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Refinishing Cabinets: An Overview of Cabinet Refinishing Techniques

Should you stencil, pickle or stain your cabinets? If you can't quite decide which technique to use, read this article to learn more about these refinishing ideas.

When refinishing cabinets, homeowners can choose to paint or stain them. The technique they choose often depends on the style of the kitchen and homeowners personal taste. Here's an overview of options for each technique.

Painting: Stenciling and Pickling

With painting, homeowners can get as creative as they want. They do not have to stick with just one coat of paint as they could use layers of paint.

For instance, they could stencil their cabinets with a decorative design. Small designs can be applied along the edges of the cabinets while large designs could be used in the center of door panels. It may be best to choose either small or large designs. If both were used together, it can make the cabinets look busy.

Stencils can be bought from local craft stores. These stencils could have a simple scroll design or festive design that goes with the kitchen's theme.

Other than stenciling, homeowners could try pickling. According to the writers at Better Homes and Gardens, pickling is an opaque finish that brings out the wood cabinet's natural grain and allows it to be enhanced with color. This technique involves using an oil-base paint, which is why it is categorized under painting rather than staining.

Pickling is a good choice for homeowners who want to bring out the look of their cabinet's natural grain.

Staining

For those who prefer a simpler look, there is staining. Staining allows homeowners to enjoy the full beauty of their wood cabinets.

When choosing stains, it is important for homeowners to find out what type of wood their cabinets are made of. How light or dark a stain appears depends on the wood. For example, stains often look lighter when they are applied to pine while stains look darker when applied to oak. With oak, there are special steps to preparing the wood to be stained.

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