# Kitchen Cabinets... How to get this look?



## jkealey (Aug 30, 2011)

How can I get this look with new "Paint Yourself" cabinets? I know it'll take a few stages. Color suggestions would be very helpful in trying to get something close to the attached picture.


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## Brushjockey (Mar 8, 2011)

A good enamel job ids pretty tough for a DIY, and that also looks like its been antiqued.
How to do it? Hire a good pro.


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## m1951mm (Apr 16, 2011)

I agree with Brush. This finish is very difficult even for a pro to do. You first need to understand the substrate and get it to a smooth even finish, do a color glazing and then a final clear coat to protect the finish trying to keep it nice and smooth. This is not a DIY project.


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## oh'mike (Sep 18, 2009)

If you do choose to learn how ,however ,the term for that finish is 'glazed'--- those products are available at good paint shops and some of the larger hobby/craft stores.

Learning on a kitchen is kind of scary---that's an expensive place to practice.

I suggest you try on a small piece of furniture as a first project.

It's an art learned with practice only---Mike----


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## user1007 (Sep 23, 2009)

Try painting and glazing on practice wood or a small door to see if you are up to this. Your library will have books on these "antiquing" approaches to things. One series I remember, although not specifically aimed at kitchens, was "Recipes for Walls" but there were tons of faux paint scheme instruction books in the late 70s and 80s. People were antiquing all kinds of crap furniture making believe it was 17th century French or something and naturally fitted to their three bedroom track homes. 

Gotta be honest with you. I think "the look" out of place even more so than faux painted castle walls in the dining room with eight foot ceiling and those popcorn coated. Looks high school theatrical set and tacky to me even when done well. No cabinets age naturally as uniformly as what you showed in the picture. In a kitchen, the bad jobs I have seen just make it look dirty and in need of old-fashined fly paper and roach discs on the counters. 

Not to say I am strongly opinionated about it all. Paint the cabinets nicely or strip and stain them if they are hardwood.


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## m1951mm (Apr 16, 2011)

I have to disagree with Sdsester about how that finish looks. It was all the rave a few years ago, but under the right setting it looks great. 

Manufactures need to boost sales so they try to come up with something new and every homeowner will want. The antiqued finish was first brought in somewhere in the late 80's early 90's. Since then, there is still some call for it so the mfgs still use it.

The question is, what is the best look for the house??????? be it simple clean stained cabinets, antiqued finish, painted what??????????? Only will the homeowner know what they want the final product to look like.

This is to the Original Poster (OP), what do you want your kitchen to look like?? The finish in your pictures is not an easy one to duplicate. It is a learned finish with the proper products. How much time do you have on your hands:thumbup:.


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## jsheridan (Jan 30, 2011)

I've a funny story about antiqued cabinets. I was running work for a guy about ten years ago, and we were doing a kitchen (was part of a much larger full 1st floor job). I show up for the first day of priming in the kitchen, I have a helper, good kid, but one of the knuckleheaded types with the hiphop style and language. We're greeted in the kitchen by the HO and the architect. Stevie, the knucklehead, sees 80,000.00 worth of brand new antiqued cabinets and asks, "Yo dog, are we painting the cabinets too". Well, the HO and architect, who had resumed thier original discussion, stopped dead in their tracks, like an EF Hutton commercial. I said no to Stevie, they're brand new. He says "Really, they look like they need it". I looked over at the two bewildered onlookers who were just standing there shaking their heads. What a moment. You just can't take some people out of their element.


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## m1951mm (Apr 16, 2011)

Way to Funny Joe, thanks for sharing!!!!!!!!!


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## chrisn (Dec 23, 2007)

sdsester said:


> Try painting and glazing on practice wood or a small door to see if you are up to this. Your library will have books on these "antiquing" approaches to things. One series I remember, although not specifically aimed at kitchens, was "Recipes for Walls" but there were tons of faux paint scheme instruction books in the late 70s and 80s. People were antiquing all kinds of crap furniture making believe it was 17th century French or something and naturally fitted to their three bedroom track homes.
> 
> Gotta be honest with you. I think "the look" out of place even more so than faux painted castle walls in the dining room with eight foot ceiling and those popcorn coated. Looks high school theatrical set and tacky to me even when done well. No cabinets age naturally as uniformly as what you showed in the picture. In a kitchen, the bad jobs I have seen just make it look dirty and in need of old-fashined fly paper and roach discs on the counters. :thumbsup:
> 
> Not to say I am strongly opinionated about it all. Paint the cabinets nicely or strip and stain them if they are hardwood.


