Better Homes and Gardens emailed me these ideas today.  They have some really great ideas.  I’ve been inspired to experiment a little more with a cabinet door I have leftover from when we did our kitchen.  Here’s the link… 
Better Homes & Garden

     Okay, this is the last cabinet idea for a while.  I had fun experimenting but I want to go ahead with the white paint.  The paint on this cabinet looks like it is still red but it is a deep rusty, coppery orange.  The bird and the branch are stickers I picked up at Target.

     Well, the red was starting to get a little boring.  I have a whole closet full of paint samples, leftover paint, and some paint that I was going to use but my plans changed and the paint got shelved.  So, I decided to put the odds and ends to work. 

     I think this is my favorite so far.  I like the gray with the cream.  Elegant and soothing.  It’s got just enough kick to make things interesting but not overpowering.

      I’ve been dying to try this over-sized stencil I picked up at Hobby Lobby.    I used a paint with the primer already mixed in.  The coverage was good with the cream over the red.  I used a small sponge roller on the stencil and around the flat part of the door frame.  I used an artist brush for the detail work on the corners and the edges.  This project was a little more time consuming than the other experiments.  I think it would be better suited to an armoire or maybe a bathroom vanity.

Day two of experiments.  Today I put a black glaze over the red paint.  I mixed black paint with glazing medium.  I used a 1:4 ratio.  If I were going to do it again though, I would use a 5 or 6 to 1 ration.  One to four was a little thick.  The process was quick and easy.  You can slop the glaze on the cabinet.  The trick with glaze is to really work it into the cracks and crevices.  You have to work fast – the glaze dries really quickly.  If you haven’t glazed before, I suggest you practice on the back of a drawer or door until you are confident you can achieve the look you want.  I like a lot of glaze so I didn’t wipe any off.  If you want a lighter look, brush on the glaze really working it in, then quickly wipe off the flat surfaces, leaving the glaze in the crevices.

The glaze is worth the extra effort.  It adds an extra depth and richness to the base color without changing it.  I would finish this project up with at least two coats of a polyurethane. Here’s a link to a video I made if you are interested in a tutorial on glazing techniques.