Just finished staining some solid wood closet doors -- they came out too dark. I used Provencial from General Finishes (water-based) on red oak. Top-coated with the G.F. High Performance topcoat.

I'm not going to strip and re-do these doors right now, they are what they are, but DH is building another set of doors for a different bedroom and I want them lighter -- not light, just maybe one or two steps lighter than what I ended up with.

I did a sample board in Walnut in the G.F. line, and it's totally the wrong tone (kinda greenish compared to my flooring -- which is red oak stained Provencial).

So, then I got to thinking, what would it look like if I dilute the Provencial? G.F. says can do it using distilled water, 5% or 10% dilution rate. Seems simple enough, but what will the end result look like -- will it just be more transparent? Lighter in color? What? Has anyone diluted stain before and can clue me in on what to expect with the finished product?

(cross-posting in kitchens, lots of knowledge people about wood on there)