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Staining wood Darker or the Transformation of Staining Wood Cabinets Darker
Staining light wood darker in an office
BEFORE
AFTER
In this day and age of painting everything white you may actually want to darken the stain of your woodwork to look better. In this article, you’ll see an amazing transformation of staining wood cabinets darker in an office. See the prep, the process and the materials used to make it a more regal and updated office for getting work done.
1- Staining wood darker
Staining wood darker: This office is clad from floor to ceiling with oak panels, oak shelves, oak countertops and oak doors that only have a few coats of polyurethane. Over the years it has achieved a patina of golden orange which is not desired. The new owners of this home wanted to match the oak floors after they stained the wood floors darker.
Follow along with our process to make this office stain darker. Please note that this process is for previously finished wood that you want to make darker without stripping or sanding all of the old finish off of.
2- Color matching darker stain
With the system of water-based wood stains available we were able to match the red mahogany stain color from Minwax used on the recently stripped and stained oak floors. The combination of chocolate and prune stains mixed in a ratio of 2:1 made a perfect match. Keep reading to learn more about the exact, easy to use products, we used.
3- Getting the wood ready for a darker stain
As always, it takes lots of prep to make a great outcome. The office floor had to be covered and the cabinetry prepared much like a set of kitchen cabinets.
In order to stain the wood paneling darker and stain wood darker without stripping we had to clean and sand every surface from the baseboard to the crown molding. The process of cleaning and sanding took 2 people about a day, including the masking.
4- Staining wood a darker color
For this process, we mix the waterborne stain with a water-based urethane made for floors. It is mixed and thinned so that it can be sprayed with an HVLP sprayer in thin even coats. One coat of wood stain is not dark enough so we apply about 5 coats to achieve the desired darker stain color.
5- Common staining questions
It is common for us to get questions about this process like how much to stain wood darker or how to stain wood darker without sanding. Also, will stain get darker with more coats and can you stain wood darker. Call us or message us any time and we’d be glad to answer your wood staining questions.
6- Many colors of wood stain
There are many colors that can be achieved by mixing different stain colors together. Wood stain dark cherry, wood stain dark espresso, wood stain dark mahogany, wood stain dark walnut, wood stain dark oak, grey wood stain, white wood stain, black wood stain, gray wood stain, redwood stain, ebony wood stain, walnut stain, dark walnut stain, espresso wood stain, jacobean stain, blue wood stain, walnut wood stain, red oak stain, maple stain. The possibilities are endless and we are able to mix any wood stain color to match something specific if needed.
7- Stain wood products
In this specific instance we used a product from a company called Saman. They have a full line of stains and finishes that you can use to create an exact stain color or stain color match as needed. As stated above we used the colors chocolate and prune. Saman products are all water-based and dry times are fast allowing multiple coats in a day, no smell and quick return to service time. We use a sprayer to apply to get the most even application of stain. There are other classic brands such as Minwax wood stains, Valspar wood stains and Minwax polyshades which is a stain and polyurethane all in one product.
8- Staining oak cabinets darker
All of the oak in the office transformed from an old yellow/ orange to a dreamy dark red/chocolate tone that was achieved over several coats. The same process of staining could be used with pine wood stain, oak wood stain, mahogany wood stain, cedar wood stain, and walnut wood stain depending on what species of wood you have already in your home.
9- Sealing after stain
Now that you are happy with your darker stain color it is time to seal it. A clear topcoat in the sheen you desire is all it takes to seal in the beauty. The most common sheen is satin. On this specific project, we mixed Saman flat with equal parts satin finish to achieve the gloss level seen in the photos. It’s not too shiny and not a flat finish so it will clean up great. Let it dry for a few days before using your new and beautiful space.
10- Staining dark wood lighter?
Staining dark wood light, unfortunately, is not possible. In some cases, we may be able to make dark wood gray but due to the nature of stain if the wood stain is too dark how to lighten is problematic. Since you can see through the stain and darker color will last through the subsequent coat and that is why you can stain light wood darker but not the inverse.
Pro’s and Con’s
As previously stated, start with thin coats and work your way to the darkness you wish to achieve with the stain color. You cannot make the stain color lighter once it is too dark. You would have to strip or sand off the stain in order to lighten the stain color. Sanding and cleaning are imperative and the key to a great staining and finishing project.
Conclusion
Now you know you can darken the stain on your woodwork. The process is simple and the results are dramatic. If you are looking to darken the stain in your office or darken the stain of your cabinets feel free to reach out to us. Have a question about the staining or toning process? Please ask. Leave a comment below or call any time.
We look forward to taking care of your wood staining needs and also any interior or exterior painting project you have. Love your castle- Love your painter!