Kitchen Cabinets
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Stress Less With Distressed Cabinets
Stop worrying over every little nick and chip. Intentionally aged cabinets give the kitchen or laundry room a relaxed, timeworn look
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We are the mother and daughter behind the blog Design Chic (www.mydesignchic.com).... More »
If you're looking for a simple, effective way to add instant charm and appeal to the cabinets in your home, distressing is for you. Distressing a cabinet is the process of making it look aged, producing the appearance of wear that time usually causes.
There are several ways to create the distressed look. You could start with a few layers of paint, then add a spatter of glaze in areas where wear would naturally occur. Or try light sanding or hitting with a chain to reveal colors below; this creates the look of a piece that has been painted multiple times and years of use have worn away some layers. If you're looking for a simpler process, painting only one coat and lightly sanding in spots to reveal the wood below also works.
Whatever process you choose, sealing with polyurethane ensures that your wood looks perfectly distressed for years to come. Here are a few examples of how you can bring the relaxed, inviting feel of distressed cabinets into your house.
There are several ways to create the distressed look. You could start with a few layers of paint, then add a spatter of glaze in areas where wear would naturally occur. Or try light sanding or hitting with a chain to reveal colors below; this creates the look of a piece that has been painted multiple times and years of use have worn away some layers. If you're looking for a simpler process, painting only one coat and lightly sanding in spots to reveal the wood below also works.
Whatever process you choose, sealing with polyurethane ensures that your wood looks perfectly distressed for years to come. Here are a few examples of how you can bring the relaxed, inviting feel of distressed cabinets into your house.
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| Glossy, uniformly painted cabinets can appear fresh, clean and modern. If you're trying to create a more French country look, distressed cabinets are a great place to start. |
There's no reason not to experiment with color on your distressed cabinets. Tans, whites and creams are always a safe bet, but a light French gray is a new neutral. Grays can be cold on occasion, but distressing them so the wood peeks through warms them right up.
If you're a cook, you know that kitchen messes are bound to happen. Grease and oil splatters and flour sprays often end up on cabinets and counters. Distressed cabinets not only hide those little messes well but also are super easy to wipe down.
No matter what you choose for the rest of the home, it's so important for the kitchen to feel relaxed and inviting; it is the heart of the home, after all. Even in a more upscale design scheme, distressed cabinets lend a casual air that can't help but be welcoming.
The laundry room is perhaps one of the most overlooked spaces in the home. It's easy to put it on the back burner because, after all, it's not a room that often gets used for entertaining. Adding character with distressed cabinets might make all that folding feel like less of a chore.
While distressed cabinets have a look all their own to begin with, pulls help define the style. A sleek bar pull adds a modern element, a dark pull creates contrast and a similarly distressed knob blends in, allowing the detail in the cabinets to shine.
Perhaps you want your newly renovated kitchen to blend with your older home, or maybe that antiqued feel is your favorite. Either way, distressing your cabinets is a perfect way to achieve a worn-in look effectively and efficiently.
More:
Add Character to Your Home With the Look of Age
Defining a Look: European Eclectic Cabinets
The Unmatched Kitchen: Mixing Finishes With Style
More:
Add Character to Your Home With the Look of Age
Defining a Look: European Eclectic Cabinets
The Unmatched Kitchen: Mixing Finishes With Style
Ideabook updated on April 3, 2012.
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Glaze, in this scenario, refers to the clear medium used for tinting and distressing.
Also, IMHO Briwax is really toxic - you can use water borne clear coats if you are sensitive.