Would sanding work?

I asked him about sanding but he seemed disgruntled and not happy. I am meeting with him tomorrow to see what his ‘solution’ looks like. Otherwise I think they look very 90s pickled😫

Whatever you decide to do, make sure he does a sample door or drawer front before proceeding with the rest of them. And yes, it does look a little pickle-y. 😬

Yes, your personal recipe sample looks pickled. Each piece of wood takes stain differently. There’s also a big visual difference in a small sample, and a whole kitchen. It magnifies things. And no, any stain that has penetrated the grain is very difficult to sand off. It’s cheaper for you to pay to have all new done rather than pay the labor to try to sand all of that off. Or, have them painted.

The big issue is that you provided the “recipe” so you are responsible for the outcome. Always have the professional doing the work provide the experimental samples. Always. Then he is responsible for the results.

Why in the world wouldn't he do a sample and get the ok before proceeding to do all the cabinets?

I have learned a lot thru this process. 1) He has stained them all 2) Shame on him and on me for not getting approval from a small sample before finishing them all 3) looks like I will be paying for new cabinets.
Do you think think it will look whiter if they were installed as is? Or darker?.. it’s a small kitchen with lowers only, open shelving for uppers and the island is black

First, sanding... Yes, your cabinets can probably be sanded unless the cabinetmaker used a thin veneer on the panels and in that case the doors might have to be remade. The moniker "penetrating stain" is a bit of a lie, what matters is whether the stain is a pigment or a dye stain. Pigments sit on top of the wood and dyes get pulled into the pores, both are sandable but pigments are easy to sand while dyes require an aggressive sand. I believe that Minwax whites are pigment stains, but I am not 100% sure.

Just because your cabinets can be sanded doesn't mean that is great solution it really depends on the detail of the cabinets. Do you have a picture of the cabinets that shows the style or can you find pictures of a similar style?

I am betting that he is going to use a tinted poly over his existing poly, which I would be more comfortable discussing if I knew what poly he used.

----

IMO he never should have agreed to wiping off a stain on cabinets. It is a lot of extra work.

I think that looks beautiful - much better than your first image. I hope you love it when it all comes together.

I also think it looks pretty.

I really like it a lot. I don't think it looks pickled in that photo.

I will post pic when all finished:)

I like it! When I read your post yesterday I was feeling really sad for you...now with the pic, it just might turn out very beautiful!

Lol, I was feeling sorry for myself too and got over it. Bigger issues in the world than my cabinet color.

I’d love to see a photo of the finished product!

That cabinet looks amazing! I don’t think it looks like 90s pickled at all.

I love it! The cabinet pic definitely looks better than the samples shot. I bet the white will help keep it looking light over the long term too.

Here is a photo of the latest. I think the cabinets turned out beautiful. The black island will be installed after floors are finished.

I would get him a gift.

They look great! Can’t wait to see the finished kitchen!

👍