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brad_cerf

Help! White Oak Cabinet Stain?

Brad Cerf
3 years ago
last modified: 7 days ago

Hi all-

Working on a kitchen with rift sawn white oak (I attached a photo below of current progress). been trying several different stain products that have all either gone really yellow, or amber (when using lacquer). We found a product by ILVA that seals the wood without changing the color at all which is great, and then we've tried using JEL'D stains on top to control the color a bit. None of the stains are quite right... anyone have experience staining rift white oak? Trying to achieve the look below- a darker version of the natural finish that goes more desaturated brown..not yellow/orange. Would appreciate any photos/products/processes you've used. thank you!

my kitchen:


Sample photo:



Comments (207)

  • everpark
    last year

    It was satin. I don’t think it would really matter as it’s such a small amount.

  • knaus12k
    last year

    @julials14 thank you for sharing the link to the Renner product. The link no longer seems to be valid, I'm wondering if you have a picture of the Renner product you used or know which of these you used? https://tlfinish.com/product-category/wood-finishes/topcoat-sealer/. Thank you!

  • HU-460507226
    last year

    Whats counter name? those photo sample look gorgeous!!

  • silva_partyof5
    10 months ago
    last modified: 10 months ago

    @julials14 - I am hoping you see this! I also tried the link for the Renner product but it says page not found. :( Where did you source this from? I also am in CA and cannot find anyone who carries Renner here.

  • blueskysunnyday
    10 months ago

    Following

  • Mary Alexis Gardner
    10 months ago

    I messaged Renner, this was their reply.


    Good evening,

    The replacement product for the 1092 is the following link https://tlfinish.com/product/yo-xxm718-natural-look-water-based-self-sealer/
    This is a much more durable product and performs better.
    Let us know if you have any questions !
    Best regards,
    Harvey Zook

  • lisawilm
    9 months ago

    I bought this based on your recommenation and am not disappointed. Except the place I bought it at said catilyze at 10% lol hope that percentage worked too.

  • tavi9876
    9 months ago

    Following - planning a new kitchen in the next few months and want rift/quarter-sawn white oak.

  • H Taylor
    8 months ago
    last modified: 8 months ago

    We literally just finished installing our white oak plain sawn cabinets and i tried alot of stains. i found rubio monocoat was amazing and kept the beautiful color of the white oak without turning it yellow at all. My cabinet people had never heard of rubio monocoat and said it was a great product to use. i love the color!





  • zengi
    8 months ago

    Can you please share the exact product that you used? Thanks

  • H Taylor
    8 months ago

    Yes it’s called Rubio Monocoat

  • H Taylor
    8 months ago

    In natural

  • sillysquares
    8 months ago
    last modified: 6 months ago

    You have to put some sort of a slight white wash on the oak first and then clear coat it. That is the trick, to camoflauge the orange/yellow tone and also stops it from darking so much.


  • tavi9876
    8 months ago

    @sillysquares - in your comment above you said you used a whitewash stain from Rove and Dwell. When I look at your IG, you said you used Old Barn’s Living whitewash stain. Just curious, did you use two different white wash stains?

  • zengi
    8 months ago
    last modified: 8 months ago

    @tavi9876

    https://roveanddwell.com/products/copy-of-farmhouse-exterior-stain?variant=31876928667709


    I think Rove and Dwell sell the Old Barn's Living whitewash (see link above)

  • HU-729299254
    7 months ago

    Hi. i love your cabinet color choice. i have maple cabinets with a hiney finish but want to refinish them to this color. do you thinknits do able with maple to attain that white oak look?

  • tina321
    7 months ago

    @Sillysquares Such a perfect finish you did! Can you please share the White wash dilution ratio or did you use it full strength and just wipe off after 5 minutes. This is the detail that is the key.Thank you

  • sillysquares
    7 months ago


    tavi9876 Old Barn and Rove and Dwell are the same company, they changed names.

