The wait is over, we're looking at 90-degree temps later this week. We find ourselves in a recent hurry to prep the yard, clean off the patio furniture, and refresh with a few new pieces for the season ahead. If you're lucky enough to have one of these spaces, make sure you get as much use out of it as possible.
There's a new kitchen cabinet trend and it isn't paint - it's a new wood stain colour. Here's how to make it work with a white kitchen.
Do you want an easy way to update your old honey oak cabinets without the hassle of stripping and sanding? Learn how to gel stain your cabinets on a budget.
This gel stain cabinet makeover was a breeze to do!! Super easy (and quick) way to update that old orange-y wood! (or any old wood!)
General finishes gel stain tutorial using antique walnut gel stain to refinish kitchen cabinets and bathroom vanities in our first flip! Check out the before and after pictures and learn how to refinish kitchen cabinets or any cabinetry or furniture your heart desires with this general finishes gel stain tutorial!
Grease stains on kitchen cabinets are hard to remove, especially if they are old. But there are a few tricks that will greatly ease your work, and they are all here! As someone who rubbed the walls…
This gel stain cabinet makeover was a breeze to do!! Super easy (and quick) way to update that old orange-y wood! (or any old wood!)
Enter the latest fad to hit kitchens (and even bedrooms) everywhere: painted or stained plywood. It's versatile and easy to pull off in a wide range of styles.
How to mix & coordinate different wood stains. Match wood floors, cabinets, trims, furniture like a PRO: oak, cherry, maple, espresso, & pine.
Check out this step by step tutorial for how to use gel stain over painted furniture. easy gel staining tips for wood furniture makeovers. Do you have to sand before using gel stain? NO! Learn the answers to these questions - How do you apply gel stain to
Grease stains on kitchen cabinets are hard to remove, especially if they are old. But there are a few tricks that will greatly ease your work, and they are all here! As someone who rubbed the walls…
Solutions to Transform Your 90s oak-filled home. How to work with your honey oak cabinets and trim. Are you living in a sea of oak?
Blue Sky Architecture has designed this contemporary off-grid residence located on Sidney Island, British Columbia, Canada.
1929 Architect: Domènech Sugranyes i Gras
My bathroom makeover may possibly be the slowest in history. It started last year when I removed the hideous, cheap light bar above the vanity and replaced it with 2 beautiful light fixtures. The next step was to add moulding to the wall-mounted mirror, and I shared some tricks to make that process easier. And that's where things stayed... for months and months. Recently, I finally found the motivation and decided it was time to tackle updating the vanity. If you have lived in a house built in the last 25 years, the odds are pretty good you have lived with cabinets like these. Typical, builder-grade oak, finished in a gold/honey color. I had a decision to make. Was I going to paint or stain them? I have decided although its better than golden stain, I don't really care for the look of painted oak. You can still see the heavy grain, even after a couple coats. Also, I have yet to sell my husband on painted cabinets. So stain it is! There was absolutely no way I was going to attempt to strip all the existing stain and finish off this vanity, plus I was looking to minimize some of the oak grain. I had the idea that I could use a tinted topcoat, like Minwax's Polyshades to darken the wood (same technique I used on my old kitchen table). Unfortunately, Polyshades is a bit of a drippy mess and can get thick and globby with multiple coats. I started researching and discovered that a lot of people have had great success darkening finished wood with gel stain. The first tutorial I read was this one. Just about every tutorial I read claimed you must use General Finish gel stain, and every single one of them used the color Java. I decided to be a rebel and try something else, and guess what? It worked! I used about half a quart of Varathane gel stain (by Rustoleum) in the color Dark Walnut . If you've decided to darken your cabinets, lets go over the steps I suggest you follow. First, remove the drawer faces and cabinet doors. I have seen people stain them in place, but don't do it. It takes like 5 minutes to unscrew the old doors. Lets do it the right way people. Next, give everything a light sand-down, especially if your cabinets are on the newer side. It shouldn't take very long. You arn't looking to remove the finish, just give it some "tooth". I used 150 grit. Make sure to use a damp rag or tack cloth to wipe them clean after. Once your wood is prepped, time to start staining. One mistake I see