You might want to look for advice specific to oak -- I think it might be easier to stain than to get an even application of stain...

Look at Rustoleum cabinet painting kits. I have seen great results.

https://www.rustoleum.com/product-catalog/consumer-brands/transformations

Good luck with your project! I personally have found refinishing with stain very labor intensive and time consuming... And the process much like what you described. If you're into considering paint, the home depot offers oil based paints mixed in any color. It's super durable once cured and likely can be painted right over your existing cabinet surface, providing they're clean and dry. I did this cabinet in turquoise with a brown glaze and then a matte spray finish. It's been very durable.

As I mentioned on your other post I did strip mine. I used CitriStrip and some times Zinsser Citrus Stripper - very similar products. They are low odor and environmentally friendly. It is a very messy job. Follow the label directions carefully, especially the neutralizing the stripper with mineral spirits. I applied the stripper the evening before and then used a putty knife to remove the stripper and finish the next morning. I often need to do a second stripping - but only waited a few hours. You will still need to sand with finishing sandpaper - 150 if still some finish and 220 to smooth it all out. I would have two doors in the storage room where I did the stripping, two doors in the garage where I neutralized, sanded and stained, and two more in the basement getting finished.

I used the 3M green finish stripping pads for curves. Put stripper on the wood, wait a few hours and rub with the stripping pad. I even spent time removing sawdust and any gunk between the panel and the door frame with a sewing needle.

Test stains on the back of drawer boxes or cabinet doors. Some will overly darken the grain making it stand out too much. A gel stain (used as a stain, NOT over a finished surface) does not absorb as much into the grain, but takes a lot longer to dry. If you use a gel stain, do not use a Miniwax gel stain - they are hard to work with.

If you are trying to go lighter, it will be hard. The dark stain is well into the grain and pretty much impossible to sand far enough down to remove it - so you will need to go as least as dark as the cabinets are now or darker.

Check out some YouTube Videos. I also recommend you get a simple piece of wood furniture from Goodwill and practice. You may find you really don't want to mess with it, or you love restoring old wood. Do be sure your practice piece is real solid wood and not a veneer. It is very difficult to impossible to refinish a veneer.

This was an old, very dark stained cabinet I refinished for my bathroom. I went a little lighter - you can see how the grain is still dark.

https://www.houzz.com/photos/my-pics-work-in-progress-phvw-vp~45788623

jhmarie does that citrus stripper work good on many layers of paint. I am striping my daughters cabinets in the spring that has to many coats of paint. We are going to repaint them, not stain. I know it isn't going to be easy, but she can't afford new cabinets for awhile.

I painted (two coats of primer and two topcoats) the kids bath vanity as a stop gap till I could afford a new one. A year later I decided I did not like it - it got too scratched and water spotted in a kids a bathroom so I stripped and refinished it to wood. I never did get a new vanity - and that was probably 25 years ago:)

I don't remember what I used back then, but the CitriStrip did a good job removing the factory finish from my cabinets. I would give it a try before moving to more caustic and less safe stripper.

Wow - that is a lot done quickly!

Hello Tracy, Do you still need help with your kitchen refinishing? We are a professional team with a refinish shop and we specialize in this work. Please let me know if you need help or advise. My direct line is 3059516137

That stripped door looks great! I would try to keep the color as close to that as possible when you finish it. Look at JHMarie's kitchen redo if you haven't done so yet for countertop/backsplash inspiration. She also has a nice wood kitchen idea book for ideas.

are you staining them darker? honestly, going through all that trouble to strip only to stain them again and have them look either the same, or darker?

