Have you ever stained a piece of furniture and thought you picked the “perfect” stain but then realized it wasn’t what you wanted? Did you live with it, or decide to sand it down and start from scratch?
I’ve learned that staining furniture isn’t much different than dying my hair. I’ve been blonde, strawberry-blonde, streaked-blonde, red-head, black and brunette so I know what I’m talking about. 😉
Like any good hair stylist will tell you, you can apply a dark hair colour over a light colour, but not a light over a dark. To go from a dark shade to a lighter shade, you must strip and remove the dark shade first.
When it comes to furniture and wood, staining over stain works exactly the same way!
Today, while trying to turn two dirty scratched road-rescue tables into “Country-Charm”, I chose Peacan Minwax for the tops. Once applied, I decided I wanted to stain the tops much darker. What I didn’t want was the hassle of stripping and sanding all the wood over again.
I was feeling adventurous so I applied Dark Walnut Minwax stain over the already stained Pecan wood. It worked beautifully!
The end result didn’t turn out the exact shade/colour which is shown on the Dark Walnut Minwax label, but, somewhat warmer due to the golden tones of the Pecan underneath. Seeing as I’m not trying to get an exact match to any existing furniture, no biggie… and I quite like the warm tones coming through.
So here’s my lesson for the day which I’m sharing with you ~
1. Staining over stain is easy and works beautifully if your applying a dark stain over a lighter stain on raw wood.
2. You can mix 2 or more stains together to make DIY custom stains.
3. Warm stains work great to slightly warm up cooler toned stains.
4. Pick an inconspicuous spot to test your stains before applying to the entire surface.
5. Last but not least, it’s not advisable to stain over polyurethane or any other protected finish such as wax, varnish or shellac.
Here’s why. Last summer I tried touching-up scratches on a head & foot board by applying a matching cherry stain over the finish. Big mistake! After applying it, it did help camouflage the scratches but; the end result was horrible. Regardless of how many times I tried wiping it down, it felt tacky to the touch and rubbed off on my hands and clothes every time I was near it.
Have any questions or staining stories of your own? Or maybe we should have some fun and share hair dye stories gone horribly wrong… I have a few of those!
Have a great day!
Denise
Hello again... I'm so happy you dropped by! Let's keep in touch! Follow me on social media or sign up for a dose of furniture painting inspiration and diy tutorials. :) 
I just sanded my golden oak kitchen cabinets and stained them using Minwax Dark Walnut mixed with Classic Gray (70-30 mix). The grain is gorgeous but I feel there is just too much orange coming through. I am going for a weathered rustic look, maybe a slight white wash. I do not want to re-sand them. Is there something else I can put on them prior to doing my polyurethane? I have looked at dry brushing and white washing, but do not want to much white.
Hi Deb. A subtle wash or dry brush may do the trick. ?? If there is a raised grain you could try a white glaze. A glaze is easy to control when wet so if you play around with it you might get just the right amount your happy with. ?? It’s always good to test first though. You wouldn’t want to ruin all the hard work you’ve already put in.
You mentioned not staining over anything with a varnish. I have a mantle that appears to be sealed with poly or varnish or some type, but I’m wanting to stain it darker. Would I need to sand it first, then re stain? Or maybe use a watered down chalk paint?
Hi Julie! Yes, if you stain directly over topcoat it will become tacky as in the example I used with the cherry headboard. Sanding would be the way to go to get a nice dark finish.
I ordered new kitchen cabinets they are the wrong color. I wanted dark brown but they are a Reddish brown
I m push for time would you stain a hole kitchen or just return them all , because that is a lot of work
Plus they will discount the cabinets for me
Regina, sorry to hear that. Personally, I would return them. For the amount of time it would take to restain etc, and seeing as they are brand new, I would return and get the exact color you were hoping for. Good luck. 🙂
Hi I would like to restain my frames / moldings in my house from a pine color to a cherry color, when you go to remove the top coat is it just slightly to remove the gloss so that it will steap in, then after re apply the gloss?
Denise, I bought a wood coffee table and the stain is messed up ; slightly bubbled on some areas and just scratched in others. I want it to look good enough to sell but I don’t want to completely redo it. It has a dk. walnut stain (looks like) on it now. If I lightly sand to scuff it up, can I apply Dk. Walnut Minwax stain over the existing stain without it “gumming up? Question 2 – or would it be better to apply minwax polyshades (stain & polyurethane) so I don’t have to put a top coat on after the stain? THANKS for your help!
Jackie
Hi Jackie! Hmmm, I’m not sure? My concern would be the bubbles/scratches and existing topcoat. If you start sanding (even lightly) those bubbles might get worse and may require a full sanding anyway. But if you stain over an existing topcoat, it may get tacky/gummy just as you said. Maybe try in an inconspicuous area and see how it reacts. I’ve never used Polyshades over an existing stain and/or topcoat so I’m not sure. ?? Sorry, probably not the answer you were hoping for. 🙁
i want to darken my golden oak kitchen cabinets , when u did the end tables.. did they have a finish on them and did you just stain right over that.. no sanding? I have read alot about staining or glazing over finished products.. but if you do so can it be left unsealed after u restain? I am wondering how it will hold up..say wiping down a cabinet over time.. and I like the finish that is currently on my cabinet.. dont know whether it is polyurethane or what its kitchen oak cabinets.. i can wipe them down easily with a bit of water and a bit of soap.. but resealing would be alot more work.. thanks KIm
Hi Kimberly! If there is a slick easy to clean/wipe down topcoat on your oak kitchen cabinets, they would require sanding to darken them up with a stain. Otherwise, the stain will sit on top of your topcoat and become tacky like it did with my headboard example. And yes, I know a lot more work, but stained would does require a topcoat to seal it and allow it to be cleaned/and wiped down.
Funny, i had picked similar colors to yours, i strained Pecan first, it felt it was a bit light, got. e light walnut, did it on a small piece of wood, but didn’t like the walnut either, too dark for my taste. I was looking for something that looks like pecan but more darker.