people do is to not stir their stain. Gel stain is super thick! Like pudding. Although the pigment in gel stain doesn't separate as quickly as traditional stain, it is still a good idea to stir it well before use. As for application, I'll admit, I totally stole this idea. Once again, being a rebel, I tried applying the stain with a high quality brush but still had terrible brush strokes. I finally caved and went with the crowd and used a thick sock over a gloved hand. It really worked great to get a smooth, even application. For an authentic, stained wood look, make sure to wipe with the grain of the wood and be mindful of intersections. Keep the coats even but thin. Warning, the first coat will look like crap. At this point you will totally be second guessing yourself and possibly cursing my name. It will get better, I promise. VERY IMPORTANT! Let each coat dry for at least 12 hours. Seriously. I don't care if the can says you "can re-coat in 2 hours". Don't do it. Yes, I have 2 steps labeled #4 Each coat gets better and better. It took me 3 coats till the color looked even and natural. If you want professional results, you are going to want to spray your sealant (I'll explain more in a minute). Take the doors to the (open) garage to spray, but the vanity will have to get sprayed in place. Yes, you can spray inside your house. Actually, that's how the pro's do it. You can pick up plastic drop cloths at Home Depot for dirt cheap. Cover anything you don't want sprayed and make sure to have as much ventilation as possible! If you read other tutorials, they will all tell you to use a water-based, wipe on top coat. Here's my thoughts: This is a bathroom. These cabinets will be frequently exposed to water. Water-based sealants aren't durable to long term water exposure. Once I decided to refinish my cabinets, I decided to make them look and feel as professional as possible. I started watching dozens of YouTube videos and reading on cabinet maker forums. One thing was universal. Professionals use lacquer to seal cabinets for a variety of reasons. #1- Its dries fast! You can re-coat, without sanding, in 30 minutes. #2- It dries hard as a rock, unlike poly products which are essentially flexible plastic. And #3- It is VERY durable. Once fulled cured, a lacquered surface should withstand years of heavy use. I know, DIYers are usually scared of lacquer. The good news is, I found a clear lacquer in a spray can! I have a couple of paint guns, but I try to avoid running anything but water-based products through them, since I hate the clean up. Home Depot carries a product by Deft (owned by Minwax) that is perfect! It goes on super even, and gives professional looking results. I sprayed 3 coats on the vanity as well as both sides of the doors and ended up using 6 cans. Here is a link to buy it online After allowing the lacquer to dry over-night, one more step I highly recommend is using felt or rubber pads on the drawer and cabinet faces. These little guys are easy to find, cheap, and help your cabinets function much more smoothly. The small space they provide between the doors and frames keep the fresh stain and lacquer from sticking to itself. They are also a must for painted cabinets! Here's a link to buy them online If you are attaching new hardware, make your life easier and build a jig from some scrap wood. It takes only a couple minutes to put together and ensures each hole is drilled in the exact same spot on every door. If you don't feel like putting a jig together, you can buy a plastic guide here. The last steps are to attach the hardware and drawer faces, and hang the doors. Let's take one more look at the "before". And here is the after! A few of the photos make it look darker than it really is. This shot shows the true color the best. A dark, rich brown. I am in LOVE with the hardware, generously donated by D. Lawless Hardware! If you are looking for cabinet hardware, you have got to check them out. I honestly would order from them even if we didn't have a relationship. Honestly, the best prices and best customer service! The pulls are Traditional Minaret in chrome And the knobs are the 1 1/4" Polished Chrome Knobs. I know I'm bragging, but they really do look professionally refinished in person. Its not done yet though. I've got something special to put on top of it curing in my garage as we speak. I'll share it as soon as it's done! What do you think? Big improvement huh? Let's be friends! Follow along, so you never miss a post *This post contains affiliate links Linking at: Savvy Southern Style
Changing kitchen cabinets from dark to light stain can brighten the space. Before applying the new lighter stain to the cabinet doors, remove the dark stain.
Stripping old wood stain and varnish is the first step in refinishing Wood furniture. Find out how to remove wood stain and varnish!