The wood on your cabinets is Red Oak. left natural, it is going to have a pink tone. To get rid of the pink tone, you will have to use a medium tone like a walnut shade (or darker) . this pic is of flooring, but it's red oak and will give u an idea of colors

why not just sand off the old finish, prime and paint a light color?

or perhaps just paint the tops and redo the bottoms naturally with a little spiced walnut color? (general finishes)

We are staining darker. We hired a designer and she’s guiding our color choices. So far, I love the stain color. It’s going on the door and base frames very well. I am having trouble with blotches on the plywood sides of the bases. I started with the laundry and I’m glad I did because I’ve learned to not oversand plywood! We had planned to strip all bases only by sanding but I now think we need to chemically strip the plywood sides and then sand carefully with 180. Worried though that some of the blotches are from ‘burning ‘ the wood. Any advice on refinishing oak plywood without an ugly mess! I’d put on some beadboard there to hide it but the faces of the cabinets are bullnosed.

what you are dealing w/is the veneer. and yes,,very difficult to do. you cannot over sand it. and it's going to take stain differently. did you use a pre stain conditioner?

To completely strip prior stain, you should use a stripper to begin with. sanding off stain will get you to bare wood, but it will not touch the stain that is deep in the grain. only stripper will. if you don't do that, you will have uneven staining.

I use SoyGel stripper by BlueBear. it rinses clean w/water, which I like.

with oak, sanding w/180-220 is fine. It's a large, pore grain and won't burnish easily like a maple would. for the veneer sides, use the stripper and go very easily by hand w/a 150-220 grit. it shouldn't take much. wipe clean and use your conditioner before staining.

I did not use a conditioner because the Benjamin Moore store told me I didn’t need to. I will try that though!

sigh... it's always a good idea. try a good pre stain conditioner. it really helps with blotchiness. oak is usually pretty good about not taking stain unevenly. but on the veneer ply sides, give it a try.

The cabinets are finished. Now for a new countertop, sink, lights, paint, and dining table and chairs! We were planning to do granite but have discovered we’ll require a seam. Our second choice is solid surface. Any suggestions?

I don't know very much about the different granites, but this kitchen with darker cabinets is very pretty. Fourth picture down shows a counter with a seem.

https://www.houzz.com/discussions/finally-finished-with-kitchen-updating-dsvw-vd~4512247

They look amazing!!! What did you wind up doing?

Stripped it all down to bare wood. Stained with Old Master’s he’ll stain in Espresso. Finished with 4 coats of Old Master’s Varnish.

I’m petrified of a seam for fear it will look like a bad jigsaw puzzle. One fabricator told us he’d put a huge seam at the corner of the peninsula. Another told us they’d for a ‘4 seam sink’. First guy said to never put a seam at the sink. I also read somewhere you shouldn’t have a seam within 6 inches of a sink. Who to trust?

We looked at Corian counters today. Brought home some samples. Not really in love with any! Suggestions welcome!

I don't like the corian. some people do. it's a personal choice. (and that first one looks like the counter at starbucks where you add your sugar and cream. it's the wrong tone for your wood anyway. big NO on that one!)

btw, do you plan on painting your window trim? now that you've stained your cabs darker, the lighter trim on the window doesn't jive. ditto for the door trim.

I'd do a lighter granite. get a good fabricator w/a very good guarantee. read through some of the fabrication nightmares on this site and get familiar w/what should be done.

Do not pay or sign off until after the installation and your satisfaction.

Look into White Springs or Princess white. This is princess, leathered

honed, snow white granite

Leathered Magma Gold

Definitely planning to change the window ledge and ditch its trim. Unfortunately all that runs thru the house and the door will be addressed later. Much later.

Your cabinets are nice. Why not take one of the doors to the stores with you? I'd also remove that cabinet apron from across the window - it will help to open up the kitchen.

Hello! I am looking to do the same for my parents who have the exact same cabinet style AND colour. Any tips to getting the orange look out? I was going to use a urathane stripper and light sand - possibly tinted poly.
Can you PLEASE post your after result photos? Thanks so much

After! We completely chemically stripped everything. Sanded. Stained with Old Master’s espresso gel. Sealed with 4 layers of Old Master’s Super Varnish.