How to Give Kitchen Cabinets an Antique Finish

Refinishing

• 1

  Paint the cabinets with an acrylic base coat. The color of this paint will show through the crackling effect, so for more contrast use a different color than the top coat.

• 2

  Add dimension to the paint. Use random brushes of a few complementary colored paints to give the finished cabinets more dimension and depth. These colors will peek through the cracks, but won’t overwhelm the colors chosen for the base and top coats.

• 3

  Prepare the crackle medium. Some mediums come ready-to-use, but others are in two parts, a base and the medium. Mix these together, per the manufacturer's directions, in a disposable bowl or bucket with a stir stick.

• 4

  Brush on the crackle after the base coat paint has dried. It should be applied in a single direction with a clean paintbrush.

• 5

  Apply the final coat of paint after the crackle medium has dried. Paint in strokes perpendicular to the direction the crackle medium was painted. As the paint dries, which takes about an hour, it will begin to crack and reveal some of the base coat.

• 6

  Finish the cabinets with a clear finish or sealer to insure the longevity of the antique finish.