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How to Paint Kitchen Cabinets
With a Simple Faux Painting Technique
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Create Tuscan Painted
Kitchen Cabinets
There is something romantic about painted kitchen cabinets.
They lend an exquisite, Provencal country feel to a room.
Their delicately blended paints and thin lines of imitation
rust make it seem as if the kitchen had been basking in
sunlight forever. If you have ugly old kitchen
cabinets—perhaps oak with scratched varnish—there is a way
to change them into beautiful painted kitchen cabinets with
very little effort and even less money.
It’s easy and quick
if you know the right technique. And since the kitchen is
the heart of a home, the last thing you want is a remodel
that goes on for weeks. But with paint, a few hours is all
it takes to have painted kitchen cabinets that look as if
they came out of a catalog.
Painted Kitchen Cabinets: Step #1.
Priming
Before your kitchen cabinets can be painted they must be
primed. This will prevent the need to sand the cabinets
first. KilZ 2 is a quick drying primer, which you can apply
like paint. Your cabinets should look completely painted
white when you are finished.
Don’t forget to apply the primer
both inside and out, or your painted kitchen cabinets will
look unprofessional in the end, with the tarnished, old wood
still showing inside. Note: You can find KilZ 2 online at Lowe’s, Ace Hardware
Superstore, or at your local home improvement and paint
stores.
Painted Kitchen Cabinets: Step #2.
Choosing Colors
Your painted kitchen cabinets will look slightly textured
when they are finished. This effect is achieved by blending
three hues as you paint. The base hue, your primary color,
should be the one that you wish to see dominating your
painted kitchen cabinets. After you have chosen this color,
choose a second color that is two shades darker. Finally,
choose a third shade that has a rusty undertones, like
burgundy or brick red.
Depending on your taste, you might want your painted kitchen
cabinets to have a light gloss. In that case, buy semi-gloss
paint. However, bear in mind that flat paint gives painted
kitchen cabinets a more rustic look.
Note: You will need no more than one can of paint for the
second and third colors, but probably two or three cans of
your first color (depending on how big your space is). Also,
you will need three to four paint brushes for this project,
so be sure to buy a few extras.
Painted Kitchen Cabinets: Step #3.
Painting
Since you will be blending three shades as you paint, always
work on small areas of your cabinets at one time. This way
the paints will not start to dry and smear unevenly.
Begin by painting one kitchen cabinet on the outside with
your primary (first) shade. Next, with a fresh brush, smear
a few long lines of your third (rusty) color. Now, with
another new brush, blend in the sharp lines of brick red or
burgundy by smearing them with a paint brush dipped in your
primary color.
Leave enough of the red smears to show
faintly. Finally, with a new brush again, add highlights
with your second (slightly darker) color, smearing them
freely with your primary color. Consult the pictures
included with this article to see the effect desired.
Note: There is no right or wrong way of applying the paint,
so be playful when you create your painted kitchen cabinets.
If you don’t like a certain pattern of smears, paint over it
with your base color and start again.
Painted Kitchen Cabinets: Step #4.
Sealing
Because your painted kitchen cabinets are likely to collect
fingerprints and stains over time, it is best to coat the
painted surface with Minwax Polycrylic Protective Finish.
This clear water-based sealer will give you the flexibility
of wiping your painted kitchen cabinets without damaging the
paint. Just be sure the painted surfaces are completely dry
before you apply this polycryclic finish.
Note: You can buy Minwax Polycrylic Protective Finish at
Lowe’s or your local home improvement or paint stores.
Comments? Questions?
Drop me a
line.
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