Comments on: What Finish Do I Choose When I Want Distressed Kitchen Cabinets?

By: Dede Thurmond

Dede Thurmond — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 16:19:48 +0000

We had a room painted 8 yrs ago by a professional painter and now the paint on the trim is coming off. You can literally peel it of in large sections. Some places on the walls are the same. We want to re-paint it now but I am not sure how to proceed. Help!!! I have bad allergies so I would prefer not to use oil based products if at all possible.

By: THAT Painter Lady

THAT Painter Lady — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 08:29:45 +0000

Hi Crystal!
Easy breezy!! First of all, I wouldn’t fix any dings. They’ll add
character. Second – you know all the prep work stuff (sanding,
cleaning, etc) that you do first and then you’ll paint your color (red
or caramel). NOW is the fun part.

Depending on how you want the red or caramel to show through there are
two ways to do the next part. Take a candle…cheap inexpensive (like
an emergency candle) and rub it here and there on the desk. Spots where
you want the red to show through. Edges, places that would wear.

Next paint your black on.

Last, take some fine fine sand paper and rub it gently – after the black
paint has dried for 24 hours – over those areas where you rubbed on the
candle wax. The black paint will EASILY come off, so rub gently. Now
you finish it. Paint on at least one coat of MiniWax Polycrylic. You
can pick the final “finish”. Gloss, matte…whatever you like.

Okay…now for the other option. Go back up to after the prep work but
after the painting on of the red or caramel. The other way you can get
the red or caramel to show through the black is to use a crackle finish.
I like this one but not all over. So…after you paint the red (or
caramel) you’ll take a crackle medium and paint it on here and there in
spots/sections you want the red to show through. If you put it on THICK
the cracks will be larger than if you spread it on thin.

Once the crackle medium has set/dried you can paint on your black. As
you paint the black on you’ll see it shed off the crackle medium
exposing the red/caramel underneath.

Again, I’d finish the project with MiniWax polycrylic. It’ll protect
your amazing desk!!!

Send me a picture (or two or three – before and after) of your project
so I can see how it all turns out!

By: Crystal

Crystal — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 19:07:35 +0000

HELP! I found an old desk at a yard sale and I want to paint it as a walk in table beside my front door. It is dark stained with a few dings here and there. FIRST, should I try to fill in those dings???
Ok, so, I want to do it in a red or maybe carmel first and then a black on top… but I want the red or carmel to show through. I have never done anything like this before so I need big time tips. I HAVE painted a dresser for my sons room before but everytime I sat something heavy on it, the paint would come up with it so I dont want that to happen in this case…. What is the best way to make this look good and the paint to not come up? THANKS SO MUCH! Crystal

By: gail@homedecoratingideas

gail@homedecoratingideas — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 15:12:35 +0000

Debra, Thanks so much for sharing this.I love water based enamel. I will have to try this next time I do cabinets. I have not used the Zinsser primer I usually us another brand but I am for trying new products as they may be better than what I am using.

By: Heidi

Heidi — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 01:02:58 +0000

If you paint your cabinet with a base color of brown, or rustic cedar tint first like a primer. Then put a lighter color of tan or antique , off white. Let the coats dry all the way. Take some lite sand paper and rub edges to reveal the darker undercoat a little or a lot to your taste. That will create the dimension I think you are looking for. Then use a high gloss poly to seal your artwork. Good Luck. By the time I was half way through I learned some tricks to make it go quicker. I only wanted the edges to show a reveal (antique) look , so I only painted the areas I knew I’d be sanding brown instead of the whole cabinet. This was my own refacing job. I bought thin paneling, plain lattice trim. Cut them to sz of each cabinet. Attached them to the cheap vinly utility cabinet doors, painted , sanded and sealed. WOW. I am an artist but anyone can do this and save a ton. You can also by the thin birch paneling, cut it to sz and stain it. Buy the trim moulding you like and cut and attach. It will look like you have solid wood cabinets. I’ve also refaced old ugly dressers this way, put new stainless pulls and Bam you’d never know it was the same dresser.