 
I agree 100%:yes:


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## chrisn (Dec 23, 2007)

m1951mm said:


> I have to disagree with Sdsester about how that finish looks. It was all the rave a few years ago, but under the right setting it looks great.
> 
> True, it WAS, years ago. Never looked great though, like the fax marble look, just NEVER looks genuine:wink:
> 
> ...


 
and there is should have stayed or better yet never happened:whistling2:


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## chrisn (Dec 23, 2007)

jsheridan said:


> I've a funny story about antiqued cabinets. I was running work for a guy about ten years ago, and we were doing a kitchen (was part of a much larger full 1st floor job). I show up for the first day of priming in the kitchen, I have a helper, good kid, but one of the knuckleheaded types with the hiphop style and language. We're greeted in the kitchen by the HO and the architect. Stevie, the knucklehead, sees 80,000.00 worth of brand new antiqued cabinets and asks, "Yo dog, are we painting the cabinets too". Well, the HO and architect, who had resumed thier original discussion, stopped dead in their tracks, like an EF Hutton commercial. I said no to Stevie, they're brand new. He says "Really, they look like they need it". I looked over at the two bewildered onlookers who were just standing there shaking their heads. What a moment. You just can't take some people out of their element.


 
I would have said the same thing , just not like that:laughing:


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## chrisn (Dec 23, 2007)

NOT being sexist , but maybe it is a difference between us, women like the look and men don't??


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## jkealey (Aug 30, 2011)

My entire house is being remodeled/ renovated... When I bought it, everything was dark wood paneling, old broken cabinets, black interior and exterior doors, red shag carpet and iron/rust stains on the sinks and bathtub. Everything is being replaced. My kitchen is TINY to say the least so dark stains are completely out of the question as the room is already dark. I like white cabinets but they seem too modern for the "tuscan" look I'm going for in my kitchen.

If the cabinets I posted are too difficult, I'd love some suggestions that may tie in well with Valspar Green Monsoon paint, grape/wine themes and oil rubbed bronze fixtures (light, pot rack, faucet, cabinet hardware). I haven't chosen the floor or the countertops yet.


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## m1951mm (Apr 16, 2011)

If you could take a picture of the cabinets you have and are wanting to paint that will help in giving you advice. Also please let us know how skilled you are at painting and possibly carpentry, maybe some ideas can be added from that direction also.

I sure hope that you are getting your paint from a GOOD paint store and only choose that particular color when visiting the local big box store. I find that Sherwin Williams and Ben Moore paints are a much better choice for a good long lasting paint job. Do a search on this site regarding the different brands of paint. You will learn quite a bit!!!!!!

Best to You


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## jkealey (Aug 30, 2011)

The cabinets have not been purchased yet but here is a picture of them from the Lowes website. They are Classic Kitchen's Ready to Finish Oak Cabinets. We will be doing all of the finishing ourselves. My father, who is doing the renovation, has 25+ years experience in the building industry, plus his own personal projects such as additions, remodeling and renovating, kitchens, bathrooms, tiling, painting (inside walls, cabinets, furniture, etc.), siding, framing, roofing, laying different kinds of flooring... He's done work on every home we've ever owned. My fiance, who is helping, has about 10 years experience in carpentry, framing, roofing and much of the same things as my Father, plus plumbing and electric.

The walls are the only things that have been painted so far, the entire house was stripped to it's bones so there haven't been many permanent decisions yet. We're going to pick up the cabinets and flooring this weekend so I really need an idea of what I'd like to do with the cabinets before then


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## Gymschu (Dec 12, 2010)

You're really gonna paint over top of those nice Oak cabinets?


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## Brushjockey (Mar 8, 2011)

You should know that oak has a very pronounced grain that will read through the paint. I think the cabs in your pic were very "formica" smooth. probably made of MDF or paint grade birch. That will affect the look.
I think painted oak is very nice , but you will see the grain.


