Cabinet Rescue
Here's how you can coax a fresh look out of old cabinets using paint and a little elbow grease.
All You Need
- Cleanser
- Sandpaper or sander
- A bucket
- Water
- Tack cloth
- Primer
- White latex enamel paint
- Beaded board
- Red (or paint color of your choice)
- Glazing liquid
- Paintbrushes
- Brackets
- 1 x pine
- Jigsaw (or band saw)
Step-by-Step
1. Clean the surfaces with a good cleanser, such as trisodium phosphate (TSP) and water. Remove the doors, drawers, and hardware. Lightly sand the existing finish to smooth the surfaces and prepare them for painting. Use a tack cloth to wipe away sanding residue. (If your cabinets are covered by many layers of paint, you may have to strip off the old finishes. To make the job go faster, take doors and drawers to a professional for stripping, and use a belt sander or mild stripping solution to remove the paint from the cabinet boxes at home.)
2. If you plan to make a set of upper and lower cabinets look like a hutch, install beaded board on the walls behind a section of upper shelves. Paint all cabinet frames and interiors with primer; let dry. Paint with two or three coats of high-quality white latex enamel paint. Cabinet doors and drawer fronts that will be part of the "hutch" should be painted white. Paint the remaining doors rich red.
3. To complete the hutch illusion, bridge the gap between the upper shelves and lower cabinets with a beaded-board backsplash flanked by side panels and decorative brackets cut from 1 x lumber. Add charm to the lower doors, drawers, side pieces, and brackets with simple painted designs, such as crosshatching, dots, and plaid patterns. To give the motifs a worn look, dip an artist's brush into red paint, then into glazing liquid to thin the paint slightly before applying the design. Add decorative scalloped edging to the shelves.
4. If you can't bear the thought of putting everything out there for display, incorporate some glass doors with a simple etched pattern. It will give the illusion of openness without literally showing off all your belongings.
Shelf Expression
Scalloped detailing transforms ordinary shelves into an eye-catching focal point.
All You Need
- 1 x pine
- Template
- Jigsaw or band saw
- Sandpaper or sander
- Primer
- Latex enamel paint
- Artist's paintbrush
- Pencil
- Stencils (optional)
- Glazing liquid
- Wood glue
- Carpenter's level
- Finishing nails
- Hammer
Step-by-Step
1. Old cabinets likely won't be square, so measure the length of each shelf. Cut 1 x pine to length, and use a template to trace an even scallop, curving, or zigzag design onto the wood. Use a jigsaw or band saw to cut out the design. Sand the edges and wipe clean.
2. Brush on primer; let dry. Apply one coat of latex enamel paint let dry. Use an artist's brush to outline the edges of the pine piece as shown and to apply simple freehand motifs; let dry. If you prefer, lightly pencil on the design before painting, or use stencils. For a worn look, dip the brush into paint, then into glazing liquid to thin the paint slightly.
3. Apply wood glue to the back of the pine. Align pine piece with front edge of the shelf; check position with a carpenter's level. Secure with finishing nails.
Etching and Hardware
Earn your stripes by etching them into glass.
All You Need
- Glass cleaner
- Etching cream
- Measuring tape
- A foam applicator
- Disposable gloves
- Safety goggles
- Dishwashing soap
- Water
- Masking tape in a width that matches the distance you want between the etched stripes
- A bucket
- Paper towels
Spoon Hardware
1. Dishing out this decorating trick begins with a trip to the flea market, where you can find old mismatched silverware on the cheap.
2. Transforming a spoon into a door or drawer pull by drilling through the scoop and the handle, slightly bending the handle to create a low arch.
3. Screwing the spoon to the door. Choose screws long enough to go through the silverware and about 3/8 inch into the cabinet door. You can use the same method on a fork, but drill just below the tines and through the bottom of the handle.
Etching Cabinet Door
1. Remove glass from the door frame. Thoroughly clean and dry the glass, and lay it flat on a protected work surface. Apply vertical strips of masking tape, leaving space between to etch the stripes. Press edges of tape firmly to the glass using your thumbnail.
2. Wearing gloves and goggles, use the foam applicator to apply a thick, even coat of etching cream between the strips of tape. Allow cream to set according to manufacturer's directions (about 15 minutes). Use paper towels to wipe cream off. Rinse any residue from gloves.
3. Wash the glass in dish soap and warm water. Remove masking tape, and polish the glass with glass cleaner and lint-free rags or paper towels. To give the stripes a more frosted appearance, we painted them with white paint thinned with glaze; you could also use spray paint in a frosted-glass formula. Reinstall the glass within the door frame so the etched surface faces the interior of the cabinet.
Related articles:
- Install wall cabinets
- Cabinet pros and cons
- 10 great styles for cabinets
- Selecting cabinets and hardware
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