I just had kitchen cupboards custom made. However, the cabinets maker did not stain them evenly. I have dark doors and light stained doors and drawers (Cabernet). I want to redo them and have the stain the same even color on all the cabinets. Since they have a lacquer on them I am told I would have to strip them all. Is it possible to sand them and then refinish them? Or, could I possibly bleach the dark ones lighter and them put more lacquer on them? What would be the best way to achieve lightening my new cupboards?
The only way to lighten stained wood is to strip and restain. You could strip only the dark doors and see how this looks. Much easier than trying to refinish everything. Using a bleaching compound on stain will produce an uneven blotchy appearance. Use a stripper to remove the finish and as much stain as possible, do some light sanding then restain.