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## jkealey (Aug 30, 2011)

The cabinets are meant to be finished... If you could see them in person, you'd understand. They are not finished at all and don't look right. That's why they are called "Ready to Finish" cabinets. The picture I posted is not the exact cabinets I will be getting, they're very similar in shape and color though. They only had pictures of side panels on the website since these cabinets are sold as "in stock" at the stores only. I will post the link to one of those.. Here's the description posted on the website:

For use with Kitchen Classics Ready to Finish oak
Personalize by finishing yourself
Add a finishing touch to your project
Field size for your application
Certified for the Environmental Stewardship Program by the Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers' Association
Here's the link..

http://www.lowes.com/pd_336279-6615...tURL=/pl__0__s?Ntt=ready+to+finish&facetInfo=


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## m1951mm (Apr 16, 2011)

Knowing that you are wanting to go for a Tuscan look, what about a white washed finish. I did a quick search and found some very nice looking washed finishes. The process would be to thin down your paint, I would go more ivory vs. white, and apply thinly. Since you are working with raw wood I feel that you may want to go with an oil based paint since it would not raise the grain of the wood as a latex product would. A clear coat would need to be applied for protection from wear and tear. Getting a nice clear top coat is an area I always have trouble with. Seems bubbles, junk in the poly or something seems to mess it up. I hope some of the other contributors will give advice on that.

I added a pic of a nice white washed finish


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## Brushjockey (Mar 8, 2011)

Jk-" finished" could mean clear coat, stained and varnished, or painted. What i said about the grain still applies.
MM's suggestion of a WW ( couldn't resist..) -white wash- is a good one. much easier to do, but still takes some skill to keep everything in the direction of the grain on all pieces. 
To put a clear on- know that if you use an oil for the finish, it will yellow or amber over a white or off white finish, changing the color. This will be more noticeable with time.
it can be used as a natural antiquing- but it is tricky so that the color doesn't look weird.
Safer to use a waterborne clear- but they can be hard to handle because they dry very quickly.
(Don't tell anybody, but here is a super secret recipe for a wash coat- can be varied to get the opacity wanted, but 3-4 parts Emulsibond to 1 part paint ( waterborne eggshell or satin) . sometimes i also add 1 part ( instead of a portion of EB) of latex extender. EB is a modified waterborne alkyd additive, so let dry overnight before topping. If this wasn't kit cabs, but bead board or something that would be all you would need for a finish, but for cabs I would topcoat. - end of secret...- )


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## Gymschu (Dec 12, 2010)

The reason I asked about painting over oak is that oak usually comes at a premium price & as Brushjockey stated, you will see the grain through the finish. You could save some major $$$ by buying ready to finish poplar or even pine, something that accepts paint much better than oak.


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## m1951mm (Apr 16, 2011)

Brush, would you be concerned about using a water based product over raw wood? Sanding prior to any other coats would be needed??????? tack rag time etc. Just curious about that???

Also yellowing of an oil product may just add to the Tuscan look.
I do agree with you Brush that the water based polys are difficult to work with because of the drying time---it is quick. You cant go back over an area previously painted even 30 seconds ago for fear of getting drag marks in it. If a spot gets missed wait for the second coat to catch it, lol.


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## Brushjockey (Mar 8, 2011)

If your referring to my (secret) recipe- it works . 
And a good primer for raw wood can be made to be your wash too- I like Primecoat2 ( a Zinnser product only at HD, I am sad to admit) . And you can sand it back to have a different "wear" effect. 
So many possibilities.


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## StevenH (Sep 9, 2009)

Oak is an opened grain wood. You can see the open grains at an angle. Painting it will not solve it.

I hope your are buying cabinets that have grains filled in.


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## jkealey (Aug 30, 2011)

MM - The white washed furniture is gorgeous and that is an idea we had. My Dad has done white washed wood ceilings in 2 of his houses and also in my living room and laundry room. I really love the look of it but I was afraid it might be too much of the same look throughout the house. We discussed it last night and if we can't find an idea closer to what I'm looking for, we'll go for the white wash in an ivory or vanilla.

Here is an article I found on how to antique cabinets... 

http://seecatecreate.wordpress.com/2011/05/25/how-to-paint-and-antique-kitchen-cabinets-my-way/

It pretty much consists of priming, painting, sanding, and staining to create the look. The one thing I would add would be a top coat to protect. Opinions appreciated! 

Oh, and one thing I did want to add is that I live in the country on a lake, so this look is very in tune with where I live. "Clean cut" or too modern just wouldn't work, which is why I chose a look that's more warm and "old world." 

StevenH - I'll post pictures of my Dad's kitchen, which has the same cabinets that I'm looking at. He painted them white and they look great!


