Everyone wants their home to have a unique and beautiful feel that really speaks of who they are. One of the most popular ways people go for this goal is by installing distressed furniture into their rooms, which can often be found at a discounted price.
However, many people never think about how these pieces would fare in their kitchen. Let’s take a look at some good ways you can use distressed cabinets in your kitchen without breaking the bank or sacrificing quality.
What are Distressed Kitchen Cabinets?
Is it a new trend or an old technique? Are they worth the price, and what are some tips to look for when buying distressed kitchen cabinets?Distressed kitchen cabinets are a type of furniture design that has been around since the early 1800s. Originally, it was a way for people to use sturdy wood that had its beauty stripped away.
Originally, distressed kitchen cabinets were created by immersing the wood in a liquid that removed the luster and left behind a piece of furniture with very little value or use.
Today, “distressed” kitchen cabinets are made to look that way. In reality, the wood selected for this type of furniture is looked at for its natural decay. The paint is then applied over the wood’s natural finish.
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Are Distressed Kitchen Cabinets Good or Bad? Why?
Distressed kitchen cabinets are a popular renovation choice for homeowners who want to create a rustic, vintage appeal in their kitchen.
While some people love the look of distressed cabinets after they’re installed, others question whether it’s worth the money for a limited lifespan.
Does Distressed Wood Have a Limited Lifespan?
Adhesives, stains, paint, and other finishes used to create distressed wood have a limited lifespan. Once the finish is applied to the wood, it’s bound to chip and flake off over time.
Since there’s no way to predict how long the finish will resist moisture, underlying wood rot may eventually seep through to the surface.
For these reasons, all reputable cabinet manufacturers advise against using a distressed finish on kitchen cabinets.
How to Distress Kitchen Cabinets?
Follow the following steps to create a distressed look on your kitchen cabinets:
- Disassemble your kitchen cabinets, removing all the drawers, knobs, and handles. Be sure to keep each element in order and organize them according to size.
- Sand all the elements and the kitchen cabinet doors using a sander or sandpaper with varying degrees of roughness.
- Clean the elements before starting the staining process. You can either use a towel to rub gently on the elements or use a damp cloth soaked with bleach to eliminate dust.
- Apply antiquing glaze first to the drawer handles, knobs, and other small elements you have. Use a paintbrush and try to cover every surface of the elements with the glaze. Then, let it dry for about 15 minutes before applying the glaze to the doors.
- Seal the knobs and drawer pulls with a wood sealant to prevent them from staining.
Distressed Kitchen Cabinets Design Ideas
Distressed kitchen cabinets are unique and cause a lot of attention. They can be the focal point in your kitchen that brings an overall rustic feel to space.
Using distressed elements in your kitchen requires a whole lot of creativity on your part. Here some design ideas to inspire you:
DIY Distressed Kitchen Cabinets
Easily DIY your existing cabinets with distressing and let them age gracefully with DIY dye and stain.
Distressed kitchen cabinets DIY is the most satisfying and inexpensive project to remodel your kitchen and make it look great.
White Distressed Kitchen Cabinets
The easiest one to distress is the old white kitchen cabinets. With just a few basic tools, you can give this old kitchen cabinet an entirely new look. All of the pieces are available at home improvement or do-it-yourself stores.
Grey Distressed Kitchen Cabinets
You can distress any color of kitchen cabinets; you don’t have to stick with the traditional distressed antique white cabinets. Light grey distressed kitchen cabinets are a nice, calming color and will look amazing.
Black Distressed Kitchen Cabinets
It’s not impossible to distress your black kitchen cabinets to look more ornate and interesting than they already are.
When we think of black distressed kitchen cabinets, the first thing that comes to mind is a dark and aged black stain. The one that is more common than you’d think.
However, there are other ways to create a distressed kitchen with black cabinets that aren’t quite common. For example, you could paint the wood with a metallic finish such as gold or copper and then distress the paint to make it look rusting.
Brown Distressed Kitchen Cabinets
Brown distress kitchen cabinets are the most popular style today. Such kitchen cabinets have a unique feature that makes them perfect for any modern home. Distressed kitchen cabinets have a classic design with an updated look.
A brown distressed kitchen cabinet has been made to look like antique wood. The cabinets provide the same look like real wood but do not require as much maintenance.
The Final Touch
There are no hard and fast rules for adding age and distressing to your kitchen cabinets. It’s all about letting your imagination go wild and letting the creative juices flow.
If you want to make your kitchen look like it’s been around for years rather than what it is now, then use pure creativity and experiment a little bit to create the look you want.
When your kitchen remodeling is complete, and you sit back and admire your new home, be sure to smile and think back to when you chose it. You wouldn’t have chosen the color of the kitchen cabinets, but there’s a part of you that might miss them.
