How to Apply Chocolate Glaze to Cabinets

For a quick boost in luster for your kitchen or office, apply a chocolate glaze to the cabinets. A chocolate-colored glaze will take down any brash color edge, and impart warmth. The lovely depth of the glaze, warm and rich, will make the room inviting and temper a overly bright room. The best tint to use for this glaze is burnt umber. Burnt umber has both the dark value of the color of chocolate, but also its warmer timber. For this reason its a better choice than the greener raw umber. It is also a commonly found tint, and therefore available at most paint or hardware locales.

3-inch paint brush
Burnt umber
Drop cloths
Painter's tape
Glazing base liquid (water based)
Container for mixing
Mixing stick
Rag

Instructions

- 1
  Protect counters and floors with drop cloths secured with painter's tape. You can even tape the drop cloths, if they are the lightweight plastic type, directly to walls or baseboards.
- 2
  Pour some water-based glazing base liquid into a mixing container.
- 3
  Squeeze burnt umber tint into the container. Mix well with a stirring stick.
- 4
  Swab a tiny bit of mixed glaze onto a part of the cabinet with a paint brush. Determine if it is too opaque, too transparent or just right. Wipe it off immediately with a rag. Add glazing liquid to lighten the mixture, burnt umber tint to darken it.
- 5
  Paint on glaze with a three-inch paintbrush. Work quickly, doing one door (or section) at a time. Use hatching strokes. The strokes will make a lovely diagonal pattern. For different effects, feel free to use vertical, swirling, or other directional strokes, depending on whether you want consistency or a more weathered look.

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