How to Glaze Bathroom Cabinets for an Antique Look?

A new coat of paint (or a stain) along with glazing is a much cheaper way to enhance the beauty of your bathroom cabinets and vanity with a refreshed antique look.

Unlike paint, glaze is a much thinner film that goes over the base paint color to give it more contrast and richness.

It’s like a mixture of dark paint and water where the water is used to thin out the darker paint so that it is easier to apply to a surface. Before applying the glaze film, you just need to wait until the base paint dries and cures completely.

But how should you do it, what products to use and what are the things you need to remember while making your oak cabinets in the bathroom or kitchen look more vintage? Let’s get into every detail in our step-by-step guide below.

Glazing Cabinets Techniques and Steps

Glazing your old or newly painted cabinets is an easy enough process to do on your own. The most challenging part, however, is choosing a glaze solution that is the right shade.

Generally, if you select a glaze with a darker shade (than your base paint color on the cabinets), then you will be fine. After that, glaze application on the wooden surface will be just as easy as it was to apply the base paint.

Step 1. Gather Tools

Besides a premixed glazing solution, this glazing project will require the necessary tools and materials such as a screwdriver, a plastic bag (resealable), two dry and soft cotton cloths, and one small paint roller made of foam. Alternatively, you can use a China paintbrush instead of a roller if preferred.

Step 2. Remove Hardware

Start by using the screwdriver to open up the screws and remove the handles of the bathroom cabinets. Save the screws by placing them into the plastic bag.

You may want to remove the hinges and doors of the cabinets as well, but it is not essential for getting the job done.

Step 3. Get the Glaze

Open up the seal of the premixed glaze container. Add this already tinted glaze to the foam portion of the paint roller or the bristles of the paintbrush. For small areas, corners, and crevices, I recommend putting the glaze with a clean cloth as it’s much easier to work with.

Rub it over gently to get a smooth finish. Focus on one small area of the cabinets at a time. If you are using a roller or brush, move them in one direction only.

Remember, you don’t need to add a lot of glazes to get the antique effect. The glaze should only be applied as a thin layer (thinner than paint or a stain you already put).

But remember, the thin layer of glaze on the cabinets will dry quickly. For this reason, it is better to focus on sections as you work.

Step 4. Clean the Excess Glaze

Use a soft clean cloth to remove the excess glaze that has not dried yet.

Leaving a slightly more glaze in the areas like millwork, grooves, or engravings can sometimes look great. So, if you have these designs on the cabinets, you would need to decide whether you want to clean up the excess glaze or want to leave it as it is.

Plus, the glaze can easily build up in layers on your roller or brush, so removing some glaze is recommended when that happens during your project. Make sure you use another clean cloth for this purpose.

Step 5. Let the Glaze Dry

After you are done with the application, let the glaze on the cabinets dry altogether. Depending on the type of glaze and the humidity in the room, drying time may vary, but it’s recommended to wait at least 24 hours for a thorough drying.

Once the glaze has dried fully, carefully reattach all the handles, hinges, and doors that you had previously removed from the cabinets. Make sure to check that everything is aligned correctly and securely fastened for a smooth, functional finish.

Precautionary Tips:

• After glazing painted cabinets, glazes tend to dry darker. So in between applying the layers, take a step back and look for the finish you get.
• Do not wipe away the glaze too much, as this can cause a dirty look that is not impressive.
• Leaving too much glaze on the surface will also not help, as it can make the classic antique effect less visible. You should therefore create a balance between both and wipe gently only if you feel it.

---

Are Glazed Cabinets Out of Style?

Distressed and glazed bathroom cabinet finishes have risen in popularity over the last decade and have fallen out of fashion soon. However, the ease of the glazing techniques that can add an antique yet modern look to your project in a DIY way brings the style back.

A few other reasons why I personally like this technique are:

1- Brings out details

When painting, staining, or spraying the aging cabinets with your favorite color, the details and the natural element of the wood are often lost. Glazing your stained cabinets, on the other hand, gives the details a subtle boost-up so that nobody misses these designs while looking at your cabinets.

2- Great for a customized look

Since glazing is a process that’s usually done by hand, glazed real wood cabinets can help add that traditional customized look to your kitchen or bathroom. Not only will they look warmer but also feel to be less modern and more antique.

3- Adds a dramatic element to your bathroom

The darker or more layers of pre-colored glaze you put in, the more dramatic and sharper effect it creates in your room.

Think of the effect when you are in your bathtub and enjoying the scented aroma of a nearby bathroom diffuser, along with an antique and dramatic element of the oak cabinets nearby.

What Kind of Glaze to Use on Cabinets?

Glazes for bathroom cabinets, vanity, and other wood furniture are available in two different formulas, i.e., water-based and oil-based.

Usually, if you have stained cabinets, oil-based glazes will work better, but for painted bathroom or kitchen cabinets, water-based glazes are ideal.

Be aware that since oil-based glazes contain linseed oil or kerosene, they tend to dry more slowly (usually in about 40 to 60 minutes). This means it’s easier to work with oil-based glazes as compared to water-based glazes.

