How to Glaze Chalk Painted Kitchen Cabinets

Glaze adds depth to chalk-painted doors

Glaze is a translucent, tinted medium. You brush it on, then wipe most of it back off so the color settles into the recesses and door profiles. The result looks antique. Glaze is decorative, not protective, so it still needs a water-based topcoat over it.

Glaze works best on raised-panel or Shaker doors. Flat slab doors tend to show streaks.

The order matters: seal before you glaze

Chalk paint is porous, so it soaks up glaze unevenly. Glaze applied straight onto raw chalk paint stains blotchily and won’t wipe back evenly. Seal the chalk paint first with a barrier coat of water-based polyurethane.

For a kitchen, the order is:

1. Paint the cabinets with chalk paint, usually two coats. For the full prep, see how to redo kitchen cabinets with chalk paint.
2. Apply one coat of water-based polyurethane as a barrier.
3. Let the barrier coat dry fully. Check the label. It is often two to four hours, or overnight.
4. Brush on the glaze and wipe it back, one door at a time.
5. Once the glaze is dry, apply two more coats of water-based polyurethane.

What you need

• A water-based glaze, such as General Finishes Glaze Effects, or a glaze mixing medium tinted with paint, such as Valspar or Behr
• Water-based polyurethane for the barrier coat and the two top coats
• Brushes, including a dry brush for softening lines
• Lint-free cloths or cheesecloth
• A damp cloth for lifting excess glaze

Homemade glaze is often mixed at about 4 parts mixing medium to 1 part paint, though this varies by product and effect. Test it before you commit.

Choose a glaze color

Brown and black glazes are common choices, such as Van Dyke brown, raw umber, or black. Gray works too. Darker glazes show most clearly over white, cream, and gray paint. For a glazed off-white over cabinet enamel rather than chalk paint, see how to paint kitchen cabinets with an antique white finish.

Glaze one door at a time

1. Brush on the glaze. Work on one door or panel at a time, so you can wipe it before it dries.
2. Wipe it back. Use a lint-free cloth or cheesecloth. Leave more glaze in the corners and profiles, where it looks natural.
3. Soften the lines. Use a dry brush to blend any hard edges.
4. Work quickly with water-based glaze. It has a short open time. A damp cloth lifts excess.
5. Test first. Try the glaze on the back of a door, since dried glaze is hard to undo.

Dry times and topcoat

Water-based glaze often dries in two to four hours. Oil-based glaze often needs 24 hours or more. Check the label for your product. Once the glaze is dry, apply two more coats of water-based polyurethane. The durability guide covers topcoat choices and application.

If you are using a homemade base, the same barrier-coat order applies. See how to make your own chalk paint for kitchen cabinets for that process.

Common mistakes

• Glazing raw chalk paint. Without the barrier coat, the glaze stains blotchily.
• Treating glaze as protection. It is decorative. The topcoat does the protecting.
• Treating dark wax and glaze as the same thing. Water-based poly won’t bond over wax, so if you use wax, remove it fully before you topcoat.
• Using too much glaze. Heavy glaze looks muddy. Wipe back more.

Safety

Ventilate the room when you use oil-based glaze. Lay oily rags flat to dry before you throw them away, because they can self-ignite.