How to Accent Glaze a Cabinet

If you're trying to decide how to refinish a cabinet, and you're bored with the idea of just staining and varnishing, consider glazing. This is a cross between staining and painting, but instead of just dressing up the surface, you're telling a story. The idea it to use the translucent glaze in conjunction with the original surface to give the impression that the piece is antique, or has been through a fire, or that the paint is peeling. A ``distressed'' finish is one classic glaze accent, making it appear the piece has been bumped and battered over the years.

Screwdriver
Newspapers
Fine sandpaper
Glaze
Paintbrush
Hard, dry scrub brush
Spray polyurethane

Instructions

- 1
  Remove all hardware from the cabinet, including the hinges. Lay out the doors and other pieces on a newspaper.
- 2
  Hand-sand the whole surface with fine sandpaper, just enough to dull the existing finish so the glaze will adhere.
- 3
  Brush glaze over the cabinet, the doors and any other sections, applying it in a thin, even layer. Let the glaze set for three to five minutes, so it's just starting to dry.
- 4
  Scrape over the surface with a hard, dry scrub brush, pulling off part but not all of the half-dried glaze. The brush should leave lines and scuff marks in the glaze, with the underlying color of the cabinet showing through at various points. Run the brush in different directions to give the scuff marks a random look.
- 5
  Let the glaze set completely overnight.
- 6
  Spray polyurethane finish over the whole cabinet and its parts, in a thin, even layer. Let it dry for four hours. Spray a second layer. Let it dry overnight. Reassemble the cabinet.

How to Remove Chalk Board

How to Cut in a Ceiling With Paint

Indoor House Painting