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    Home » DIY Projects

    Kitchen Renovation: Cabinet Stain and Hardware

    Published: Nov 2, 2015 · Modified: Aug 6, 2022 by Simple Stylings · This post may contain affiliate links · 42 Comments

    stain8

    Happy Monday friends! I'm so excited to share our new cabinet stain and hardware today!

    Whether or not to stain the cabinets was probably the hardest decision of the kitchen reno...until I had to decide what color to stain them! If you need to catch up you can read about the unfinished oak cabinets we chose here.

    I went through almost every stain sample Lowes carried searching for the perfect shade but every time I thought I had made a decision I changed my mind. It was either too red or to brown and I was looking for a warm, chestnutty color. But remember, my cabinets are oak which tend to be very grainy so I had to take into consideration what that contrast would look like.

    If you remember this was my inspiration photo:

    kitinspo2 (1)

    {via Crown Point Cabinetry}

    I think we used more oak boards for sampling than there were in the cabinets themselves!

    stain11

    After all of these samples I remembered that I had used Danish Oil in Dark Walnut to stain the top of our dining room table and I had always loved the color. Here is a picture of it from our Christmas home tour last year. I had to do a little research to make sure it would be fine to use on the cabinets and I didn't find anything indicating that it wouldn't so I took the leap!

    IMG_3119-1024x685

    danish oil

    So I proceeded to prep the area and get to work. One could argue that it would have been easier to stain the cabinets before installing them but some things don't work out in that order, especially in DIY kitchen renos!

    stain2

    stain1

    First I gathered my supplies then lightly sanded the cabinets with 220 grit sandpaper. Next I generously applied the stain using a sponge brush and let it saturate into the wood for about 20-30 minutes then I wiped the excess off with a rag. When the stain was dry I decided that it was the perfect shade and didn't need another coat. To finish it off I applied 3 thin layers of polyurethane with a natural bristle brush for oil-based paints, lightly sanding with the 220 grit sandpaper between coats. Easy peasy y'all!

    stain10

    stain5

    stain4

    stain3

    I love the way the color turned out and I think it is actually really similar to the inspiration picture!

    ***

    Next up, I need to talk about this awesome hardware! I met Derrick of D. Lawless Hardware at the Haven Conference two summers ago and I've been dying for a project to use some of his pieces. I chose this Antique English cup pull and knob and they are just perfect! Originally I thought I would go with more of a shiny brass hardware but once I decided to stain the cabinets these really jumped out at me. The brass definitely wouldn't have worked.

    And I think the stain and hardware combo really work with the tile floors too!

    stain7

    Here is a little sneak peek of the backsplash!

    stain6

    So what do you think? Do you still think I'm crazy for staining them?

    Cheers!

    signature

    **Thanks to Lowes for providing the cabinets and stain and to D. Lawless for providing the hardware for the kitchen makeover. All of my reviews and opinions are my own. Thanks for supporting the brands that support Simple Stylings**

     

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. V

      March 21, 2022 at 11:19 pm

      Hi. Love your kitchen remodel. Our kitchen has the same beautiful cabinets. Wondering what color your appliances are. I am having white solid surface counters installed. I can’t decide between white or slate appliances. Ty

      Reply
      • Simple Stylings

        April 07, 2022 at 10:53 pm

        Hi! So sorry I missed this comment earlier. My appliances are stainless steel but I love the trendy white appliances. We may consider those in our new home. The slate is really cool too. I think if you wood lends to the lighter side I would go with white, if they are like mine or even darker I would probably go slate! Hope that helps :)

        Reply
    2. Chelsea

      July 26, 2021 at 6:26 am

      I love everything about your kitchen! We'll be redoing ours soon and I keep going back and forth between stain and painting them white. Planning on using these exact cabinets though, and the stain you did looks absolutely beautiful!!!

      Reply
    3. Stacey

      January 30, 2021 at 4:02 pm

      Hello! I have a similar look but can’t find a white backsplash that goes with my white quartz counter. I like yours a lot! What backsplash did you pick?
      Thanks!

      Reply
      • Simple Stylings

        February 01, 2021 at 10:07 am

        Thanks so much Stacey! We just used white gloss subway tile from Lowe's! Here is the link https://www.lowes.com/pd/American-Olean-Profiles-100-Pack-Ice-White-Gloss-3-in-x-6-in-Glossy-Ceramic-Subway-Wall-Tile/3146095 Ours was ice white gloss. We used dark gray grout for contrast. Hope that helps and thanks for reading!

        Reply
    4. Emma

      May 13, 2020 at 12:23 pm

      This is amazing! Even though I could wax my cabinets, I want to strip them and restain them, because I want something that I don't have to fuss with reapplying, and with wax, scrubbing will remove the finish. I am wondering what polyurethane you used, and whether you have experienced any yellowing? This is truly gorgeous and inspirational!

      Reply
      • Simple Stylings

        May 14, 2020 at 11:43 am

        Thanks so much Emma! I can't believe I didn't include anything about the poly on the cabinets and I'm struggling to remember. I used General Finishes High Performance Clear Topcoat in satin on my uppers and I'm pretty sure I used it on the lowers too. There is just slight yellowing on the uppers but I think it was only in a couple corners where I used a little too much. Hope that helps!

