The economy is tight, but you’ve been dying to replace those old, worn kitchen cabinets and now you know you won’t be able to for at least a while. But what do you do if you can’t take them another day? Give them a new antique finish!
A friend of mine recently moved into a 1920’s farmhouse in a small town in Washington state. The old lady who sold it to her hadn’t updated the cabinets since they were new in 1960.
Being an ingenious artist of faux finishes, she set about changing them right away. But she didn’t do it by replacing them or even turning them against each other. She did it with a simple technique of adding ornamental plaster pieces from a mold and aging them with a simple painting process.
I LOVE the look of the old painted cabinets. I love the look of ornamental plaster. What the two of you create together, is a very charming makeover from your dull and drab cabinets. They add that character to the kitchen, the bathroom (or even a piece of furniture!). Here’s how to easily get that classy look:
First, find a mold design that you really love. Craft stores have some in the soap or candle aisle, but you can find many online. Simply search for “Ornamental Plaster Cast” and these sites will appear. Choose a design that is just the right size to fit in the center of your cabinet door without being overwhelming.
The most exciting thing about adding drywall to your cabinet doors is that they make the doors appear to have hand-carved, embossed designs. However, producing each piece literally costs pennies.
“Enamel over paint” finishes are great. The technique can turn the simplest and most ordinary cabinets into something much more interesting and beautiful. I love how this finish gives the cabinets real dimension and presence!
It can be done with any of the colors, usually using a darker shade of the same color or coordinating over a lighter shade. But my favorite is cream paint as a base, with a light to medium brown wash. It’s relaxing and inviting and doesn’t detract from other decorations you might have in the room.
How easy is it? Ultra!
1. Simply use the mold and a bag of plaster of paris (found at your local home supply store) to mold enough design pieces for the number of cabinet doors in your kitchen. Follow the manufacturer’s simple instructions.
Pieces must be completely dry and light before applying to cabinets. This can take anywhere from 2 days to a week, so make your pieces ahead of time to save time. Trust me, if you can mix your cake batter and pour it into a bowl, you can cast plaster with a mold. It’s really a piece of cake.
2. Wash your cabinets to remove dirt and oils, then apply two coats of primer.
3. Using joint compound mixed with a bit of white glue as an adhesive, spread the mixture over the back of the drywall, holding it in the center of the cabinet door for one minute. It will stick perfectly! Let dry for 48 hours before proceeding with painting.
4. Simply paint your cabinet or furniture with the lighter version of the color you have chosen. Let it dry overnight.
5. Mix the darkest shade of your chosen color with translucent wall polish in a ratio of 4 parts polish to 1 part paint (pretty easy, huh?).
Mix well.
6. Brush liberally over cabinet surface, paying close attention to the ornamental plaster piece, then wipe immediately with a dry towel, allowing the mixture to remain in any gaps, cracks or corners of the piece to create a darker appearance. finish in those areas.
7. Once dry, seal with two coats of non-yellowing polyurethane to protect your new finish.
It’s fast, it’s simple, and it’s beautiful!
This technique can be done on just about anything and if there is any ornamental detail on the piece you will find that the glaze just brings it out even more! To really make cabinets feel new, give the insides of the cabinets a coat of paint or a new shelf liner as well.
So jump in and give those ugly cabinets an ornamental facelift. You’ll find that you might like them a lot better than if you actually replaced them!
© Victoria Larsen 2009. All rights reserved