Asked on Mar 08, 2013

Does Anyone Know of a Faux Glaze for Kitchen Cabinets?

Marcia DiMiceli
by Marcia DiMiceli
I saw these cabinets on Pinterest which were done by an interior design company. Their description said a faux finish was applied. I was just wondering if anyone had any ideas of how this was done. Here's the website. http://designconnectioninc.com/blog/accessories/kitchen-potential-affordable-and-amazing
  32 answers
  • Merry D Merry D on Mar 08, 2013
    I went on a search because dang, those are stunning! It seems they simply used a faux finish technique using a deeper stain and then a glaze over it. If you run a search on faux finish cabinets you'll find a dazzling array of types. I don't care for the painted cabinets I see a lot of but I love this wood stain look. It's very old world. I have a dark cherry stain cabinet throughout my house and as much as I love them, they are very ordinary builder grade and could use that little extra touch. Unfortunately, most sites I could find are professionals. Perhaps this is something the DIYer shouldn't do? Nah!I think it's possible with a little practice!
  • Lea DeWitt Lea DeWitt on Mar 08, 2013
    Rustoleum has a new product out that will give you this same effect and others. Home Depot carries everything you need in a kit. The results are beautiful. A very simple process and durable. Check out their web sight.
  • Jeanette S Jeanette S on Mar 09, 2013
    Beautiful results.
  • You can usually find things that people don't want on freecycle.org. Find someone who is throwing away an old cabinet, and ask them for the doors. Then you have something to "practice" on before trying to do this on your own cabinets. I have done the vanity in one bathroom, and getting ready to do my kitchen as well.
  • Terri J Terri J on Mar 09, 2013
    WOW! What a great difference the glazse made!
  • Susan B Susan B on Mar 09, 2013
    just got mine the other day. rustoleum. have i think 30 diff finishes and its a 3 step fairly easy process. i got mine for 30.00 off. may still be on sale. home depot. 47.00 for 100 sq. feet. good luck. free shiping too!!
  • Sharon E. Hines Sharon E. Hines on Mar 09, 2013
    I've been wanting to do something to my kitchen island to set it apart from the rest of the cabinets. This would be perfect. @Susan B , did you get the glazing kit?
  • Merry D Merry D on Mar 09, 2013
    Ok, I found this video from my local tv news. She shows the basic premise. It's really just taking cleaned cabinet doors, some glazing medium, a tint, and working in layers until you achieve the desired result. She shows some amazing results on painted cabinets, too.Mine will start out with a nice finish, I just nee to do the glazing to add some oomph.
    • Jacqueline Elaine Jacqueline Elaine on Aug 11, 2013
      @Merry D Thank you so much for your post. I wasn't sure how to do this either and I have an old cabinet that I want to practice on today!
  • Merry D Merry D on Mar 09, 2013
    This is another video with more detail about what you were looking for.
  • Susan B Susan B on Mar 09, 2013
    yes, you can glaze if you wish. its a 3 step process.
  • Susan B Susan B on Mar 09, 2013
    i have not done it yet. actually, i am painting cupboards right now. im going to use this for my countertops. have read where it holds up very well. its a bonding agent in the kit. then if can ill seal. read it on here matter of fact.
  • Melissa Gutilla Melissa Gutilla on Mar 10, 2013
    Let me know how it works out I would love to try that on our bathroom cabinets. Who knows if it's easy enough maybe the kitchen also. I have always preferred the dark color cabinets to light and in our new home everything is light.
  • Sheila Clemmons Sheila Clemmons on Jun 03, 2014
    I would like to do this to my cabinets I have the old dark colored cabinets and they need to be cleaned with something to take off all the grease,i have cleaned them but seems like its still there,any suggestions
    • See 2 previous
    • Jessica Serrano-Gregg Jessica Serrano-Gregg on Aug 15, 2016
      Here's the info on how it's applied and also Bar code to search for it. I swear by this stuff and treat it like gold lol
  • Doris Davis Doris Davis on Jun 22, 2014
    I would consider this process a "restain". Which would involve, cleaning, sanding your cabinets then apply a gel stain (Old Masters or General Finishes). To add the extra dept, apply glaze or thinned gel stain in the profile areas. I always finish with 2 coats of clear for protection.
    • Jessica Serrano-Gregg Jessica Serrano-Gregg on Aug 15, 2016
      That's exactly what I thought it was too but couldn't think of what it's actually called but yes, I think " re-stain" is a great description. Definitely looks like A gel stain or even a mix of your own stain and gel medium.I Think you have described it perfectly
  • Leigh Leigh on Nov 06, 2014
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  • Ev Ev on Dec 14, 2014
    If you use a strong solution of TSP (tri-sodium phosphate ) and rinse well with water, you will have a clean surface to recoat. An easy alternative to glazes is a mixture of oil base paint (like rustoleum) mixed with paint thinner/mineral spirits. Usually about 2 parts paint to 1 part thinner works well. Apply with brush....let sit for about 5-10 minutes....then wipe with the grain to even out the look and let the original wood grain to show through. The nice part is you can do it in any color...mix colors....have a custom color made....use more than one coat for a more solid look....or put one color over another. You don't have to top coat if you don't want to...if you do, just use an oil base poly for durability. Most important is practice on a scrap piece of wood or back of cabinet before doing the real thing just to get a feel to the technique. You do need to 'play' with it a little to get the look you want....especially if you need the color to sit in crevasses in the wood. This works great on cabinets, furniture, and picture frames, too. I even know someone who 'whitewashed' a tongue and groove ceiling this way !
  • N.n1120765 N.n1120765 on Jan 15, 2015
    I have used the General Finishes Gel Stain and it looks very similar to this.
  • Mus1400870 Mus1400870 on Mar 09, 2015
    While the cabinets look great in the after, it seems as though they replaced a microwave with a stainless steel oven, added a new back splash, changed out the knobs, painted the wall, added crown molding, and removed the yellow tag. Makes me wonder if it's still the same cabinets?
    • See 1 previous
    • Amy Lindstrom-Sternot Amy Lindstrom-Sternot on Jun 16, 2015
      Of course they're the same cabinets. I've done some of the very same updates... painting walls, adding crown moulding, changing out appliances and cabinet hardware. The ONE thing that would be nearly impossible to change is the layout of the cabinets. Of course this is the exact same kitchen - It's just been (Very Nicely) upgraded.
  • Maria Maria on Apr 02, 2015
    My caninets are red oak and I'm trying to find out what are the steps to stain my caninets any help?
  • Sheena Sheena on Apr 12, 2015
    Sikens makes a poll that has a stain in it, it's a one step process and it's very durable that can go over the finish you already have its better than sanding down to raw wood, or paint them but don't use latex it will not last.
    • Cheryl Smith Cheryl Smith on Feb 24, 2016
      @Sheena Thanks for the info. Do you happen to know the name of the product that you were talking about ?
  • Amy Lindstrom-Sternot Amy Lindstrom-Sternot on Jun 16, 2015
    Thanks for the info Sheena. Do you happen to know the name of that product from Sikens?
  • Cei1928352 Cei1928352 on Jul 09, 2015
    We used a gel stain on our red oak cabinets. We got the stain from Banjamjn Moore. We had a color specialist mix a color we liked from a cabinet we saw at a home improvement store. We went from stained red oak to a mahogany gel stain. They came out great but you have to be careful. The gel stain is not easy to apply. You sorta have to know what your doing. The gel stain is more like a paint than a stain. It goes in thick, but it still keeps the wood grain of the cabinets. So the end product doesn't look like you painted them,but stained them
  • Lena Campbell Lena Campbell on Aug 18, 2015
    Why not ask the designer Arlene who helped update the kitchen. She wrote the blog that includes these remarkable before and after photos. She may be willing to share who helped with the faux finish. Might not be free help, but looks like design info from her would be well paid info to have.
  • Dee Berube Dee Berube on Jan 18, 2016
    These are definitely beautifully done... I too wanted to know so I went to the designer's page. The designer's website says basically "gee, we would love to tell you, but it's a complicated process by our artisans. if you would like it done, we can do it for you"
  • Sheena Sheena on Feb 24, 2016
    The name on the can is Sikkens, it's great stuff. I've been looking at those cabinets in that pic also I live that look they look like a cabinet shape redid them it looks very professional with all (lacquer) based products.
  • Christina Christina on Aug 07, 2016
    They are simply beautiful , well done! I love them, absolutely love them!
  • Penny Penny on Aug 20, 2016
    stunning! i look at those, and then i look at mine, and i say yuck!
  • Patty Tate Patty Tate on Jan 19, 2017
    I need idea's for out side foot paths.
  • Cdc13762660 Cdc13762660 on Apr 05, 2017