        Reply
    5. kitchen sale

      July 07, 2019 at 2:57 am

      Hi there, the whole thing is going nicely here and ofcourse every one is sharing data, that's actually fine,
      keep up writing.

      Reply
    6. kitchen and bath design

      June 02, 2019 at 11:23 pm

      Hey, you used to write magnificent, but the
      last several posts have been kinda boring...

      I miss your super writings. Past several posts are just a little bit out of
      track! come on!

      Reply
    7. Barbara

      February 11, 2019 at 2:48 pm

      What color did you go with on your walls and I also love the floor. Can you tell me what it is? We're redoing our kitchen and I'm keeping the oak cabinets. I may look into the Briwax you suggested.

      Thanks!!!

      Reply
      • Simple Stylings

        February 12, 2019 at 7:08 am

        Hi Barbara! I'm so glad you like our kitchen!

        The shiplap walls are Pure White by Sherwin Williams and the rest of the walls are Sea Salt by Sherwin Williams. This is the link to the floor tiles. https://www.lowes.com/pd/Style-Selections-Leonia-Silver-6-in-x-24-in-Porcelain-Floor-and-Wall-Tile-Common-6-in-x-24-in-Actual-5-75-in-x-23-75-in/50015950

        You should be able to find most of the other sources here. https://simplestylings.com/kitchen-renovation-reveal/

        Reply
    8. Meg Vogl

      December 30, 2018 at 5:21 pm

      I'd be interested to know if anyone has used this stain on prefinished cabinets. I have mid-90s golden/honey oak cabinets that are very sad and tired. Have decided to paint the uppers and restain the lowers. Your thoughts would ge appreciated!

      Reply
      • Annmarie

        January 27, 2019 at 3:05 pm

        Not sure if the stain in this post would work on your honey oak cabinets that are already stained but Briwax Tudor Brown would work. Here is the link to the post I saw when I was searching for how to change my honey oak cabinets on a budget. http://inbetweenchaos.com/2017/10/01/refreshing-worn-wood-with-briwax
        I just used this method on my kitchen cabinets and am so thrilled with how they turned out. Rub on and buff off. No prep work required and goes on right over the existing stain.

        Reply
        • Simple Stylings

          January 27, 2019 at 6:33 pm

          Ooh thank you for sharing this!!!

          Reply
        • Dawn

          January 30, 2019 at 12:12 am

          Hi...I would love to see before and after photos of your kitchen cabinets😀
          I've been researching Briwax too..
          Did you lightly sand before applying the Briwax? Does.one have to reapply the wax after time?
          Thanks so much!!!

          Reply
          • Annmarie

            February 08, 2019 at 8:43 am

            I don't know how to add a picture to this post but if you cut paste and enter the following into the URL line on your computer you will see the original Pintrest post and I added my before/after picture of my cabinets to that Pintrest pin. (don't put the copy paste into a search field as it won't work. Enter it where you would type a www. address) No need to sand prior to putting the Briwax on. I just washed my cabinets with warm soapy water first. From what I have read you do not have to apply the Briwax after time. Not sure though since I just did my cabinets in January of 2019. The original post has good tips.

            https://www.pinterest.com/pin/AaJFY8yFiiUnnyn827lYVEvbtpgQNJUg9S_CYjKhtOPftclbquA-V6E/

            Reply
            • Annmarie

              February 08, 2019 at 8:45 am

              Just click on the above https and it will take you to the Pintrest post.

    9. Amanda O

      December 03, 2018 at 2:28 pm

      I am searching the internet high and low and around every corner to try to find knobs like your pictures the round diamond or round pyramid. Anyways if you have a link to where you purchased the knobs I would be ever so grateful!

      Reply
    10. Stephanie

      March 31, 2018 at 2:17 am

      Beautiful! What color grout did you use? Was it from Lowe's?

      Reply
      • Simple Stylings

        March 31, 2018 at 10:56 am

        Thanks so much! It's called Charcoal. Here is the link :) https://www.lowes.com/pd/MAPEI-25-lb-Charcoal-Sanded-Powder-Grout/3032979

        Reply
    11. Vanessa

      March 11, 2018 at 5:11 pm

      This looks so nice. Would love to see more pics of the kitchen.

      Reply
      • Simple Stylings

        March 11, 2018 at 11:16 pm

        Thanks so much! You can find more pictures here :) https://simplestylings.com/our-kitchen-renovation-a-year-ish-later/

        Reply
    12. Cher Lapointe

      November 05, 2017 at 10:40 pm

      I love this! I love it so much that I’m using it for the inspiration on my kitchen. The hardware you used is sold out. Would you suggest something similar to use?
      Thank you!!

      Reply
      • Simple Stylings

        November 06, 2017 at 2:19 pm

        Oh wow, what an honor! Thanks so much Cher! These from Lowe's look like they are similar https://www.lowes.com/pd/Richelieu-3-in-Center-To-Center-Burnished-Brass-Cup-Cabinet-Pull/3076453 and so do these from Restoration Hardware https://www.restorationhardware.com/catalog/product/product.jsp?productId=prod1283099&categoryId=cat1512023

        Hope that helps!

