Some time ago I posted a question about staining straight grain fir for the trim in our new house. As result of the feedback we’ve decided to go with clear white pine (much more readily available here on the east coast also) but have run into another problem/concern.
It’s a small open plan house with wood (most probably hickory) floors, wod kitchen cabs and all trim so therefore any differences in adjoining stain colors will be readily apparent and if only slightly off will be jarring to the eye. I’m planning to make the kitchen cabs out of 1/4 sawn red oak that SWMBO would like stained with a honey spice stain. The question is how the heck can I make the trim and doors match them? E.g. could I stain them with a red oak and then a honey spice? SWMBO has said she’d give up on the hickory floor and go with red oak if that helps but it still begs the question of how does one get stain to match on different woods?
Replies
Not much help on matching stains, but a suggestion: make them obviously different.
Of course, SWMBO may have different ideas...
Two reasons for using different woods are that they have different colors and textures.
Perhaps some nice paint would solve the problem.
Edited 4/9/2005 8:03 pm ET by GeorgeR
"When it comes to color matching, there is simply no substitute for practice. And the practice will go more smoothly if you make some stain boards and understand some basic color theory to point you in the right direction." -- Jeff Jewitt, Complete Illustrated Guide to Wood Finishing, p.163
Jeff has many good photos and pages addressing coloring and it's worth a read.
With different woods they'll never quite match, but that is part of the beauty of natural materials. I wouldn't try to get them to match, I'd just pick shades that harmonize with each other and compliment the look of each species.
Limezen,
I definitely agree with the other responses. All of that wood in the same tone is visually boring. "Frame" the best elements of each wood and let them work together rather than forcing everything into a homogenous blur.
Doug
This forum post is now archived. Commenting has been disabled