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janine_lundrigan74

Cherry cabinet stain change

2 years ago

Has anyone changed the color of natural cherry cabinets with a stain, not paint? I’d love to take the orange out of these cabinets and wish I hadn’t built them with the beadboard panels because I am sure this will make it more difficult. Any inspo pics would be greatly appreciated!

Comments (36)

  • PRO
    2 years ago

    You can change the look of cherry cabinets to some degree but the wood is inherently red and some of that tone is going to come thru unless you use an opaque stain or paint them. They will need to be stripped down to bare wood if you a staining. Another option is pickling the surface but that may lead to the cabinets being pinking which is probably something you do not wnat.

  • 2 years ago
    last modified: 2 years ago

    the cabinets are fine..it is a slightly heavy looking wall. You would have an opportunity on far left and far right w changing those doors as you have symmetry and it would look intentional.......the issue I would pursue re to changing tone would be w the floor.......it's yellow... stripping and restaining floor would be worth it and then go from there...... think about a color for the taller cab doors. You have ways to create a change.

    heres white w cherry and obviously green is always a fave w cherry...price out painting the tall ones or get new without the ribbing .....just no yellow floors

    Arts Crafts Kitchen · More Info




    Craftsman Kitchen in Farmington, MI · More Info


    Craftsman Kitchen in Brighton, MI · More Info


  • 2 years ago

    I went from stained orangey oak that was varnished to a dark cocoa bean stain by using Craft Smart Multi Surface Premium Satin Acrylic paint that I bought at Michael's Crafts. I did a very light sanding to knock back some of the sheen and applied it like paint following the grain. It is like a translucent paint. You loose some of the graining but when it is on oak you want to loose some graining anyways. Mine was orangey colour like yours and I am very happy with the way it is now. Here is a picture showing the difference. Old on the left and new on the right. Sorry lighting it not great but there is a very big difference. I am just glad it got rid of the orangey tones and I did not have to replace all this expensive oak trim/doors etc. It dries to its own sheen and it does need some curing time to get a hard finish. Well worth it. A small 8oz bottle did all my trim and doors. Some of the baseboard pieces did require two coats and I did have a small left over piece to test it on first.


  • 2 years ago

    Your cabinets look nice with the tone of your wood flooring. Changing one surface impacts other featues in the space.

  • 2 years ago

    Those are gorgeous cabinets. They aren't orange and cherry will naturally darken over time. I would not mess with them.

  • 2 years ago

    Will you post a wide view of the kitchen or space (if it's an open plan)? Perhaps other changes can be made that will update the space without the hassle of messing with the cabinet color.

  • 2 years ago
    last modified: 2 years ago

    Those cabinets are gorgeous. You cannot get any richer look than a beautiful cherry like you have - or some of the similar toned mahogany . It is not the most trendy of the wood tones these days, but just give it time. All type of wood cabinetry is ’back’ now. This is a perfect time to get cherry wood, because it for sure will reign supreme again. It has to. The cream will always rise to the top. Your cabinets are also so well done in a classic style and totally work with your flooring, which is also beautiful.. You do not need an ”update.” But if you want a different look - consider changing hardware - maybe to black. And you could change your pendant lighting, if you have pendants; and/ or whatever other light fixtures you might have in the area. Also, a change of light bulbs could possibly make it look less “orange” - since you mention that. It does not look orange to me. Looks absolutely beautiful.




    https://www.sabreyachts.com/sabre-yachts-blog/the-elegance-of-fine-woodworking

  • 2 years ago

    Those cabinets are beautiful!! So rich and luxurious-looking. I would not change them, I would not even consider changing them.

  • 2 years ago

    Keep in mind you may regret messing with the finish and the color. @herbflavor gave you an excellent way to,”off-set” the orange tone of the wood with greens.

  • 2 years ago

    on the color wheel.. blue and orange are opposite each other.. complementary.. they intensify each other ...


    and the blue wall on the left.. might be tricking your eye into seeing a deeper orange ... so i would invest in a can of paint for that wall.. long before i would ruin of on the most gorgeous wood facades ive seen in a long time... imo.. for what thats worth.. lol.. its stunning...


    if the wall is blue due in sunlight infiltrating.. well.. .. thats a different show.. and we would need more facts ..


    ken


    https://duckduckgo.com/?q=color+wheel&t=newext&iax=images&ia=images


    btw:.. the wine rack confuses me.. an alcoholic might kill herself getting the next bottle of wine.. lol.. looks like a better spot for more storage ...

  • 2 years ago

    Well, that’s the thing about cherry: you either like the red/orange undertones, or you don’t. (People who choose cherry specifically usually choose it for that reason.) It won’t be easy (or possible) to get rid of them by re-staining them, but perhaps adding some green to “distract” from the cherry tones will help. Good luck!

  • 2 years ago

    I feel like new hardware might be the change you need - either black or ORB and get some handles on the doors for better scale.


    I would defintiely not try to mess with those cabinets - they look to be very high quality and whatever you do to them is unlikely to match the quality.

  • PRO
    2 years ago

    Here are a few additional pictures. I am planning to replace countertops, (eliminate raised counter behind range) and change backsplash/hardware. Stuck on deciding to keep 30” range or upgrading to 36” range and rebuilding cabinet to the left.

