Here's my kitchen currently. I'll be doing new countertops too. And eventually I'll replace that ugly light.

Gel stain isn't really a stain... it's more of a slightly translucent paint. You won't get the effect you're going for (which is gorgeous, by the way!) with it, unfortunately.

I was so happy to se that the first pic was your inspiration- initially I thought it was the ‘before’ and the thought popped into my head ‘that’s gorgeous, why would they change it?’ Unfortunately I can’t see the before pic you subsequently added! Best of luck on your project.

is it possible to put normal stain on top of existing stain to get the look I want? I'm not sure I have it in me to stripe all the cabinets.

I suggest you use the back of a drawer front if they unscrew from the box and try samples of different gel stains- or the back of a little used door. Then read up on gel stain, especially on how well it last - I honestly don't know as I have only used it as an actual stain, not on top of finished cabinets where it acts more like a paint - a semi-translucent paint as mentioned above.

It might not be in your budget, but a similar countertop and backsplash in your inspiration pic (probably without the contrasting grout) would be a great refresh for your kitchen even without the gel stain. You might be able to find a similar countertop look in a laminate if budget is an issue.

I have somewhat similar cabinets to yours:

https://www.houzz.com/hznb/photos/my-pics-work-in-progress-phvw-vp~110720042

https://www.houzz.com/hznb/photos/my-pics-work-in-progress-phvw-vp~109854029

My wood kitchens idea book:

https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/75202366/list/wood-kitchens

The person in this thread used gel stain.

https://www.houzz.com/discussions/5320742/is-this-oak

If you don’t want to strip the cabinets then leave them. Applying gel over the finish won’t work. I used gel to refinish a table but I stripped it and that took days. Then used a gel stain. It was not easy, the gel really did not absorb well and it took days to finish. I paid $100 for the table so if it failed not a big money deal, but I put so much time into it, I made it work.

Kitchen · More Info

Kitchen · More Info

While it won't look like the inspiration [Chestnut I believe]. I love Gel Stain. Did on my oak in 2008. Still looks good. I used general finishes... Here's my post.... if you read through I link instructions I followed. Best of luck. I went dark, you could try a lighter shade to be closer to inspiration.

https://www.houzz.com/discussions/2412155/general-finishes-gel-stain-update

Love your inspiration kitchen. Have you checked out "provincial"? That's one of my favorite stain colors (general finishes) and it usually comes out looking close to your inspiration photo. However, it might not be dark enough since you're staining over an existing stain.

Listen to the person who said to test on the back of a door before committing. Also, even if you don't strip your existing cabinets, do use a sanding sponge to at least do a light sanding everywhere before you begin (and clean the cabinets first, of course). Please post photos if you end up doing this!

"Is it possible to put normal stain on top of existing stain to get the look I want? I'm not sure I have it in me to stripe all the cabinets."

No, not really. After they stain it, they add a clear coat to make it more durable. Add in a decade or two of cleaning products and regular kitchen grime buildup, and you've got a pretty impervious finish. Painting over it is easier than staining, and doesn't require *quite* as extensive of prep work, but you can't really cut corners if you want to stain evenly. Honestly, if it was me, I would seriously consider new door fronts that were ready for stain. Yes, it's more money, but the idea of prepping sufficiently with all of the ridges in the cathedral arches is daunting. It wouldn't be bad to do the door frames because those are flat surfaces, but you also run the risk of the two different woods reacting to the stain differently because one is so much older.

Sorry to be a Debbie Downer... I'm a big advocate of DIY, but this is one area where people really underestimate the time/labor and overestimate what the results will be.

@BeverlyFLADeziner I'm seriously starting to reconsider my creamy cabinet desire for our new construction...I love the look OP posted and above. What wood species should I be looking at? Maybe something cheaper than the inspiration of Chestnut which is probably on the expensive side. Drooling. I was going to do creamy cabinet and dark wood island but now maybe wood cabinets and colored island.....hmmmm....

So... I used gel stain to refinish a mantel, over an existing stain. You can do it but it is a lot of work. You do need to do some prep (light sanding) but the real work comes from doing multiple coats of the stain, which you have to do to build to the right level of coverage. I did 3 coats and then 2 of poly. Really depends upon how motivated you are and how much time and energy you have. It's not a no... but it's not for the faint of heart. I've linked to a website below that discussed the process further and includes before and after. Keep in mind you can't go lighter than you already are!

https://www.diynetwork.com/made-and-remade/learn-it/use-gel-stain-to-spruce-up-cabinets-lamp-bases-and-more

Yes as you probably know it’s not really a stain as it doesn’t soak in. It’s between a glaze and paint. I used general finishes gel stain on my oak cabinets. I used the brown mahogany. I was very pleased with the results but it was a ton of work. It took me three months. I took a two week break in the middle cause I just needed it. Painting would have been so much easier. That aside, gel stain is a better option if you want to go more solid. My cabinets aren’t completely opaque but it looked streaky with even two coats and I’m usually very happy with my diy skills. You could get a small can and test but I don’t think you’ll get the results you’re looking for.

If you do use it and have nail holes to fill Famowood wood filler is stainable and worked well. Don’t touch the minwax fillers.

You could always try it and see. If you don’t like it there’s always the paint option which is what I told myself and will do eventually.

Mine has held up very, very well. It hasn’t faded or marked up in ohhhh it’s been four or five years now. Before using the gel stain, the factory finish on my cabinets were totally gone in some areas from the harsh sun and they were pretty darn yellow and orange.

I can’t find my post on it right now but will try and find it later.

