Kitchen cabinet restain lighter...HELP!

[walleye guy]

Hi Guys,

Brand new here.  After doing research on other forums, I was told this is the place to ask questions and get good advice.

So here goes.  We would like to change up our golden oak kitchen cabinets.  We've given some thought to painting, but I did a trial run painting our bathroom vanity and it looks good, but not great.  I don't have a sprayer so I rolled with BM Advance and the little bit of orange peel I got wouldn't cut it in a kitchen.

So our next thought is to restain the cabinets.  We want to go lighter, almost natural unfinished color (I'll attach a picture at the end of what we're looking for).  This is where I need some help.  The cabinets were originally topcoated with a catalyzed varnish.  My little research has told me that this is a bear to strip off with super harsh strippers.  Is this true?  Could I just sand everything off, or do I need to strip the surface as well?

Now as far as coloring the wood, I'm stuck.  I can't seem to find any light stains for oak that would achieve the desired color.  Judging from the photo, does anyone have any suggestions or experience with this type of color?

As far a topcoating, this seems to me like it could be another challenge.  I'd hate to get the color nailed only to add poly and have the color yellow/orange a bit.  Any suggestions here?  I thought maybe a waxed finish, but that would never hold up in a kitchen.  Would shellac go on clear enough?

Thanks in advance guys.  The pic below are of what we want to mimic.

 

[nclemmons]

If the cabinets are an older golden oak, I think you will be really challenged to successfully and consistently lighten that color that is covered with a catalyzed lacquer with a lighter stain and top-coat.  Removing the finish from the faces and all the nooks and crannies won't be fun, and won't give you a consistent lighter color finish.

Spraying with a paint color would be my first alternative after a good sanding and taking your time  You can purchase or rent an airless sprayer that can handle water-based paints and do a very nice job. 

The other alternative is just refacing them by replacing the door and drawer fronts and face frames with a lighter wood.  You could make the new fronts, or there are many companies that do it for you.

Welcome to the forum.  Challenging project ahead but it's doable!

 

[tjbnwi]

From the picture the color is Zar Honey Maple.

The effort it would take to get the color on what you have will be extreme. Extreme to a point I would not recommend even trying stripping them.

New doors and drawer face, reface face frames as neilc suggests.

If you need to roll the solid color-Sherwin Williams Emerald.

Look into having someone spray them for you is another option.

Tom

 

[Oldwood]

As has already been said, stripping and refinish is a lot of work. If you have some parts you can test on you could try a light toner but it would need to be sprayed on. A toner is a light coat of finish (I would say vinyl for this) with color mixed in to the finish. It would be top coated with a durable clear finish, like conversion varnish. It is like paint but still shows the wood grain.
This kitchen is ash with a heavy white toner. You would need to sand and clean everything very well before the vinyl went on. 

 

[butzla]

From the picture the color is Zar Honey Maple.

The effort it would take to get the color on what you have will be extreme. Extreme to a point I would not recommend even trying stripping them.

New doors and drawer face, reface face frames as neilc suggests.

If you need to roll the solid color-Sherwin Williams Emerald.

Look into having someone spray them for you is another option.

Tom

What Tom said.  I recently repainted my painted kitchen.  After sanding down and priming and spraying (37 raised panel doors and drawer fronts!)  I have ~ 100 hrs in the project.  I didn't do the insides.  And I was painting so I didn't have to be so careful in removing every last pigment.  Tom used the right word "extreme" amount of work.  I think if you're restaining the cabinets, a lighter color no doubt, you're looking at twice the work to do it right.  To the point refacing or replacing is way less work and possibly less expensive in labor.
FWIW,  Your kitchen is beautiful, I would love to see more pictures.  I love the stone work.  What's the back story?  And  [welcome] to the FOG!

 

[walleye guy]

Lol, I wish that was my kitchen! That is the set of Joanna Gaines' new cooking show.  My wife is a big fan, so she is the one that had the idea to do the cabinets that same color.  The brick work is awesome though

 

[walleye guy]

Thanks for all the replies so far guys.  Exactly what I was looking for.  It was nice to do the vanity first just to know what I'd be in for if I did paint the kitchen.  Lots of hours, and I only had four doors and six drawers!  I did two coats of grain fill, two coats of BIN and two coats of BM Advance.  I really wish the advance dried quicker and would allow for faster recoat times.

 

[tjbnwi]

Be very careful around the Advance, it has a 28 day coalesce and is easily damaged for a month after application. 

Tom

 

[walleye guy]

Be very careful around the Advance, it has a 28 day coalesce and is easily damaged for a month after application. 

Tom

Tom, I have an idea and want to run it past you.  Bear with me.  A few years ago we had a cabinet maker make us a wet bar and vanity in our newly finished basement.  He sprayed them and the finish is amazing, like glass.  He used a SW product which I think may be the Kem Aqua Plus that everyone seems to rave about (I'll attach a picture of the can to verify). 

So my question is this.  Could I roll/brush the boxes with SW Proclassic and then take the doors/fronts to my cabinet maker and have him spray them with the paint he used previously?  Would this pose problems down the road with one type of paint yellowing more than the other?  The other issue I have is painting the exposed sides of the boxes as they are particle board with a thin veneer.  They may look crappy rolled/brushed.

Thanks!

 

[tjbnwi]

That is a nitrocellulose lacquer. KA+ is a waterborne product.

Do test pieces to verify the color can be matched across 2 different product lines.

Tom