staining your kitchen cabinets black
My kitchen was built in the late 90s. It was lots of big bold, cherry wood contorted into that strange faux old world Tuscan kitchen trend. Even when it was in vogue I’m pretty sure my house’s was a a sub-par version. The cabinets were a red cherry wood that was outdated, the marble was a lovely mix of orange, green and taupe that was aging and cracking. The kitchen is in the center of our open plan home. I could not escape it. I was staring at orange/green marble and cherry wood for years and it was slowly eroding my aesthetic spirit. It was one of those projects that we weren’t getting to because it was too expensive. And when I realized we probably would never get to it, I knew it would only happen if I chose a more drastic route; I had to embrace my inner DIY guru and stain it myself.
Ever since I saw an all black kitchen I loved it; such a subtle, sophisticated and understated choice. In a world of awe-inspiring blinged out kitchens, here was its antithesis. A moody, dark space that could be grand or simple. After a few months of quarantine I finally broke and drove to the nearest Ace Hardware. I had never stained anything in my life before. I watched a few Utube videos beforehand and dove right in. I made many mistakes and it took a long time. But in the end it was definitely worth it and I am in love with my dark cabinets. Here are some things I wished I knew beforehand…
pick the right stain (hint- its Old Masters): I tried out a few of the most popular brands (Miniwax, Old Masters and General Finishes). Miniwax was the worst and General finishes was just okay. Then I met my (old) master; It was phenomenal! Old Masters was so easy to work with and glided on with such precision I felt like I was just let in on a very big secret.
use gloves!: It is oil based and sticks to everything, everything!
go with the grain and apply liberally at first: I can’t stress this enough. Lay it on thick at first and do one solid swipe. Going over your work will only erode the not set stain and create streaks. Go thick at first and try for one or two clean swipes.
allow it dry before you use your poly coat: You will need to cultivate patience, mine took days (yes, days). It was three full days until I would turn them over for the next side. This is a long project (now thyself!) estimate if you really want to do this before taking off all your cabinet doors.
use a spray on poly: I am no woodworker. I tried a brush on poly at first but my novice showed. It looked horrible. My sister suggested spray on poly (I used General Finishes spray on in satin) and it was so easy to work with. Shake the can well and make sure it is a fresh can. I found the older the can the more bubbles that could fall on your work. Spray on poly truly was a game changer for getting a smooth finish.
use broken sponge brushes: I used sponge brushes for the initial application and then broke off the sponge wedges to use on smaller places or curves in the cabinets. They worked great and I found them far easier than brushes (added too many brush marks) or the internet popular sock methods (just looked gunky and non-professional).
custom mix the stain to get your ideal color: I ended up mixing Old Masters carbon black and spanish oak to get the desired color I wanted. Carbon black was too solid black and seemed gothic, while Spanish Oak was a warm, rich, very dark brown. It was quite pretty, but looked colonial and did not have the modern edge I was aiming for.
try black cabinet pulls: I went black on black and bought black pulls as well. I loved it. It transformed my kitchen into a nice blend of old world and modern.
accept wabi-sabi wear: I see my own work in the kitchen, it will wear and have imperfections. I’ve had to accept that there will be limitations to my execution of the task and a learning curve. If you can flow a bit with imperfections (or even wabi-sabi-ily love them) than you really can move forward on larger projects in your home and produce a lot of joy in the process. Staining this way is very high on the instant gratification meter, and far easier than I ever imagined. This project is a big one though. Plan accordingly.