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## Marbledust (Jun 26, 2010)

jkealey said:


> The cabinets have not been purchased yet but here is a picture of them from the Lowes website. They are Classic Kitchen's Ready to Finish Oak Cabinets. We will be doing all of the finishing ourselves. My father, who is doing the renovation, has 25+ years experience in the building industry, plus his own personal projects such as additions, remodeling and renovating, kitchens, bathrooms, tiling, painting (inside walls, cabinets, furniture, etc.), siding, framing, roofing, laying different kinds of flooring... He's done work on every home we've ever owned. My fiance, who is helping, has about 10 years experience in carpentry, framing, roofing and much of the same things as my Father, plus plumbing and electric.
> 
> The walls are the only things that have been painted so far, the entire house was stripped to it's bones so there haven't been many permanent decisions yet. We're going to pick up the cabinets and flooring this weekend so I really need an idea of what I'd like to do with the cabinets before then


Maybe take a door off and go down to a pro paint store with it and show them the picture of the cabinet you like.the rep will sell you the right products.
I think you will need a cup gun and some laqeur(sp).than a wiping stain,than clear coat it.if you don't like the way it looks,you can re base coat and try it again.
ps...oak has lots of grain on the plywood doors?not the right wood for the look you are after.:whistling2:


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## pyrocasto (Aug 8, 2011)

Ok I'll start by saying this is what I do for a living. The cabinets you originally posted will be maple or possibly poplar(lesser quality). That way they can get a smooth grainless finish and the glaze will hold up in the cracks only. The one you posted is oak and if you prime it, sand, and paint it you will still get glaze/stain hold up in every grain crack there is. Some people love that look, some dont, but it's different from what you originally posted. It can still look good but you should do some testing first for sure. 

An example of one of our offices:


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## jkealey (Aug 30, 2011)

Like I said, I am open to looks that are similar but not the exact same so the wood grain showing isn't a huge problem for me. Again, nothing is permanent yet. I'm just looking for an ivory or vanilla base with maybe an antique look and the darkened corners... It does not have to be the exact look of the picture I posted. 

Pyro - OMG! I absolutely love the cabinets in the picture you posted! They're gorgeous! Are they oak? It looks like some of the grain is showing through... Beautiful! Did you do them yourself? :thumbup:


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## pyrocasto (Aug 8, 2011)

jkealey said:


> Like I said, I am open to looks that are similar but not the exact same so the wood grain showing isn't a huge problem for me. Again, nothing is permanent yet. I'm just looking for an ivory or vanilla base with maybe an antique look and the darkened corners... It does not have to be the exact look of the picture I posted.
> 
> Pyro - OMG! I absolutely love the cabinets in the picture you posted! They're gorgeous! Are they oak? It looks like some of the grain is showing through... Beautiful! Did you do them yourself? :thumbup:


They are actually maple and glass smooth. The lower quality for internet use makes them appear strange.

Also, are you planning on rolling, brushing, or spraying? Spraying will give you the best results, but may be the most difficult for a DIYer. Lacquer or latex?


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## jkealey (Aug 30, 2011)

Pyro- We haven't chosen anything yet. I posted this to get advice on what we should use/do to get this look. I'm quite the novice but my Father and Fiance are not. They've both had years of experience in many different areas of remodeling and renovating homes and I have full faith that they can achieve something like this look if given an idea of how to go about it. Any advice on what to use and techniques would be very appreciated!

So far, on this forum, I've gotten the suggestion of white washing in an ivory color... Other than that I've only found ideas on blogs and other "how to" websites...

Here is the best article I've found so far:
http://seecatecreate.wordpress.com/2011/05/25/how-to-paint-and-antique-kitchen-cabinets-my-way/

What do you think? :help:


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## pyrocasto (Aug 8, 2011)

That site seems to give some pretty good info for a DIYer. The stain they are referring to is sometimes called gel stain. It is a stain/glaze that eventually dries hard. Never used it personally so I dont know much about it. 

I always like a clear coat over anything I do as if something gets marked on it, or scratched lightly you can lightly scuff it out and re-clear coat. With just glaze on top you would be scuffing off what ever glaze was there. 

I put scrap doors up for sale for $5/door for anyone who wants some doors for a project or something on the cheap, good for testing. You might find a local cabinet shop to do the same, or you can just use some scrap oak to test also. 

