Painting and Distressing Cabinets

My Pantry is in need of a lot of help!  When we bought our house, the only thing in there was three flimsy wire shelves.  These shelves do the trick, except they bend when I place a bag of flour on them!  

So finally, after almost two years of patience, I get to start the project!  My sister-in-law tells me I am so patient!  I just like to do it once, the way I want it, so it will be done!  Therefore, I have to wait till we can afford it!

So today, I will show you step one, painting and distressing the cabinets.  We started with basic unfinished oak.  My husband tells me I am crazy, but I like the look of old farmhouse kitchens.  So here I am in an almost new house, making things look old.  

Oh well, so it goes!

I started by painting them white.  I used paint that had primer in it, but if you don't have this kind, you'll have to put primer  on the bare wood first.

Above is after one coat.

 I wanted a nice solid white to start with, so I ended up doing three coats.  Be sure to let it dry between each coat.

 After drying completely, take some sand paper to your nice fresh finish.  Concentrate more on places that will usually get more wear and tear over time.  How much you want is up to you!

Initially, I was going to rub a stain over this, but after doing one door, I decided I like the solid white better.  The stain will create a more faded, antique look, so if that is what you fancy, rub a light stain over with a rag.  If you're doing as I did, skip this step.

Next, I coated each piece with three coats of Polyurethane.  Again, be sure to let dry between each coat.

Let dry, and put back together.

Next step, to choose my hardware, and type of counter top.

Thanks for stopping by, feel free to leave me a comment or any questions you may have! 

~Corrie