finish for painted cabinets

[susiturk53]

I have some very old painted kitchen cabinets that I have been advised to paint- sand the edges and then add glaze to enhance the "worn" look. My qestion is -what do I add to the clear glaze to give it the "worn" look?
Thanks for the advice!

[kimeyers]

It depends on your taste. Generally, cabinets are glazed with a brown glaze to achieve the aged effect. However, there are 1,000's of browns-which is where you have to make a choice. If your cabinets are that old, and if the paint isn't in great condition, you probably ought to start with a fresh coat of paint. Either way, do a sample first to make sure you have the color combination that is right for you.

[susiturk53]

What do I add to color to the glaze? when I saw it- it said it was clear.thanks so much for your help!

[kimeyers]

Assuming, as is ussually the case, you have an alkalyd/latex glaze, you can add any latex paint, or artist acrylics, to the glaze to achieve the color you want. You can also use universal tints, or proprietary colorants to tint your glaze. If you find a latex custom color you like, that is the easiest way to get the right color, unless you are comfortable mixing paints.

However, keep in mind that a latex glaze may not work well if the base coat of your cabinets is oil.