I just glazed my painted kitchen cabinets. I only washed them first I did not sand them. Most of what I read said not to sand so I didn't. You would not want the glaze to settle in the fine scratches sanding would leave. It was a very easy process, much easier than painting.

I used a gel stain on mine. It was thick and heavy like a pudding and did not run. But I think it will depend on the look you are going for. What color do you want to see in your crevices? I did thin the gel stain a bit for my second application but that was because I wanted more of an overall tone to my doors.

Things to remember:

A glaze sits unprotected on a cabinet, so you will need to poly.

It is very forgiving so you can wipe it off and start over. ( I did one set of cabinet doors three times in a row because I just wasn't happy with them after I stepped back to look at them, then I did get them right and moved on to the rest of them!)

You can use a glazing compound mixed with a paint of your choice and keep adding paint until you get the depth of color you are looking for.

I just finished my cabinets after painting them red,(they were once white too) Glazing was way easier than any painting, and very rewarding. I love how mine came out and have a green buffet I am considering glazing so I would love to know how yours come out!

A link of glazes over paint I found helpful was General finishes. It'll give you an idea of what colors look like.

I wanted my cabinets to be more brown and wood like and re-painting in a brown would have looked to flat to me. It is one of the best DIY I have ever done, and I've done a lot!!!

Kitchen cabinets red:

Cabinets after, with two different glazes and a semi gloss poly:

Far view:

Here is a link that might be useful: glaze over paints

Thanks so much for your answer. What a difference glazing made to your cabinets. They're absolutely beautiful. You did a great job!
Did you leave them on the hinges while you glazed them?

You said you used a "gel stain" to glaze with. Is that all you used, or did you mix a glazing compound with stain? Did you have to add anything else in order to slow down the drying time?

What did you use to clean your cabinets prior?

The link you provided was helpful. I guess I'm looking for either something like the Van Dyke Brown glaze or the Burnt Umber glaze. I won't know until I see them on the wood and see how much they change the original sage green color of my cabinets. I'm hoping it wont change them too much, just kind of show up in the cracks.

How long did it take you from beginning to end?

I took the doors down, and the handles off, I did leave the hinges on( lazy I know but you are only swiping glaze and I was careful)

I cleaned them with ammonia and water with a drop of dawn. A professional painter may recommend something different but it worked for me. The gel stain was Minwax. I used Aged Oak (medium warm brown) which I think would be a nice color and would consider for my own green buffet. I did thin down the glaze slightly with regular paint thinner so it wasn't so gel like and it moved around longer. I think if you wanted to go with the gel I would thin it a bit too, it'll spread faster aqnd give you more working time.

My first coat was Aged Oak slapped on lightly and evenly. It did change the red hue from red to a red brown, but when I wiped off it left barely no noticable difference in the original color of the red or if it did it was so subtle I didn't see it.

I would slap on glaze/gel over entire door. With old towel wipe off everything but what you want to remain in crevices and let dry. You can always go over them again if you want them darker or browner. I would say offhand maybe 1 minute to slap on, three minutes to wipe off and finish? Dab with towel in hard to reach corners.

My process was two parts, one for the brown glaze, one for the mahogany. Then I did do one coat of poly.

I'd say you could do it in a weekend. Thursday night wipe down cabinets, take down doors and hardware, set up work area. Friday glaze and let dry(I would do the cabinet face frame too just in case there is a slight tone difference- after the glazing just wipe it completely off) Saturday poly.
Sunday morn rehang doors. I did mine over Martin Luther King weekend. It went fast.

If you have some old painted boards do a few practice slap on's and wipe off's. Plus you'll be able to see if the wiped off glaze does leave any noticable color behind. If you have painted cabinets then you certainly have the skills for this, it's just a more one door at a time project, than painting all the cabinets all the same color, each door is it's own project.

Thanks again. You were so helpful.I'll have to go to the store and check out the different products/options--stain or glaze mixed with paint. That color you used sounds to be what I'm looking for, medium brown. But I know each brand will be different. And I kind of like the fact that it's a gel. Seems it would be easier to work with.

It kills me because I had an extra painted cabinet door sitting around for a year that we didn't use in our reno, and just threw it away about a month ago. I could've used that for a tester!! Always happens like that! Figures.

lynnbunt-

Would you mind posting a picture of your cabinets? I am thinking of painting a cabinet Olive Branch and glazing too, and would love to see how yours turned out!

never ending..your cabinets are beautiful!! The hardware looks lighter...did you do something to it also? What type of poly did you use..water base or something else?

I painted my cabinets white a few years ago with SW paint and in the seams of the 'inlay'(my doors aren't solid like yours)the paint has cracked, not to mention some ugly wear and tear on the tops of the often-used lower doors. But I didn't poly. Mistake, huh?

Instead of completely repainting, for ages I've had in mind doing a paint on-wipe off thing like you did...just haven't known what to use. Do you think a gel stain would work over paint and if not what would? They WILL be poly'd this time!! I only want to do this once!!

Any ideas from anyone would be greatly appreciated!

This message board is great. I have an old 50's home with wooden cabinets in the bathroom that are painted white. I plan on painting the cabinets a chocolate brown. I was wondering if I could then glaze and poly the brown-painted cabinets? Would I have to wait a couple weeks for the brown paint to set in? I was planning on sanding the cabinets before painting?

The paint I have chosen is chocolate brown. Any suggestions about what color glaze to use?

Do this plan make sense?

Any help would be appreciated.

Wow..........what a great job you did!

never ending- can you tell me what color red you painted your cabinets before you glazed them? Thanks!

Oh sorry, I haven't checked back here in a while, since my last cabinet affair! I used a minwax semi-gloss poly on the doors and I *think* the red was brick dust by olympic paint.

I still have to say I am very happy with my cabinets and how they've held up. I am in the middle of re-doing some painting in this kitchen now and popped over here to check out paint colors!

Need some advice on glazing my kitchen cabinets. My husband has been redoing my kitchen cabinets and sanded and primed and painted them. I want to tone the color down and am very interested in the glazing . They are raisin with the pewter hardware . I have used the pewter backsplashes around under all my cabinets, my walls connecting to my kitchen are a cappichino spice. Please help!!!!