Quick update – we’ve been sharing a ton of ideas about Distressed Cabinet Doors:

Charlene shared a picture of her butlers pantry cabinets. The idea of distressing kitchen cabinets can be a very subtle process as she shows here:

Here is a picture of a portion of my butlers pantry that I did somewhat the same thing but just not quite as
Distressed. Hope you don’t mind me sharing.

THAT Painter Lady loves it when you share! And… the cabinet distressing is gorgeous.

Martha asked a question (several questions) about “refinishing her bedroom furniture. She wants to know how to create a style like Pottery Barn hand rubbed paint finish.

Debra:

I have a four poster bed (w/matching vanity and night stands) they are either maple or maybe mahogany. Anyway…I want to do something totally different with them.

For the four poster bed, I think I’m going to paint it white and then use this stuff (I’ve used it before on a hutch that was already painted white and it turned out awesome) Its Winston Oil Artist paint burnt umber I think is the color). Its real thick, almost like a wax or stain. You put just a really small amount on a staining pad and then spray the pad w/a little mineral spirits and rub on furniture. A decorator told a friend of mine about this and my friend has done cabinets and even her fireplace mantel (all started white). I even did it on my walls where I did the brick breakout that I got from your video.

My problem/question is….since the bed is stained….what is the best way to strip it. I bought some liquid stripper and tried that a little last night…..still takes a lot of “elbow grease” and then I’m left with a sticky residue I’m going to have to sand off anyway. My problem is I always hate the “prep” work.

Do I have to completely strip it? Or can I just use an oil base primer before painting it.

Now, with the night stands, I don’t know what I want to do. I was thinking about doing something different than what I’m doing with the bed but have no idea what. So any suggestions you can make will be greatly appreciated. I really like Pottery Barn’s “rubbed paint” they have on some of their furniture …..they have different colors….red, sage, blue etc BUT I HAVE NO IDEA HOW TO DO THAT? HELP?

Do you have any paint techniques or anything you can suggest? Thank you so much for your input, looking forward to hearing back from you.

Thanks

Martha

Great Question Martha!

The idea that you got from the decorator to use the oil paint and mineral spirits is great! I use Dark Brown Briwax Original Formula for a similar result. I love this stuff!

It’s soft and easy to apply and rub in. It leaves a beautiful soft hand rubbed looking finish.

I also have used it on some furniture that I wanted to “darken” to match with other furniture in the room. I have a lot of rustic pine furniture that I want to look more like walnut… so I slap on this rubbed finish.

I like it because it wears off eventually in “high use” places. This leaves an antique “used” look to my furniture – which is exactly the look I want. :0)

The question about the prep work… we all hate that prep stage don’t we?

I admit that I usually save stripping as a last resort. The idea of just priming is a better option. There is a product called Bulls Eye SealCoat Sanding Sealer.

This works great and saves us all a ton of aggravation.

Universal sanding sealer seals all types of wood surfaces including hardwoods such as mahogany, walnut, birch, poplar, cherry, etc.

Also recommended for interior woodwork, including paneling, molding, trim, windows, doors, cabinets, furniture, and wood toys.

Now that we have all that sorted out… what about that rubbed paint finish you want to try?

This is a Pottery Barn Armoire with a blue hand rubbed (look) paint finish. This is the type of distressed paint finish that Martha can’t figure out how to replicate.

The process I’m going to describe can be used on stained wood or painted wood.

If you want a second paint color to show through the “rubbed” areas then the wood must be painted that color.

For instance: If you wanted a bit of red paint peeking out here and there than you have to get the red paint color on first.

The trick is – You Don’t have to paint the entire piece red first. Really!

It’s a step that isn’t necessary… and I’ll tell you how to do it all.

• Step 1 – Prepare the furniture for paint! If it has a sealer on it already – use the sanding primer as shown above.

• Step 2 – Paint the “show through colors” on to the furniture. If you just want a “stain” color showing through (the blue cabinet would be an example) skip this step.

• All the “edges” and areas that would get normal wear and tear on an antique need the “show through” color painted on. Don’t glob the paint on… you do not want globs of paint to sand down. A nice thin coat of contrasting color is enough.
• Paint this color on with a slap/dash feel.
• Let this paint dry.
• If the paint feels raised to the touch – sand lightly.

• Step 3 – Apply Candle Wax and/or Vaseline to the painted edges.
  
  • This is what will make it easy to sand down the distressed areas!
  • I actually use both. Some candle wax (use a white candle) and some areas get Vaseline rubbed on.
  • I like the candle wax for “edges” and Vaseline if I want to have a “wider” area showing through – like around the handles or at the toe kick area (base of the cabinet where it sits on the floor).
  • I have also used a “crackle” product on areas that I want to have a bit of “chippy paint” look.
  • The candle wax should be rubbed on “thick” or “heavy”. You should see the candle leaving a wax residue or shavings on your project (wipe these off before moving on to the next step).

• Step 4 – Apply the paint color. Remember to choose a color that is a “bit” brighter than you want your resulting color to be. The staining wax that will be applied over the top will cut the brightness.
  • The paint has to be dabbed a bit over the Vaseline or you take a chance of “painting” it off. You will see a slight raised area where the candle wax or Vaseline is located.
  • The paint color should have more than one coat to ensure a long lasting paint finish. Allow paint to dry at least 2 hours between coats.
  • Allow the entire painted cabinet to dry overnight.

• Step 5 – Getting the rubbed painted look. Now it’s time for the magic!

• • Using an old dish cloth or other rough cloth start rubbing the edges of the cabinet and the areas you put the candle wax or Vaseline.
  • I use a cloth and “extra” elbow grease instead of sandpaper for most of the project. Once all the edges have been exposed (painted or stained) you can finish off with a light sanding to blend the exposed edges.
  • If you used “crackle products” don’t sand these areas… You should see the paint cracked here.

