Stained, Bare or Both

Over the past few weeks, we have been looking at the different ways to change the appearance of your existing cabinet without entirely replacing them. Another way to give your stained cabinets a different look is to scuff or “rub” the stain off of the edges and profiles.

 

Before you begin, make sure you have solid wood doors. This process will not work on plywood doors. Begin with a piece of 100 grit sandpaper. Lightly sand the edges and profiles until the stain is removed and the bare wood begins to show through. You can sand a lot of stain off or just a little. A consistent look can be created or a more random pattern. Once you have scuffed as much as you want, wipe the excess dust off and apply a clear coat of finish to the entire door or drawer fronts to seal and protect the bare wood. If you need help finding the best clear finish, talk with Ryan and Custom Color.

 

This is a simple process that produces a look that is not often seen. Unlike scuffing painted cabinets where you have the contrast between a paint and wood, now you are creating a contrast between a stain and the actual wood underneath the stain. This process seems to make the most impact when done on a darker stained cabinet, allowing the contrast of the bare wood to really pop out.