Antiquing Existing Kitchen Cabinets Using Brown

Choose the paint you will use to undercoat your cabinets and the varnish or antiquing finish that will serve as the overcoat. For an overall brown look, consider paint shades of off-white, tan, sand and beige. Stains are available in a variety of wood hues from birch to mahogany. An online or in-store sample chart may tell you exactly what to buy to produce the effect you want. If you cannot find the look you have in mind, buy paint and stain in very small quantities and try them out on a piece of plywood. Remember that the amount of overcoat you choose to wipe off will affect the shade of brown you produce more than any other factor. You will need enough paint to paint the insides, outsides and framework surrounding the cabinets with a single coat, unless you plan to leave the inside faces of the doors alone. Plan enough paint for a second coat if cabinet doors are badly chipped or worn.

Remove the cabinet doors and lay them out on your work surface. Remove cabinet knobs and other hardware. Before you begin to paint, note the directions the wood grain goes on your doors. Plain cabinets usually show a single, vertical grain -- paneled cabinets may contain both vertically and horizontally grained sections. Sand one or both sides of the doors to roughen the existing surfaces. If cabinets were previously painted, roughen the surface thoroughly, remove any peeling paint and smooth out cracks or chips in the old paint. Wipe or vacuum all sanding residue. Apply a coat of paint and let it dry thoroughly, 24 hours or longer. Repeat if necessary.

Follow directions for antiquing finish. If using wood stain, brush a light coat of stain over the painted surface. Brush stain on the doors lengthwise, to imitate wood grain. Using rags, wipe off roughly half of the stain, less if you want a dark brown, more if you want a light brown. Step back about 10 feet and check the level of stain, paint and contrast and add or wipe off more stain as desired. Let dry 24 hours.

Use the same process to paint and stain the framework around your cabinets. Let dry at least 24 hours. Replace cabinet hardware, rehang your doors and admire your work.