Heavily Distressed Finish

Materials:

cabinet door with dark wood finish
ice pick
rock
60-grade (coarse) sandpaper
cloth or paper towels
paintbrush
glazing liquid
mineral spirits
white tint
raw sienna tint
raw umber tint
hardware

Preparing the door:

1. Take a cabinet door off its hinges, remove hinges and take off any knobs or other hardware, and place the door on a firm surface.
2. Use an ice pick and then a rock to produce pockmarks and dents in the door, being sure to include the corners and the sides.
3. Sand the surface with a 60-grade (coarse) sandpaper, especially the edges and corners. Wipe off the residue.

*Distressing and painting:

1. For the first glaze or whitewash, mix glazing liquid and mineral spirits, and add a white tint.
2. Brush mixture haphazardly on the door. Let the whitewash run into the corners, then rub the glaze off with a cloth, working with the grain of the wood.
3. For the second glaze, mix glazing liquid, mineral spirits, and raw sienna tint. Apply the glaze and let it dry.
4. For the third glaze, mix glazing liquid, mineral spirits, and raw umber tint. Apply the glaze, and let it dry.
5. Since both sides of the doors will be seen, finish both sides. Let dry.
6. Attach desired hardware and hang the door.

* For each glazing mixture, use approximately 6 parts glazing liquid and 1 part mineral spirits to produce a thin consistency.

Resources

• Products

  • Recipes for Surfaces: Decorative Paint Finishes Made Simple
    by Mindy Drucker; Finkelstein; Cenicola (ISBN: 0671682490)
    Order this title.