Cabinet Stain Ideas

Natural Beauty

• If you have gorgeous hardwood cabinetry of deep-grained rosewood, knotty pine, clean-lined- and eco-friendly-bamboo or fine-grained mahogany, hiding their natural beauty with dark stain may be the furthest thing from your mind. Use the occasional coat of a clear, or like-colored, protective finish to extend the life and luster of your fine hardwood fixtures.

Transparent Color

• If the golden pine cupboards standout like a sore thumb in your freshly painted kitchen of watery blues with accents of calming greens, sand them down and spruce them up with a soft and creamy-white, transparent stain. For the more adventurous decorator, a deep red or earthy green semi-transparent stain might be the right shade to spice up a tired kitchen -- just remember that you probably do not want your appliances to pop as the main attractions, so choose a darker stain alongside a black fridge and stove and a lighter stain to flow effortlessly with white or stainless steel.

Solid Color

• The modern home with crisp and striking attributes could benefit from a splash of pure color on the cabinetry. Solid color stains range from white to black, so your options are almost endless. The wood cabinet’s grain pattern might show through, and could add interest to an up-to-date kitchen or bathroom. For a funky switch, choose a dark stain such as charcoal for the lower cupboards and a stark white for the uppers.

Weathered Patina

• Staining accents and techniques allow you to create the look of weathered wood. In the Cape Cod house or country charmer, weathered cabinets would seem right at home. Apply the “graying” method and artificially weather your wood cupboards to add a distressed, yet serene and simplistic patina.