How to Whitewash Cabinets and Doors

2 Materials
$30
2 Hours
Medium
Hi there, Hometalk Friends! Do you have builder’s grade doors or cabinets that you’d like to give a thrifty upcycle? I recently updated my bathroom and I couldn’t believe what a difference this thrifty DIY made. Today, I'll show you how to whitewash cabinets and doors...
Here's how my master bathroom door looked before I whitewashed it. In an attempt to match the white stain on my custom cabinets, the builder used these hollow core doors throughout my home. They have darkened with age, which was even more obvious after the bedroom and bathroom walls were freshly painted. I have been wanting to whitewash the rest of the doors in my house, so the bathroom door was a good place to start.
For a whitewash finish, combine two parts DecoArt Americana Decor chalky finish paint in Everlasting with one part water. Find paint here! Use one paint pad applicator to apply paint sparingly and another to wipe off excess. Less is more for this technique. You can always add more later if desired. Vintage hardware really completes the look. Find it here!
Originally I was only going to whitewash the door. However, when I saw its contrast against the cabinets behind it, I ended up whitewashing the cabinets too. To whitewash cabinets, clean them thoroughly by using a toothbrush to scrub the beveled panels. Remove knobs, and if desired, doors from the cabinets. {Whitewash dries quicker than regular paint, so by leaving the doors and drawers open and painting the framework first, I didn't find it necessary to remove mine.} Follow the same technique used for whitewashing the door. Be sure to keep the extra sponge applicator handy for wiping up the excess. This technique works best on lighter colored wood. You can slightly lighten darker wood with a whitewash, but I'd test it first.
Resources for this project:
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Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
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  • Trisha Nash Rolle Trisha Nash Rolle on Oct 22, 2019

    Did you put a finish on the cabinets once you were done? Thinking about doing this in my kitchen.

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