        Reply
    13. Joey Joyce

      November 17, 2016 at 8:54 am

      I think it came out Great. I have pinned that inspiration photo you used awhile back as inspiration for one of my income properties. Our tenant is about to move out and I am going to refresh the oak kitchen cabinets that are there to save $. They are stained an almost identical shade to the stain you picked. So I'm going to leave the lower cabinets oak. Paint a few of the uppers white and remove a few of the other uppers and replace with some open shelving, change out the hardware, put in a white farmhouse sink and to save (since it's just an income property) I'm going w/ the Formica in the calcatta marble finish with an ideal profile edge , finishing off w/ some white subway tiles and I think it'll be a really nice inexpensive update. I love that I now found another pic to show my hubby what I'm thinking. I think a lot of people can save $ using existing oak cabinets or getting the stock ones at home improvement centers. Done right w/ lots of white I think it can look nice., And refreshing. I'm so sick of seeing cabinets painted grey.

      Reply
      • Simple Stylings

        December 04, 2016 at 9:56 pm

        I love this plan Joey! Thank you so much! And I agree with you 100%!

        Reply
    14. freesavchenko.tumblr.com

      June 05, 2016 at 7:57 am

      Pretty great post. I just stumbled upon your
      weblog and wanted to mention that I have really loved surfing around your blog posts.

      After all I'll be subscribing to your rss feed and I'm hoping you
      write again soon!

      Reply
    15. Jill- Maggie May's Gifts

      November 08, 2015 at 4:20 pm

      Nice work! Impressive you stained them yourself. Mine would have an ombre look for sure! ha ha

      Reply
      • Simple Stylings {For The Semi-Creative Mind}

        November 08, 2015 at 11:33 pm

        Thanks so much Jill :) It was a bit tedious but not as bad as I had imagined!

        Reply
    16. Virginia Fynes

      November 05, 2015 at 2:09 pm

      Beautiful color choice! Must be nice to have them done!!

      Reply
      • Simple Stylings {For The Semi-Creative Mind}

        November 06, 2015 at 8:40 am

        Thanks so much Virginia!

        Reply
    17. Missy

      November 04, 2015 at 10:56 am

      I know that all white kitchens are all the rage, but I sure do love a nice rich wood! I love the inspiration photo and I think your kitchen is turning out fabulous! DLawless is my FAVORITE place for hardware- awesome quality and huge selection. Love it.

      Reply
      • Simple Stylings {For The Semi-Creative Mind}

        November 06, 2015 at 8:43 am

        Thanks so much Missy! D Lawless is awesome!

        Reply
    18. Kristi

      November 04, 2015 at 8:56 am

      LOVE the stained cabinets and that hardware is perfect!

      Reply
    19. Kassandra

      November 03, 2015 at 8:19 pm

      Love the colour you choose! I'm glad someone took a leap of faith and went this route. Maybe the start of an trend!? Wink wink ;)
      Can't wait to see more!

      XO Kass

      Reply
    20. Jennifer @ Dimples and Tangles

      November 03, 2015 at 2:02 pm

      You're making such great progress, Summer. I know you can't wait to finish!

      Reply
    21. Ashlea

      November 03, 2015 at 11:05 am

      Hi Summer,
      I am new to your blog through instagram :-) Just wanted to say that I loooove the inspiration photo, and I don't think you are crazy for staining them. My sister and I were just talking about her kitchen reno- and how much we love her oak cabinets. They are a gray-ish stain. Before they arrived she called in a panic thinking "maybe I should have gone white?!" But once everything was in it was all so beautiful.
      Looking forward to seeing the rest of your kitchen. xoxo

      Reply
      • Trang

        April 19, 2016 at 4:27 pm

        Hi Ashlea,
        Would you be able to share the gray stain that your sister used? Also, if she has pictures that would be even more wonderful. I am wanting gray cabinets like Summer did, but am not sold on the staining unfinished oak cabinets just yet. I had not thought about staining them a gray shade.

        Thanks.
        Trang

        Reply
    22. Ashlea

      November 03, 2015 at 11:01 am

      Hi Summer,
      I am new to your blog through instagram :-) Just wanted to say that I loooove the inspiration photo, and I don't think you are crazy for staining them. My sister and I were just talking about her kitchen reno- and how much we love her oak cabinets. They are a gray-ish stain. Before they arrived she called in a panic thinking "maybe I should have gone white?!" But once everything was in it was all so beautiful.
      Looking forward to see the rest of your kitchen. xoxo

      Reply
    23. Kendra @ www.joyinourhome.com

      November 02, 2015 at 11:52 pm

      The look gorgeous Summer! I think the finishing touch will be the back splash. ..can't wait to see it done! I've gotten hardware from Derrick at DLawless and loved it too!

      Reply
    24. Samantha

      November 02, 2015 at 10:50 pm

      LOVE! You're not crazy at all! They look amazing!

      Reply
    25. [email protected]

      November 02, 2015 at 7:51 am

      Love the inspiration photo and can't wait to see how it will come together

      Reply

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