Don’t be put off by the word “distressed”.  May homeowners love the look of distressed wood for their furniture and kitchen cabinets.  The effect is one of aged wood that can really complete a kitchen with an antique, Italian, Western, or historical theme.  You can even create the effect at home without buying expensive paint or treatments.

The difference between distressed and trashy however depends on your using the effect judiciously.  It’s become acceptable and stylish to use pastes, paint, a faux finish glaze to create kitchen effects. Crackle pastes create a distressed look without having to scrape, brush, or sand the paint finish.

Distressing Your Kitchen Cabinets
You employ two different hues in creating a distressed look; one is the surface color and the other is the base tint that shows through the distress.After applying the base coat, be sure to let it dry thoroughly overnight. You may want to add a second coat. Either way, be sure it’s dry before applying the outer color.

When the outer coat dries completely, you can create distressed marks and blotches with sandpaper, a wire brush, a soft mallet, or a wood file. Be sure not to gouge out the undercoat! Above all, remember that distressing is done on select surfaces and small areas. Distress the entire kitchen cabinet surface at it will look like something you plucked out of a swap meet.

For a Tuscan cabinet effect, you can use a padlock or small chain to dent small surface areas of the cabinets.  It’s all about creating accents, rather than a uniform face.  Be sure to clean your cabinet doors and surfaces completely before beginning any painting project.