@BeverlyFLADeziner and @Trish Walter you both got great results. I also did gel stain. I knew that I would not get the beautiful wood grain looks that you both did because I started with a cheap pine that didn't have any grain. It was just a ugly yellow bathroom cabinet. Mine turned out to look more like paint than stain -- kind of. I don't regret doing it.

If you can pull off what @BeverlyFLADeziner showed you it will look amazing!!

@Trish Walter I don't think you would regret changing you cabinets to the ones in the inspiration picture. Go for it!

Beverly is on the right track with the glaze instead of gel stain.

I think the inspiration picture you posted is really nice, but I don’t know if I’d go through the trouble to restrain the cabinets. I agree with jhmarie- I would consider new countertop and backsplash (I really like the light colors in your inspiration pic and jhmarie’s kitchen), replace the island (not sure with what), and definitely replace the lighting. Trying to get as much stuff off the counters and replacing with some coordinated containers would also go a long way. Good luck and keep us posted!

Thanks Val. On a side not my counters are normally much more clear I took the picture right after a Costco trip.

Before you change anything, get some decent quality lighting for your kitchen. Nothing looks good under the fluorescent light

I've used gel stain and also their milk paint with great success, but I can't imagine achieving a "reclaimed chestnut" look with some gold oak cabinets.

Link to general finishes design center to see what others have done with some instructions.

https://designs.generalfinishes.com/

This link shows what oak doors look like with various stains and number of coats and technique (eg dry brush); also links to videos on how to do it.

https://designs.generalfinishes.com/color-category/cabinet-refresh

Maybe nutmeg?

2 coats of Nutmeg Gel Stain, dry brushed, sealed with High Performance Satin

Watch this video to learn how to dry brush gel stain: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jin60_yOEGM

Add 1 additional coat if a darker color is desired

Tags: Gel StainNutmegColor Category: Cabinet RefreshGel Stain

Post Date

September 6, 2018

I think the appearance of the reclaimed chestnut can be duplicated on oak cabinet doors if the grain on the doors is opened by either stripping, sanding and using a wire brush to open the grain. However, this must be done on a sample door first. Then don't screw the appearance up by adding a satin finish.

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I used Briwax Tudor Brown on the honey oaks cabinets in my bathroom and will start the kitchen in the next few weeks. The process is far easier than gel stain and they look just like the cabinets in your photo. Good luck!

Check out the Briwax mentioned above on Amazon and see the reviews. It may be exactly what you want. It looks pretty amazing.

You all are amazing thanks for all the advice. I actually saw the Briwax the other day and was curious about it. Do you have to refresh it every do often?

Hi Carolyn, I have not had to refresh yet but that process is just as simple. Though they say not to use it in wet areas, everything I’ve read so far said it’s really not a problem. The Briwax website has a YouTube tutorial.

I used GF antique walnut to stain my golden oak banister and mantle. I think you could achieve this if you rub on and quickly rub off - if you do too many coats or leave it on too thick it will be way darker than you want

I stained my son’s kitchen cabinets black. They looked just like your old ones with the same shaped doors and oak color. All I did was wash them down with a de-greaser wash and then we stained them with Min Wax Poly Shades. it did a great job. We did black but there are many colors. If I can figure out how to post pictures I will.

Min Wax Poly Shades in Black Satin.

I'm looking at doing exactly the same as you (my cabinets are also golden oak but a more modern design) and was looking at Briwax in Tudor Brown but unfortunately haven't been able to locate a distributor in Canada (I'm in Ottawa, Ontario). An order I placed on Amazon never made to my place. Getting a quote to get rid of the bulk ceiling and fluorescent lights first. Good luck. Would love to see your results.

marsteph have you looked at ordering directly from Briwax? they may be able to ship directly to Canada.

You can’t get there from here. Reimagine you’re inspiration picture to something achievable. Or plan a full future and redo.

Carolyn - I sent them an email before I ordered through Amazon, and they never got back to me. I just found a supplier in New Brunswick and send them a message. Fingers crossed!

I would strongly suggest you have the cabinets professionally sand blasted to strip them. also, even when we did that with our kitchen, we found some of the drawers hand doors took the stain differently. we ended up with two stain colors to apply in steps, but even then it was not perfect. we used regular stain. the first pic was the before color. I remember one of the stains we used was a walnut.

I'd love to pay someone to do it but the quotes I'm getting are $3000+ and we just don't have the budget for that.

Its a ton of work to strip cabinets back to bare wood to restain and and start over. More work than painting them. Way more. Way way more. You can’t have any of the old stain or finish remaining on the cabinets. It would take someone several months to DIY it. A 3K price is not reflective of a professional doing the amount of work that a restain job would require. A pro paint job from a pro is 2-4 times that amount, and it is less work.

I suggest replacement if you want to keep them stained and not do the DIY very dark gel stained route. Very dark is the only way that gel stains really work. Because it’s more like paint than stain. It easily blotches and streaks and looks unnatural in a medium tone.

I do not see the need to change your cabinets color, they look good now. Keep them as is and use the time and money on something else in the kitchen. Or on yourself,,,,good luck,,,,

Bringing this post back to light....wondering which route you chose? I too have saved that same inspiration pict 😊

I used Briwax in Tudor Brown. Easy peasy! No stripping or sanding, just cleaned and rub in the wax. It darkened just enough to tone down the orange & let the grain shine through.

Cmgarcia will you share your photos!

Yes please share photos. This is my inspiration pic too! Lol

Carolyn what did you decide to do? I am wanting that same look.