How to Paint Bathroom Cabinets in Shabby Chic

Place a drop cloth on the floor of the working area. Open the cabinet doors and remove the screws holding them in place. Unscrew any screws securing cabinet handles. Place the hardware and screws inside a plastic zipper bag. Label the bag with a number 1. Write the number 1 on a piece of painter’s tape. Stick the number inside the cabinet box. Label another piece of painter’s tape with the number 1 and stick it on the back of the cabinet door. This will help you match up the correct hardware, door and cabinet box when putting back up the finished doors. Repeat for all of the cabinets.

Remove the old stain or painted finish from cabinet doors and boxes with 80-grit sandpaper. Sand down the surface, working in long strokes with the grain of the wood. Wipe down the surface of the sanded furniture to remove as much saw dust as possible. Use a vacuum to clean up the remaining sanding debris. Switch out the dirty drop cloth for a clean one.

Stir the latex primer and pour the primer into a clean paint tray. Paint the cabinet doors with primer in long, even strokes. Paint with the grain of the wood. Use a 2-inch paintbrush to paint all of the large, flat areas of the door. Switch to a 1/2-inch brush to paint the more intricate areas and any detail work. Allow the primer to dry completely. Repeat this process with the cabinet boxes.

Pour latex paint into a clean paint tray. Use a clean paintbrush to apply paint to the cabinets. Paint in long, even coats to apply a thin layer of paint. Paint with the grain of the wood. Allow the paint to dry. Apply two to three more coats until the paint coverage reaches the desired thickness. Allow the paint to dry completely between coats. Gently peel off the numbered painter’s tape label from the back of the doors. Lay doors on the drying surface in sequential order, taping the label to the floor or table in front of the corresponding door. Paint the doors followed by the cabinet boxes.

Distress the painted cabinet by sanding areas where the furniture would naturally experience wear. Lightly sand the door along its edges and around the handles. Sand the boxes along areas where the door naturally hits. Blemishes showing through the paint add to the shabby chic charm of the cabinets. Use 220-grit sandpaper to gently distress the finish without completely removing it. Clean up any debris left behind after sanding.

Locate the door, bag of hardware and screws and the cabinet box with matching numbers. Hold the handle in place and reattach the screws. Hold the door to the cabinet box and reattach. Repeat with the remaining doors.