accessible with the roller. Soften and disperse the glazed surface with a handful of clean rags or cheesecloth. Replace the rags as they become saturated with glaze.

Wash all tools and brushes used with water-based paint with soap and water. Use alcohol to clean a brush used with shellac-based primer.

Carefully remove tape. Screw in doorknobs drawer pulls once glaze is dry.