Faux Stucco Cabinet

Drywall compound adds texture and character to plain furniture. Figure A Figure B Figure C Figure D

unfinished cabinet or chest
drywall compound
putty knives (several of different widths)
oil-based polyurethane
brown acrylic paint
paintbrush
painter's tape
screws
small figurine
drill

Steps:

1. Use painter's tape to mask any areas that won't be treated. Remove all hardware .
2. Apply a thin coat of drywall compound to all surfaces using a putty knife as shown (figure A). Don't try to be neat with this coat; the object is to give the cabinet an aged look.
3. After the initial layer of compound has dried, apply another, thicker layer to the cabinet, using overlapping strokes to give a textured appearance (figure B ).
4. Once the thick coat has completely dried, use a paintbrush to apply a coat of polyurethane to the cabinet. As the polyurethane dries, it will take on a yellowed appearance, furthering the aged look of the piece.
5. To age the hardware, apply a thin coat of brown paint then remove excess paint with a cloth (figure C). When the paint is dry, reattach the hardware to the chest hardware.

Tip: Tint the drywall compound using latex paint. A gray or brown paint will produce an optimum aging effect (figure D).