• Step 6 – Apply the Stain or BriWax to age your cabinets.
  • The Bri-Wax is easier to work with – but stain gives a nice finished top coat.
  • The product is wiped on and wiped off until you get the distressed look you want.
  • The dark color will collect on the exposed areas that the candle wax left behind.
  • If you applied some “crackling product” to various areas… the stain/BriWax will collect and accent the cracks on the furniture.
• Step 7 – Seal The Deal!
  • I don’t always seal the surface of distressed furniture. I like the way it continues to distress…
  • If you want to seal the surface a light coat of spray satin sealer will be the best choice.

Close up of sanding off corners and edges.

Good Luck Martha! And Have Fun…. Debra ~ THAT Painter Lady

Distressing is one of several faux painting techniques used to achieve distressed cabinet doors.

The distressed effect on wooden items endows them with an antique or ˜shabby chic look that is essential in a variety of decor schemes, from antique elegance to the informal rustic style.

Distressing is an effective way to age doors on bedroom, kitchen and other cabinets to produced a textured and less bland appearance.

There are several ways to achieve a distressed look on cabinet doors.

Perhaps the simplest is to give a new-looking cabinet door a controlled bashing and scraping with hammer and chisel, but paint techniques are the favored way of simulating age.

The basic technique involves creating the illusion of wear and age-related texture using two layers of paint.

• For a more variegated effect, more than two colors can be used.
• Scraping and scarring the topcoat so the layer beneath shows through gives the impression of age.
• It is possible to achieve a similar effect by painting streaks with a fine brush, but this may require more artistic expertise.
• Applying a top coat and then, before it has dried, using the dragging or combing technique to remove areas of paint can also create a distressed look on wooden doors.
• Usually, the base coat, which will be showing through, will be a lighter.
• The darker topcoat gives the impression of patina, the deep glow that develops over decades or centuries on old wood.
• You can use shades of the same color (typically shades of brown) but different effects can be achieved with different combination’s, such as gray undercoat and brown topcoat.

Distressing With Wax

• One of the most popular methods entails using wax to ensure that the base paint layer is exposed.
• Beeswax is especially suitable though candle and other waxes can be used.
• The wax is applied in streaks and/or patches and allowed to dry before the second coat is applied.
• When dry the door is then sanded down.
• Paint applied on top of the wax comes off easily, exposing the undercoat.
• Depending on how vigorously you sand, a textured effect with clean ˜wood showing through the patina surface will result.

Bri-Wax Tudor Brown

My Favorite All Time Wax For Distressing And Aging Cabinets.  It’s not like stain… it doesn’t leave a shine or look “stained”.  This tinted wax just makes everything look old.

It collects in cracks and if you have sanded the edges of the cabinet doors it leaves this area very dark. It stays work”able” for a long time… but when buffed leaves no residue.

Crackle Glaze

Distressing With Crackle Glaze is a special kind of paint that is meant to crack and peel as it dries, giving the effect of varnish peeling with age.

The crackle glaze is painted on top of the base coat and the topcoat is painted on top of the crackle glaze.

You need to use latex paint for this technique, since oil paints will not crackle properly.

Pickling  Gel Stain

This is a paint technique that involves applying paint to an unpainted wooden cabinet door and then fairly randomly wiping it off before it dries.

This technique is an easy way to give the impression of years of use and wear and is good if you want to leave some wood grain exposed to view.

Distressing is a relatively uncomplicated way of adding texture and color to a uniform, flat surface, enhancing its visual interest.

Click Here to read another THAT Painter Lady Article on the steps involved in Creating A Distressed Look

I have a veneer grandfather clock that I want to paint to match my dining rm furniture. The DR furn is black and cherry wood. The chairs are in black and have a worn look and you see a red color where it is worn. How can I do that to my clock? ~Wendy

Hi Wendy,

Sounds like a fun project, and definitely do-able. Here are the steps you will need to follow:

1. Sand – Lightly sand the areas on the clock that you will be painting. Use a fine grit sanding sponge. This scuffs up the surface, so the paint has something to adhere to.

2. Tape – Tape off the areas that you do not want to get paint on, such as the clock face, glass, etc. Use a low-tack painter’s tape.

3. Prime – Prime the surface of the clock with a good primer / sealer. Be sure to look at the can to find out the proper dry time, usually it dries between 1 & 3 hours.

4. Base coat – Base coat your clock the red color that is showing through on your furniture. Two coats should be sufficient. I would use a small 6″ roller called a weiny roller. This will give the surface a nice smooth finish and the roller is small enough to get into the areas that are hard to reach. You can also use an artist’s brush to get in the tiny cracks and crevices, if there are any.

5. Wax – Grab a plain white unscented candle and rub the edges pf the clock with it, where you want the red to show through.

6. Top coat – Paint the clock black. It is your decision on what sheen you would like the paint to be – satin, semi-gloss, or high gloss. Be sure to use at least 2 coats and roll it on with the weiny roller. It is important to get this top coat as smooth as possible. If you use a brush, you will most likely see the brush stroke and we want to try and avoid that.

7. Rub – Once the top coat is dry, rub the edges with a fine steel wool or extra fine sanding pad. The black paint should come off pretty easily because of the wax underneath.

8. Seal – I would suggest sealing the clock with a water based varnish. You should wait about 3 – 4 days before doing this, so the paint has time to fully cure.

So, that’s it. Follow these simple steps and you should have a wonderful brand new clock. Don’t forget to take before and after pictures!
Hope all goes well, That Painter Lady, DAWN
photo credit: Svadilfari