Rub steel wool against the wood in the same direction as the grain.
How to make dark wood cabinets lighter. You also could glaze over the wood cabinets with a lighter glaze. How to lighten a dark wood stain. How to lighten the color stain on oak cabinets 1. Use stain to darken unsealed wood cabinets even over previously stained wood.
Keep the crown molding the existing cabinet color so it pulls the base color up. Scrape off the gelled finish with sharp flat sticks. To get the furniture ready for a new coat of paint sand off the top layer of the old paint or varnish. Dark outdated furniture gets a facelift with a dry brushing technique.
Place the doors and drawers. After sanding throughly wipe off the dust residue first with a. Shading varnish will darken cabinets with a polyurethane finish. Stop once the wood appears light.
Remove the doors and drawers from the cabinets. Apply a small amount of stripper to the wood. Remove all the hardware on the kitchen cabinets and set aside all pieces in a safe place so they don t get lost. This will allow the new paint to adhere better.
Turn on the exhaust fan or open the windows and apply the stain stripper. Use a screwdriver to remove the hinges. Work from the center and allow the finish to fall off onto. Lighten the dark wood stain by scrubbing it with a stripping solvent using a nylon pad.
How to lighten dark wood stain method 1 of 3. Remove the hardware including knobs hinges and pulls. While it may not trigger the exuberant feeling you get in a white cabinet kitchen it brings about a calm excitement. The color invites you to linger be calm and ponder.
How to restain kitchen cabinets from a dark stain to a lighter color step 1. Lifting stain with steel wool. Wait an hour for the solvent to evaporate. Dark cabinets will introduce a certain richness and depth that lighter colors just cannot achieve.
Another idea paint the upper cabinets a lighter color it could match the flooring or a color that would be in your new backsplash. Allow it to soften the finish for about 10 minutes or as directed by the manufacturer.