It's not all the hard with the right materials, and glazing is just done with brushes and/or rags depending on the look you're going for. Usually you just slop some on and clean it off leaving it in any cracks and crevices, as clean or messy as you like. As for color, with any of the off whites and ivories I would go with something between carmel/coffee color and van **** brown color. The browns are quite popular and look great.


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## m1951mm (Apr 16, 2011)

Pyro---OMG that is beautiful. -- JKealey--I am sorry if you have not gotten the information you were hoping for here. If we could nudge Pyro to give us the steps needed to get to a finish "similar" to the pic Pyro shared, that would be WAY to COOL!!!!!. Since that is what Pyro (not sure male or female, and I will not make that mistake again, :laughing does for a living he/she may have different equipment let alone the years of experience to get a look like that and also the space in a dust free area to do the work. I for one with a few years of painting under my belt would love to be able to even get close to that. 

If you are watching Pyro, Please share some ideas that a more novice person could follow to get something close to your pic. OMG again how BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!!!


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## jkealey (Aug 30, 2011)

MM - I didn't mean to imply that I hadn't gotten good advice. Just that most of the replies seemed geared more towards moving me away from that look rather than helping me find a way to get close to that look. You, though, have been a great help and I really appreciate that! Like I said, I went home and discussed the idea of white washing with my family! I truly do love that look and it's something that my Dad and Fiance are familiar with. 

Pyro - Thanks so much! I think I have a good handle on what I'm going to try... Testing on scrap first, of course! If we can't manage it, we'll be going with a white wash look!

I'll post pictures as soon as possible! Thanks so much to everyone!:thumbup:


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## m1951mm (Apr 16, 2011)

I appreciate your comments. The thread started out without all the right information. Not knowing what the cabinets you were working with started me in a direction that was not needed. Once we found out you were working with new unfinished wood the thread took a different direction. I for one am so glad that you stuck with us through the tough spots. I have to say here that PYRO (if you are following) is amazing. Back to you my Dear, One thing I would do is put a coat or two of poly on the backs of the doors and the inside jambs of the styles, IMHO they do not need to be painted, but by doing the clear coat will be easier to clean and not add to much thickness so that the doors will not open and close without nicking the paint or finish. Another good thing about that, you can easily wipe off overage from the painting of the face of the door without it seeping into the wood as much. That is the one place that I always get my hands covered in paint with, wiping that stupid seeping paint to the other side of the surface when I am painting so that paint pools and drips over the edge and totally ruins a good front job when you try to smooth it out:wink:, Know what I mean?????

I for one will be excited to see what the final product is, PLEASE post pics??????????!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Best Luck

I think I will start a new thread involving clear coating. Could be very interesting the input that comes. 

Thanks JKealey for starting this thread, IMHO a very important one!!!!!!


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## oh'mike (Sep 18, 2009)

I love this place-----With a decent poster and an interesting project--eventually the right person shows up and BINGO!!

Lively thread and a great subject---------Mike-----


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## pyrocasto (Aug 8, 2011)

Thanks m1951mm, I am definitely a guy. I'm 25 years old and I've been doing high end cabinetry for 7 years with my family(business started 17 years ago), mostly finishing or creating new finishes. 

The hardest part for me is not knowing how a glaze staing reacts wiping it on a latex paint. Some glazes will "bite" in leaving splotches and streaks which makes it very hard to work with. It just takes some trial and error. The actual glazing process is pretty easy, though it takes a little time. 

As for a clear coat I dont know what to suggest. If you spray I'd say lacquer or conversion varnish. Poly can be wiped on but with it's yellow color I dont recommend it on white-ish cabinets. I always suggest to just buy a spray gun from Harbor Freight as it will spray a fine finish for a while. You can even spray latex when you thin it down. 

jkealey, best of luck and I look forward to seeing your progress. 

oh'mike, me too, but it's such a lively forum it's hard to keep up with so many topics! :wallbash:


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## oh'mike (Sep 18, 2009)

pyrocasto said:


> jkealey, best of luck and I look forward to seeing your progress.
> 
> oh'mike, me too, but it's such a lively forum it's hard to keep up with so many topics! :wallbash:


The members really help to keep the threads in order---however we do get to fooling around now and then.----Welcome to the group.---Mike---


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## m1951mm (Apr 16, 2011)

Pyro, you posted a pic of something you did. In reading your posts it sounds like you are not sure how to acheive that finish. Am I correct?? I totally love someone learning the trade, it is a dying art. You posted a pic saying that you did the finish, if you did how did you do it is the question. If not please share your learning experiences with us so we too can learn!! We all try lots of things and they may or may not work, but here we are talking about people's homes, something near and dear, and if we are not sure of our answers, we are not hurt, they are.