  • PRO
    2 years ago

    Additional pictures

  • PRO
    2 years ago

    I am planning on changing countertops, backsplash and hardware and eliminating raised bar area. But wondered if changing cabinet color (without painting) would be worth trying.

  • 2 years ago

    Perhaps some pros will weigh in about ventilation requirements when increasing gas range size since I don't see an overhead system. Perhaps opt for induction. The gas range is unfortunately placed at a seating area so this is the one case where a bilevel counter makes some sense for safety though that is not a current trend.

  • PRO
    2 years ago

    I can extend the width of counter some since I do have room in adjoining dining room. I currently have a down draft Jenn air and would include a separate downdraft if enlarging.

  • PRO
    2 years ago
    last modified: 2 years ago

    Lose the dated valances

    Don't change the tops, don't lower the breakfast bar height, it's a gas and really not enough room on the peninsula- what is venting? Down draft?

    Change the back splash if you like

    Change the hardware, BUT you will see a color difference and those cup pulls are probably 3" centers.

    Lay out not the best: ) Unify the flooring - in adjacent spaces?

  • 2 years ago

    I would paint the room to a more neutral color, change the backsplash and ditch the valance. Doing these three things will visually lighten the room quite a bit. The cabinets are beautiful, please do not paint or stain them. The counters provide a nice contrast between the cabinets / floor and wall. I normally would like a lighter counter, but not in this case.

  • 2 years ago
    last modified: 2 years ago

    Thanks for posting the extra pictures. There are a lot of wood tones and dark decor in your space, so I can see why you would like a change.

    You're going to get a lot of suggestions, some conflicting, some unnecessarily blunt. Most people are here to help, so keep that in mind.

    I think a lighter wall color, a more modern backsplash, and lighter roman shades instead of valances are the easiest changes and will have a lot of impact. Your counters don't look bad in the photos but I know that the busy-ness of some granites may not show up in photos.

    I would break up some of the wood with bright rugs. The low-pile, polyester versions (which is 90% of what is available in big box stores) are easy to care for and clean.

  • PRO
    2 years ago

    These valances have been up for so long, I don’t even notice them! I will definitely remove them. There is such little wall space, painting them will also be an easy fix!

  • PRO
    2 years ago

    I ran a picture through AI and got this. I do think I prefer the lighter countertops.

  • PRO
    2 years ago

    The picture is a little wonky but it does help some.

  • 2 years ago
    last modified: 2 years ago

    That looks good, can you do a version with a light backsplash and the dark existing counters? Which application did you use?

  • PRO
    2 years ago

    I used Remodel AI. I will try it again…

  • PRO
    2 years ago

    This is what was generated. I don’t think it sufficiently lightens up the space, do you?

  • 2 years ago

    Based on the pics, I think the white counters do make a big difference and are a nice change.

  • 2 years ago

    I like the lighter counters….These decisions don’t come down to whether you NEED lighter counter etc, but what you WANT. Despite hundreds of opinions, it’s your house, your $$, and YOU decide.

  • 2 years ago

    I would refinish the floors over the cabinets.

  • 2 years ago

    I agree with comments that the floor is contributing to the issue, but I don't see how you improve that without going significantly darker, which you may not want to do. I also like the lighter counters. That said, if you don't like the look of cherry, then paint them. The casual, farmhouse look of the beadboard panels are more suited to paint IMO than to cherry, which I associate with a more formal look.

  • 2 years ago

    With the added photos I had another thought: would painting the cabinet near the eating area make it feel less “cherry red everywhere?” That hutch is not in the immediate cooking area but “extends” the cherry wood to a space that could easily be another color - sage green, a pale blue, creamy/ivory. It’s in a space with a table, so redesigning THAT area might accomplish what you’re going for.

    Adding a rug under the table and chairs will bring in more color.

    I wouldn’t even consider redoing your floors for a minute. It’s a HUGE mess, headache and expense. Working with what you have by changing the countertop and an interesting (lighter) window treatment will go far in lightening up the space. I like your AI experiments with lighter countertops and a new backsplash.

  • 2 years ago

    I really like your cabinets and the color. The style is unique and very nice.

    I also like the green paint on the walls.

    I could see a white counter and a lighter color backsplash lightening up the room.

    Is that another dining room behind the raised counter?

    If so, I would consider closing that room off to the kitchen and having a proper hood with more cabs installed around the stove.

  • 2 years ago

    I have cherry cabinets and dark counters but unlike your kitchen my floors are very light. IMO your floors are too close in color to your cabinets and that contributes to a wood overload look. It would be a lot easier to have the floors refinished than cabinets. Its hard to tell from a picture the temperature/kelvins of your kitchen lights but that can make a difference too. Lights that are 3,000k or 3,500k will eliminate some of the yellowness that seems to be present but it won't be too white.

    To help you visualize here are my natural (no stain) cherry cabinets with natural ash hardwood flooring. I forgot to turn on the under cabinet lights but it still gives you an idea of how the kitchen looks.Prior to refinishing our floors they were darker and had a glossy yellow finish. Sorry, I don't have a before picture of the floors.




  • 2 years ago

    Your natural cherry cabinets are really pretty! Don’t stain them. You can update the look with new hardware, a lighter countertop and backsplash: I did this in my last house with a light gray, honed quartz countertop and a white brick Fireclay backsplash. The last photo is the “before.”

  • last year

    What did you do