  • bzirbes
    7 months ago

    I am doing built-ins and have been following this question as well. This is where we landed with a stain from Hirshfields.

  • tina321
    6 months ago

    @sillysquares I've lost the thread were I was discussing with you. Can you please tell me your pinterest name thank you

  • cvdpnw
    6 months ago

    @lgio71 where did you find the kitchen cabinet sample that you shared with your cabinet maker? I'm trying to do the same thing and having a hard time finding stain samples. Thanks.

  • Jana Riehm
    3 months ago

    @thomaspartyof6 I know you posted forever ago, but love the cabinet pictures you did! How are they holding up? Can you confirm what kind of wood you used for the cabinets?

  • thomaspartyof6
    3 months ago

    To this day - I still love my cabinets too. The painted uppers are paint-grade maple & the lowers are select rift-sawn white oak (I get lots of rave reviews from those that see them first hand). We had a quality craftsmen, and that was key…but the wood & paint & stain has held up really well. With white uppers & wood lowers - I find I rarely have to clean them. Just spot clean when messes happen...dust on occasion but they’ve held up very well. So has my faucet




    in case any skeptics have wondered. Powder-coat mgfr black paint finish & not an ounce of hard water stains (makes all the difference).

    Any way ..here are some pics. Good luck on your project!

  • Jana Riehm
    3 months ago

    Thank you so much! So happy you are still enjoying them! I just got through reading this huge long thread, appreciate all the time you took to answer everyone's questions! Mine included!

  • tavi9876
    3 months ago

    thomaspartyof6 thank you for the beautiful pictures. Did you stain your lowers or just use a water-based top coat. If you stained, would you share the color or mix?

  • dani_m08
    last month

    @tavi9876 - If you scroll through all of the older comments (need to hit link to load them) - you’ll find what thomasoartyof6 used exactly on the cabinets (actually posted the sherwin williams formula from the can). The stain has some white paint added to it. All the details have been provided in the comments.

  • lculpepper68
    last month

    As I was reading through all these suggestions on white oak cabinets and keeping the true color, without turning golden, I am posting what I used and how they turned out. Hopefully this will help someone.

    I used Minwax Professional in this formula below and then a coat of Masters Armor in flat.

  • HU-436119338
    last month

    Super appreciative of this thread. I used the Renner brand after coming across the suggestion in this group. I also tried Rubiocoat, but was not crazy about the whitewashed finished.



  • HU-436119338
    last month




  • Jana Riehm
    last month

    Love the kitchen! you did a great job! do you mind sharing what floors you used?

  • HU-436119338
    last month

    Thank you! It’s genova oak by coretec

  • Mia Smyth
    20 days ago
    last modified: 20 days ago

    Scared to stain my beautiful new kitchen. I love the color it is now! Stain professional tried some of his combinations on on the back of a drawer. Not sure.




  • clt3
    20 days ago
    last modified: 20 days ago

    Find a cabinet finisher, not a painter - they are not the same thing.

  • Mia Smyth
    20 days ago

    Jessica Lorraine Would love to see pictures1


  • Mia Smyth
    20 days ago

    Brad Cerf, Would love a finished picture. PLEASE!

  • Mia Smyth
    20 days ago
    last modified: 20 days ago

    Tis picture is taken early morning no sun. My original Raw wood is on the hood.


    Back of drawer. Right is clear coat. Middle is 50% clear and 50% White wash BM. left end picture is 75% Clear and 25% white wash. Im having one more sample made with 75% White wash and 25% Clear.

  • dani_m08
    18 days ago

    @lculpepper68 - ypur kitchen looks beautiful! Would you mind adding some more photos + photos of your table area? What colors paint did you use on feature wall + rest of walls + white cabinets?

