What type of stain is needed to make pine and maple cupboards match in my kitchen?
The pine cupboards are very orange with age so I was hoping to bring them back to raw. Then try to stain both the maple cupboards and the pine drawers with a solid type stain. Would this work?
Using a solid color stain would work as long as both the maple cupboards and pine drawers are raw, stripped and sanded. The stain needs to penetrate. A solid stain has a painted look, but will allow a small amount of the wood grain through, this depends on the stain and its application.
A Few Options
1) It would be better to strip and sand both wood types then use two different stains that are color matched to the wood species. This involves taking a piece of sanded maple and sanded pine, that approximate your current cupboards, to a paint store for a custom stain matching in a color of your choosing. Some store don't like to do this because of the work involved.
2) Another option is to strip off the clear finishes, leaving most of the color intact, then restain with a penetrating stain or gel stain. The stain color must be a little darker or richer than your existing color in order to change the appearance of your existing stain.
3) Clean and lightly sand then apply either a gel stain or wiping stain over your all ready finished cupboards. This is the most difficult option, but a fast option if done right. It is very hard to have a consistent look with a stain applied over a slick finished piece of wood. Two good stains to try are Old Masters gel stain or wiping stain.