    Faux finish is a can of Faux glaze (clear) - I use it for many, many projects because it opens the use time before drying begins and allows you more time to work with the application to get your desired look. I also add an extender if I am making a faux granite or marble project. A faux glaze (I just finished our masterbath vanity, medicine cabinet wood trim and wall cabinet with a stain glaze - I also will be using in our kitchen on the cabinets. The glaze is very thick white in color - and I mix for paint 4 parts glaze to one part paint - whatever color you chose is the color you will get - the white color of the glaze does not alter the paint or stain in any way. For a stain glaze (often applied to kitchen cabinets) I use a 50/50 mix - because stain is thinner than paint and the glaze is very thick - so this gives you a very good consistency and you can even add in woodgrain - if you like that look. The difference between using stain glaze or paint glaze is stain allows you to wipe away the application entirely if it is to dark in some areas - I also highly recommend a good feather brush if you are staining especially - but I also use one for painting as well. You can get clear Faux Glaze at Home Depot, Wal Mart, or most paint stores carry it. I've tried many brands, but I like the Behr the best - one quart will go a long way - unless you have a lot of cabinets. I keep leftover mixes in a tightly covered contained (plastic or glass) and stir just like paint or stain prior to using it again.

  • Cdc13762660 Cdc13762660 on Apr 05, 2017

    Also, this is a very easy process. You will save money by mixing your own. And latex paint is recommended for using with a faux glaze. I have been doing this type of work for many years. I painted our bathroom cabinets in a light grey, then mixed charcoal grey stain with the faux glaze and applied it with a sponge brush, and even created wood like grain with the sponge applicator! https://www.pinterest.com/pin/406098091385382941/

  • Cdc13762660 Cdc13762660 on Apr 05, 2017

    Try this link and see under Master Bath - https://www.pinterest.com/denisecassells/boards/

  • Maryann Maryann on Sep 10, 2017

    Following this I would love to redo our 25 yr old honeyoak cabinets. They are in great condition just needs an update and I'm ready for a change