Antiquing a Bathroom Cabinet

Remove all items from the bathroom cabinets and countertops. Place drop cloths on the bathroom floor and in a well-ventilated work area outside the bathroom. Open windows in the bathroom and turn on the overhead fan to provide ventilation.

Remove the doors and drawers from the bathroom cabinet frame and take off any hardware such as handles, knobs and hinges using a screwdriver. If you will be reusing the hardware pieces, place them in a plastic storage bag. Set the cabinet doors and drawers on the drop cloth in the well-ventilated work area.

Sand the surface of the doors, drawers and cabinet frame using 220-grit sandpaper. Sand until you've removed any protective coating and the surface of the cabinets is rough.

Wash the cabinets using a solution of warm water and TSP. You can find TSP in paint and hardware stores next to the paint. Mix the solution according to the manufacturer’s label instructions and allow the cabinets to dry before proceeding.

Tape off the area where the wall and cabinet frame meet using a 2-inch-wide border of painter’s tape. Tape around the backside of the drawers, where the drawer frame meets the drawer front, as well.

Apply a thin coat of a satin finish base color using a paint roller and a 3/8-inch nap. Use a 2-inch paintbrush to apply the paint to thin or hard-to-reach areas. Let the base coat dry overnight.

Use a paint roller with a ¼-inch nap to apply a thin and even coat of the crackle or weathering glaze. Apply the glaze vertically and horizontally and use just enough to cover every portion of the doors, drawers and frame evenly. Let the glaze dry two to four hours, depending on the manufacturer’s instructions. Don't let the glaze dry overnight, because this will prevent the glaze from crackling.

Apply a thin coat of the top-coat color. Use a flat or satin sheen paint for the top coat, since a gloss paint will be too thick for the glaze layer to work. Only apply one coat of the top-coat color and don't continually roll the paint roller over the same section, because this will cause the glaze layer underneath to become gummy and sticky. The crackling glaze will begin to work within minutes of the top-coat application, and the base coat will show through the cracks.

Let everything dry for 72 hours before applying a thin coat of clear protectant. Once the protectant dries, reattach any hardware and reinstall the cabinet doors and drawers.