Minwax consultant Bruce Johnson gives tips on updating kitchen cabinets for a bright new look. All it takes is a little paint, stain or new hardware. Give kitchen cabinets an inexpensive overhaul by exchanging their old knobs and handles for new ones (figure A). Remove the screws holding the hardware in place, measure the distance between the screw holes, and buy new hardware that fits. Use a penetrating wood stain on unfinished or refinished wood cabinets. Stir the stain well, apply it to the surface with a brush, then rub it off with a cloth (figure B). The longer it stays on the wood, the darker the wood will become. Two days after applying the stain, apply two coats of polyurethane to bring out the grain of the wood and protect the finished surface from kitchen grime (figure C). Gently stir the polyurethane before using. Make sure not to shake the can, as the resulting air bubbles will create an uneven finish. Let the finish dry at least six to eight hours between coats. Apply a pastel stain to unfinished cabinets, then decorate them with a stencil-stained design in a different color (figure D). Pastel stains are oil-based wood stains that give a soft pastel color while highlighting the wood grain. After the initial stain has dried, use painter's tape to hold the stencil in place, and dab on contrasting stain with a craft sponge (figure E). Dab the stain-loaded sponge on a clean rag to remove almost all of the stain before stenciling. Work very dry so the stain doesn't leak under the edge of the stencil. If desired, add a matching, contrasting or two-tone trim to the edges of the door. The center panels of most raised-panel cabinet doors are easily removed by popping them out from the back, or by removing any screws holding them in place. Replace them with glass panels or, for a country look, with bead-board panels painted a contrasting color.
RESOURCES :
Kitchen Planner
Author: Better Homes and Gardens
Order this title from Amazon.com.
Minwax Pastels, available in Winter White, Summer Straw, Pale Gray and Slate Blue
Minwax Company (full name: The Thompson Minwax Company)
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458-1934
Phone: 201-818-7500
Fax: 201-818-7605
Website: www.minwax.com
The Complete Book of Kitchen and Bathroom Renovation
Time Life Books
Website: www.timelife.com
Kitchen: Decorating Ideas & Projects
ISBN: 0696211149
Author: Linda Hallam (ed.)
Order this title from Amazon.com.
The New Kitchen Idea Book
Author: Joanne Kellar Bouknight (Taunton)
Order this title from Amazon.com.
The Taunton Press Inc.
Website: www.taunton.com
The Decorated Kitchen: Creative Projects
ISBN: 1564773507
Author: Leslie Beck
Order this title from Amazon.com.
| 
)
)
)
)
)
