Q: I have 30-year-old, brown-stained kitchen cabinets that I want to paint to have an aged look. I've seen you do this with light colours, but I'd like to try black with a red glaze. Will that work?

A: This will make a stunning transformation similar to a makeover I did for a homeowner whose only request was not to use black. But, cheekily, I couldn't resist this luscious combination of red antiqued with a black glaze, and he was delighted with the sophisticated results.

Antiquing will work with cabinet doors that are flat or have moulding detail.

The glaze coat is transparent and allows the base coat to peek through, adding depth and interest to the finish.

With the moulded doors shown, the effect is even more dramatic.

The top coat or the glaze coat will be the dominant colour.

In the steps that follow, simply switch to a black base coat and red coloured glaze for your cabinets.

This technique is for antiquing over sealed wood.

1. Sand the surface to rough it up, and then apply a good quality primer that is designed to cover slippery surfaces.

2. Apply two coats of your base coat colour; I used red. Allow the first coat to dry before adding the second coat.

3. Make a coloured glaze by stirring together one part black paint to three parts glazing liquid. Brush a thin coat of the black glaze over the surface, building up the colour and getting into all the indentations.

4. While the glaze is still wet, rub back most of the glaze from areas where the cabinet door would naturally be worn, along the edges and the handles. Also remove glaze from the indentations to highlight the design.

5. Once the cabinets are dry, apply two coats of satin varnish for added protection.

Q: I have decided to repaint my outdoor concrete fountain, which is a light pink and quite stained by leaves. What is the best way to get an antique look? I thought I'd start with a bronze or tan, and then use another colour to rub on and off to fill the creases.

A: Why not choose a copper-verdigris finish for your fountain? It will look very authentic, like a copper vessel that has been naturally aged, and stains and dirt will be far less noticeable. You can buy verdigris kits at the craft store, or you can create your own.

Begin with two coats of copper or bronze paint for your base and let this dry. You will need two shades of either aqua or turquoise paint. Mix each with equal parts glazing liquid.

Brush on the darker coloured glaze first in random patches, making sure the colour goes into any crevices. Next brush on the lighter blue glaze sparingly. Spray or dab water over the entire surface; let it eat through the drying paints.

With a rag, dab over the surface, removing most of the blue glazes and leaving the excess behind in the indentations. The copper base coat should be prevalent. When you are happy with the illusion, let the finish dry overnight, then apply two coats of gloss varnish for sheen.

This column is produced by Debbie Travis and Barbara Dingle. E-mail questions to house2home@debbietravis.com.