Distress Painting Technique for Kitchen Cabinets

Sanding

• To create simple distressed cabinets, use coarse-grit sandpaper and mulitple coats of paint. Begin by choosing two paint colors. Paint the cabinets with the lighter of the two colors. When the paint is dry, cover the cabinets with furniture polish. Wait two hours, and then apply the second coat of paint. After the second coat of paint dries, cut a sheet of coarse-grit sandpaper into workable-size squares, then rub each piece firmly against the cupboard, moving with the grain of the wood. As the darker topcoat is removed, the lighter base coat will be revealed, creating the illusion of antique wood patina.

Waxing

• An artificial historic look can also be created through the careful application of wax. Paint the cabinet a light color. Once the paint has dried, apply beeswax to the surface in blotchy splashes and thin strips. Wait two hours, then apply a second, darker coat of paint; brush the paint directly over the wax. Once the second coat has dried, use an abrasive material to rub the wax away. This creates a textured, antique effect by revealing uneven patches of the lighter paint below.

Glazing

• For an immediate distressed look, coat the cabinets with antiquing glaze. Use multiple coats of glaze in cracks, crevices and corners, and remove glaze from raised portions of the woodwork with a damp sponge; this helps to simulate the worn look of a cabinet that has been in place for years. When the glaze is dry, apply a substantial coat of furniture wax to the cabinets to give them a hand-polished, well-worn appearance.

New Wood

• To give new, unpainted cabinets an old-fashioned look, paint the wood, then wipe the raised portions of the cabinet with a damp cloth before the paint has a chance to dry. Alternatively, allow the paint to dry, and then rub it down with steel wool. Either of these techniques will lighten portions of the cabinet, replicating the natural fading caused by long-term exposure to heat, sun and weather.