I still would love to know who did that finish. Is it in your family?? would they share??

Bless You and see you soon.


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## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

There is a process which is easy to apply and will look like the picture of the OP. I used Ralph Lauren Tea Stain on our cabinets and cabinets of several of my clients and it looks just like that except it is a different color. The tea stain goes on like Pyro explained about the gel stain, you put it on let set for a little while then wipe off leaving a heavy build up in the edges and crevices. The tea stain will dry darker where it is left thicker. If they can formulate the tea stain to look like that I know they can make it in the color you are looking for. 

I used a water base polyurethane as a top coat as it will not yellow and is very easy to work with. Lacquer will not hold up to water that will splash on the cabinets for long. I was going to post a picture of what the Ralph Lauren Tea Stain looks like but when I did a search on yahoo and hit images it brought up a lot of different pictures including my own kitchen cabinets, that was quite a surprise.


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## pyrocasto (Aug 8, 2011)

m1951mm, the process is pretty straight forward, if you use the same materials and equipment we do. 
Spray lacquer primer.
Sand. 
Spray prime again.
Scuff.
Spray Paint.
Wipe glaze on/off to desired look.
Spray lacquer clear coat.

At that time we were probably using M.L.Campbell products but there are tons that work great. 

I was only saying it's some trial if you're using other chemicals I dont use or know, like latex or gel stains. This look is the first thing I had to learn 7 years ago, as about 75% of the cabinets that leave our shop are glazed whether they're stained or painted. I have an Alder clear coated with brown glaze job going through now. We have a rather decent sized shop so each step is easier for me. Replacing a DA sander with hand sanding, or spraying with wiping, are the kind of things that make these jobs harder as DIYers.
Here's our shop: http://www.mountainshowcasegroup.com/Our-Shop.51.0.html









If there's anything specific you'd like to know feel free to ask.


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## Thadius856 (Jun 2, 2011)

I gotta tell you that I own a kitchen full of the cabinets you posted a picture of. The ones from Lowe's. Unless all the stars align perfectly, they probably won't line up right in your kitchen. I got lucky that one wall of my galley lines up perfectly, but the other wall is absolutely terrible in layout.

They're half-way decent quality. If the previous homeowner had painted them, I'd probably have ripped them all out. That oak would have a terrible finish if painted. As is, they look okay with the light-brown stain they have.


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## SJS (Sep 5, 2011)

The Monsoon green looks nice on the internet. I suggest staining the cabinets. You appear to have a small child - painted, glazed cabinets will drive you nuts trying to keep them clean. A light to medium stain will look nice with the walls. Experiment with a 2x4 pieces of oak - you need a piece big enough to really experiment. Try stains. Try just a glaze over the oak. Stain with glaze rubbed over it. A colored stain - pale yellow or blue or ??? Stain the lower cabinets and paint the upper ones. 

We've just finished a 10 week kitchen remodel so I know where you are at. You've at least got a wall color - I tried over 20 before picking one in the store just as they were about to mix My Final Choice. 

Good luck. Keep us posted.


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## livewires (Oct 21, 2011)

I hope you have not done anything rash just yet! (I am a fellowOhioan btw  )
I, too love this look, but deceided that ultimatley it would just look like it needs a good cleaning. I simply painted the dark cabinets in my small dark kitchen a base manila color (after good thought and many tests, I actually used a legal manila folder as my example for Sherwin Williams) in a satin finish. It is PERFECT. does not look outdated, but trust me- still has the effect we like so much. Oh. I used rubbed bronze hardware, which, IMO, gives it that antique feel.


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## brooke23 (Nov 19, 2011)

*KItchen finishes*

First I agree that more women tend to like the 'aged' or distressed, shabby chic and Tuscan look than men. My husband cringes every time I buy a piece of furniture that looks like that. However, I find that in the southern states, Tx, Az, and wedst coast the look is still extremely popular in high-end homes. You may want to try a simple glaze of 1:16 with burnt umber over a cream paint. 
Can you post pictures when you finish?


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