Kitchen is one of the places in the house where a person, especially a woman, spends a considerable amount of time. Considering this, and the fact that it provides us with one of the basic necessities of life - food, it is only justified that the room is made to look as warm and inviting as possible. One of the ways to do this is by imparting an antique and worn down look to your kitchen. In case you are now planning to follow the antique-looking kitchen d¨¦cor, make sure to pay proper attention to the cabinets as well, since they form an important part of the overall decor.

Whether a part of the antique d¨¦cor or not, antique cabinets can be used to give a distinctive look to your kitchen, setting it apart from all the other styles. There is no dearth of styles, when it comes to decorating your kitchen with antique cabinets, especially with so many options available in the furniture market. However, if you don't want to spend too much money on the kitchen cabinets, it is advisable to make the existing ones look antique and worn down. The task is fairly easily and hardly costs money. In the following lines, we will tell you about the main procedures for adding antiquity to your kitchen cabinets.

Give Your Cabinets Antique Look

Staining
One of the most popular methods of imparting an antique look to kitchen cabinets comprises of staining. For the purpose, you will need a dark stain, a brush or sponge and lots of paper towels. First of all, you will have to clean your cabinet thoroughly, making sure that there is no dust clinging on to it. Now, with the help of the brush/sponge, apply a light layer of the stain on one section of the cabinet. Before the stain gets dry, start wiping it off with the paper towel, till you achieve the desired level of 'antiqueness'. Repeat the process on the other areas of the cabinet as well, especially around the edges and handles.

Distressing
Another popular method of antiquing cabinets is known as distressing. This method works only on painted cabinets. In distressing, a cabinet is made to look as worn down as it would a hundred years thence. You will need a little bit of sandpaper for the purpose. Start sanding off the finish in those areas of the cabinet that are likely to get worn down with use, say the edges and handles, till the time you get to see just a thin layer of the wood underneath. For an overall worn down look, you can sand the middle of the cabinets as well.

Other Methods
There are two more methods that you can use to give an antique look to your kitchen cabinets, namely crackle painting and faux painting. The first one involves two types of paint, while the second one involves just one. However, both these methods are better left to a professional.