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dominiquelk

Natural looking maple kitchen cabinets

3 years ago

Does anyone have advice on how to stain maple kitchen cabinets to achieve a light and natural appearance? I have already invested in Maple, so I need to figure out a way to achieve a stain that is suitable for the wood. I want to achieve a natural look. I’m not sure my cabinet maker gets it. Your advice is much appreciated. I have posted some inspiration pictures.

Comments (11)

  • PRO
    3 years ago

    Why is this your responsibility instead of the millwork/ cabinet maker?


    Finishes for cabinets are very tricky. Success is usually achieved over years of trial and error. I would NOT dictate a finish to a fabricator. I would select from finishes presented to me that were applied to the same maple I selected.


    I have almost never seen maple cabinets that have not changed in color or time.

  • 3 years ago

    First off natural maple isn't stained,only clear coated. Second ,maple is one of if not the hardest material to stain without blotching. Third, other than fiddle back,quilted,curly and bird's eye,non of which plane well, maple has little to no interesting grain character. Forth and foremost why in the world did you hire a cabinet maker you have to teach how to finish?

  • PRO
    3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    You are showing pics of rift sawn white oak, stried paint, and bleached cherry, and then asking about maple. None of those things are like the other.


    You really really hired the wrong guys if they don’t know how to give you natural maple.



  • 3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    "I have already invested in Maple"

    What did you mean by that? You've already bought the maple? Or did you mean something else?

    I agree with the points made above by @klem1. I would add that there are different grades of maple suitable for cabinets. If you want your cabinets to look like your inspo photos, you should use maple that is "select" grade. If you order instead "natural cabinet grade" maple, your cabinetry will show some natural characteristics of maple such as mineral streaks, varying amounts of sapwood, pin knots and similar. There is nothing wrong with those natural characteristics, but your inspo photos are free of them. Furthermore, you will need maple that is specified as "straight grain", otherwise the maple's grain will not be the straight lines displayed in your photos (I don't think your first pic is maple, it looks like white oak).

    Your cabinet maker should know this, but you said you don't think he "gets it". I would not give over such an expensive project to a cabinet maker who does not get it, but you must have some reason for doing so.

    Edited to add: I just realized that @dominiquelk has not returned.

  • last year

    I'm looking into natural maple cabinets. This is a year after your post. I am wondering how your project turned out?

  • last year

    Since the OP is long gone, I feel like I can rant a little bit without offending.


    It drive me nuts when people say "I want my [insert type of wood] to have a natural look", and then make it clear they have no idea what that wood naturally looks like, or what any wood naturally looks like, all they have seen is pictures of wood that has been gelled and sprayed and stained and cleared until it is just some idealized representation of wood . . . and that picture was probably AI-generated anyway. Further, it turns out they don't want a material that acts like wood at all, they actually want a material with properties more like . . . plastic. Cue the complaining - the doors aren't all identical, it isn't exactly the same as the sample piece, why can't wood be natural why does it have to have grain and variation, I dripped water on the cabinet under my sink for a year and it shows!


    They should just make mass market cabinets from LVP and be done with it.


  • last year

    I'm confused. natural maple is not stained. It has a clear finish on it. How can a cabinet person not know how to give you natural maple cabinets.


    Here's my kitchen which is natural maple:




  • last year

    I think the OP wanted maple that naturally looked like white oak.

  • last year

    Stained wood the looks natural. Isn't that what they call goofy bull aka "oxen-moron".

  • last year

    Ann your maple is beautiful!