But if you are to choose a low-odor, low-VOC, water-based topcoats that provide a tinted, matte finish, the Finishing Glazes by RMP Finishes Company offer the ideal solution, particularly when your cabinets are coated with milk paint. These sealing agents are both protective and washable.

If you want to apply a coat of glazing on cured polyurethane, you can use oil-based polyurethane and epoxy resin glazes.

If you want, you can also consider applying gel stain as a glaze over finished stained wood. This works for many people and can give good results if done right.

What glaze colors to use?

There is a variety of pre-colored glazes available on the market that are ready to match your vibe.

But if you are to explore more customization without settling on an already-tinted glaze, you can mix your own glazes to achieve the exact shade and texture you desire. This allows you to tailor the finish to complement your project perfectly.

How to make your own paint glaze?

Typically you can tint a DIY glaze by mixing clear medium in a tint or paint.

• Select a clear medium (such as water-based polyurethane, clear acrylic glaze, or clear latex paint) as the base. This will act as the carrier for the pigment and determine the glaze’s consistency.
• Combine 1 part water-based or acrylic paint (choose your desired color that complements your base coat) with 4–5 parts of clear medium. Adjust the ratio depending on how transparent you want the glaze to be.
• Now adjust the consistency of your glaze. For a thinner glaze, add a small amount of water (if using water-based products) or Floetrol (for smoother application).
• Mix thoroughly until the glaze is smooth and free of lumps. Then apply the glaze to a test surface to check the transparency and color.
• Add some more clear medium for a lighter effect or more paint for a stronger tint.

Be aware that how much tint paint you add to the glaze will typically determine the translucency of the glazing product you will achieve.

For example, if you want to make your glazed cabinets look chocolaty, you can do that by mixing chocolate-colored paint with a clear glaze. The more color you use with the glaze, the darker the glazed chocolatey cabinets will look.

In case you do not want to get a darker or sharper face-lift, you can simply use a clear, colorless glaze for your wood or MDF cabinets to get that charming, welcoming look.

TIP: To try the color to make sure how it looks, start by glazing the inside of the cabinets or drawers first. Once you are sure about the tone, you can move ahead.

What Type of Paint Should You Glaze On?

I have glazed (de-glazed, and re-glazed) over a variety of different types of paints like latex paints, oil paints, enamels, polyurethane, chalk paints, etc.

Not only on kitchen and bathroom cabinets but on various other furniture pieces like sideboard buffets, hutch, wooden mirror frames, vanity, etc.

IMO, glazing over flat and glossy paint finishes is not very easy. It will work best over latex-based paints with an eggshell or satin finish.

Glaze may work over oil-based paints depending on factors like the brand of paint, its glossiness, how old it is, etc. But you should not try glazing over chalk paints, especially if it’s unsealed.

Since chalk paint is naturally porous, glazing over it will make the glaze settle down in pores, creating a muddy, messy look rather than a smooth, silky, and buttery surface.

---

Can You Paint Over Glazed Cabinets and Furniture?

Painting or staining over the glazed cabinets is not so easy, and I recommend not doing so. If you fail to do it properly, you will be wasting your time and energy and maybe also damaging the finish forever.

If you really need to paint over the glazing, remove the glaze coating first.

Since paint or stain does not adhere to the glaze coating well, you should always strip the glaze and then apply a coat of good primer followed by premium quality paint.

How to remove the glaze from cabinets?

As long as you can put some extra time and effort into removing the coating of glaze precisely, you can do all this in a DIY way without the need to hire a professional painter.

But remember that removing the wood glaze from cabinets is an important step and should be done carefully. If not, painting over it to cover the flaws can be pretty expensive and time-consuming.

Here are a few steps you can follow to remove the old dried glaze from cabinets:

1. Use a power palm sander (fitted with fine-grit paper) to sand the cabinets
2. Work slowly to remove the entire glaze both from inside and outside of the cabinets
3. Take a damp cotton rag and wipe away the dust particles completely, let the cabinet dry for half an hour
4. Check again if there is still some glaze left – if it’s still there, sand the surface a bit more
5. While sanding, do not sand too hard to get the bare wood – your goal is only to remove the thin glaze layer.

Remember that you will need to sand around the edges and corners well so that it matches the rest of the cabinet. For this, you can use a sanding block (without a sander) or a bit of liquid sandpaper that will do the trick.

When you have removed the entire glaze, you are ready to finish. The primer and paint will now stick better on the cabinets without the risk of getting any bubbles, cracks, or peel-offs.

The bottom line

Glaze is a semi-transparent coating or finish used in various decorative applications, including painting, woodworking, and cabinetry. To glaze or not to glaze your bathroom flat panel cabinets will generally depend on the overall design, look, and feel of your space.

But remember, the glaze is so versatile that you can easily add some to your old-aged furniture to achieve that vintage look. Make sure the surface of the cabinets is clean, dry, and painted well before glazing it.