  • lculpepper68
    17 days ago

    dani_m08 - thank you! Here is the hood and pantry door of the kitchen that I just finished building. There is no glass in the pantry door yet but it will be reeded glass. The feature wall that is in my dining area is painted SW Iron Ore. The remaining white cabinets were already painted when I purchased the house.

  • Mia Smyth
    13 days ago

    What I have noticed in this delightful topic of staining your Oak cabinets is number 1. Pictures cannot really show the true color of your Oak stained Cabinets and 2. Everyone has a different idea of their perfect Oak color!

  • HU-460507226
    10 days ago

    What’s wood name and paint name? So gorgeous!

  • dani_m08
    9 days ago

    @lculpepper68 - (can’t tag you for some reason) - your kitchen looks beautiful! I really like your hood and your pantry door - I think reeded glass is a good choice! I was actually going to ask if the accent walls was SW Iron Ore! It’s a great paint color.



    @Mia Smyth - (I can’t tag you either - so annoying) - would you mind sharing exactly what you did to achieve your results? I remember that you had a few different samples - and maybe was going to try one more mix? Your result does look a lot like the cabinets in the inspiration kitchen that was posted originally by the OP - looks REALLY good! I also do not want yellow or orange tones - I am getting rid of 90s honey red oak!


    What are you using for your countertops/backsplash? I really like the marble in the OP’s inspiration photo - although it may be porcelain. I’ve seen some really beautiful porcelain countertops (including one that looks a lot like the countertops/backsplash in the OP’s photo) - but so many people have had issues with fabrication + chipping (not sure if that has changed - it’s been awhile since I’ve researched them).


    It’s funny - this post has been going on for a long time - I’m not sure that the OP ever came back to discuss any of the options - or to share a photo of his finished cabinets.


    I would be extremely upset if a contractor tried to “trick” me by substituting red oak for white oak (”trick” is being nice - it’s actually fraud). White oak is more expensive than red oak - especially these days since it’s become SO POPULAR!


    Red oak can be pretty - I’ve seen some red oak cabinets offered by Dura Supreme that looked really nice - just not the stain color that I’ve been imagining for the past FOUR YEARS (my kitchen renovation was supposed to be finished three years ago - but was delayed due to contractor issues + health stuff).


    Surprisingly, I still want the same exact look - unfortunately, it seems like 80% of people now want it also. Instead of having a more unique looking kitchen - it’s going to look like I jumped on the two toned white paint + white oak cabinet bandwagon 😞

  • Mia Smyth
    9 days ago
    last modified: 9 days ago

    So far not done! 8' Ceiling


  • lculpepper68
    9 days ago

    Your cabinets look amazing so far!
    You are correct…my dining wall is SW Iron Ore. Here is a pic of the pantry door with the reeded glass. I like how it came out. On to the next project!

  • designsaavy
    7 days ago

    All of your kitchens are beautiful.


    My daughter and son-in-law are moving to Charleston, SC and are going to be gutting the kitchen to remodel.


    I know this is a long shot, but are any of you in that area or know of a cabinet maker in the Charleston, SC area? They currently live in FL and the long distance planning has been difficult. Finding a designer and cabinet maker would be beneficial.

  • lculpepper68
    7 days ago

    Sorry no..,.I am in Texas and made my own cabinets, hood and pantry door. I do know that there are many talented carpenter/cabinet guys out there. It just may take some research and recommendations.

  • designsaavy
    7 days ago

    Thank you.

  • steeleja
    6 days ago

    lculpepper68, can you tel me what color and finish you used on your hood and door?

  • Mia Smyth
    6 days ago
    last modified: 5 days ago



    I am happy with this natural color! This is the result we wanted. We did not want Rift Saw Oak because we wanted to see the White Oak grain! Now on to the next challenge of picking the hardware. Blk or Brass 4" or 6' All this is not easy.

  • lculpepper68
    5 days ago

    Beautiful!!

  • lculpepper68
    5 days ago

    @steeleja I used Minwax Professional in this formula and then Armor flat topcoat.

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