Has anyone around here stained their kitchen cabinets?

[berlinsmommy]

I have some pretty plain honey oak cabinets in my kitchen (and bathrooms and laundry) with no handles. They are a pretty simple design and I like the sturdiness and the construction of them. Mine look similar to this.

This is not my kitchen though, I don't have cabinets with windows or the dishrack thing, I was just trying to show something that looked like what I have.

Anyway, I'd like to stain them or something so they are still wood looking (not painted looking), but in a darker, warmer, more modern color. Has anyone done anything like this? If so, what did you do and what products did you use. I'd really like to modernize my kitchen by doing something like this and adding some simple but modern bronze hardware. Your thoughts???

[queenofthehivemomof5]

I would think it could be done for sure. You just strip/sand off the varnish and find a stain that you like. You might want to test out a few stains on the back of a cupboard door to see what it looks like. Then just go for it.

I have not done cupboards but have stained other wood peices.

I want to paint my cupboards because we are in a rental and the cupboards are not solid wood (partical board) so staining would not be an option for them. I just need the chunk of time to "get er done".

[berlinsmommy]

Ohhh, look at
these mocha stained ones from Armstrong.
I wonder if I could make mine look like that???

[jujubee]

I don't know about staining, but my dh painted our old 1970's kitchen cabinets and it was kind of a PITB. Good luck!

[angielee]

My Parents just had theirs stained. They were light colored wood doors. Now they are a dark honey color. They hired someone to do it, so I dont have details. But I know they look great.

[Colinsgrandma]

My dil just stained hers...they were new but needed stained, just practice on an inside door they also have wipe-on poly which is so much easier to use than the kind you brush on.

[wheels111]

I took on that job once. My then-wife, now ex requested it.
I'll never do it again.

First removed the cabinet doors, and the hardware.
The builder used cheap hardware so a bunch of the hinges broke when removing them.
There were a few layers of paint, must have been different kinds because the stripper didn't work well. Went through a few different brands of stripper, lots of rubber gloves, scrapers, face masks, sand paper.
Finally got them stripped down to the wood and put on stain and clear varnish.
Of course then we had to get all new hardware.

Oh, and then we "needed" a new countertop...
And a new fridge...
And a new sink...

Not trying to discourage you from doing it, the cabinets looked really nice when we were done, but it was a lot of work, much more than I expected when starting out.
Of course your job may be easier

[megcellent]

My dil just stained hers...they were new but needed stained, just practice on an inside door they also have wipe-on poly which is so much easier to use than the kind you brush on.

Just want to second that the wipe-on kind is easier than the paint-on kind from my memory of helping my mom with her cabinets.

[abond0017]

I stripped and painted my kitchen cabinets, and like PP's have said....it is a pain.
You have to make sure you get a good strong stinky stripper to make it the easiest and steer clear of dripping it on plastic things...it eats plastic.

[knucklemama]

we've been doing lots of work to our house (or should I say my DH is). i think if you just sand the cabinet doors really well that a darker stain would go over them just fine. but, i would take them off of the hinges - its easier. i did paint our kitchen cabinets and that's what i did.