Looking for ways to refinish wood cabinets? If you want an easy way to give your kitchen or bathroom a new look, refinishing existing cabinet doors may be just what you’re looking for! Wait until you see how my hood vent turned out using General Finishes Gel Stain.
You don’t have to be an expert to refinish your own kitchen cabinets. In fact, there are many ways to do it right.
You are watching: How to Refinish Wood Cabinets with Gel Stain
Read on to learn more about the process!
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Have you ever stained wood before?
It sounds like a daunting process but it’s so easy to do, and even simpler using General Finishes Gel Stain.
This type of wood stain applies a deep, rich color that an oil-based stain does not achieve.
When we renovated the kitchen a few years ago, I struggled with how to refinish the vent hood.
It was such a beautiful piece but it looked so bland in my farmhouse kitchen.
I planned to paint the hood vent with a soft white chalk paint like the wood cabinets, but wanted it to stand out from the rest of the cabinetry.
So I ultimately decided to stain it.
There are so many different types of cabinet finishes available today. Which one you choose is personal to the look you want to achieve.
Since I wanted the hood vent to be the focal point, I decided to go with General Finishes Gel Stain in Antique Walnut. (More on this later).
Wait until you see how good it looks now!
I poured over Pinterest and Google for months to come up with an overall design.
Since I chalk painted the cabinets white, I thought it would be overkill to paint the hood vent white too.
So I chose to stain the hood to bring out the pretty details and become a statement piece in the kitchen.
The former homeowner built this hood from scratch and did an amazing job, didn’t he?
It was pretty but bland and lacked a venting system.
So the hood vent was for decoration only.
The former homeowner installed these cabinets and built the hood himself about thirty years ago.
While the craftsmanship is incredible, the detail is almost unnoticeable and the hood vent gets lost in the kitchen.
For this kitchen remodel, we wanted to make the hood operational so we purchased a vent insert that could be installed after refinishing it.
Read more : 8 Ways to Hide Your Kitchen Trash Can
After researching different types of stains, I started seriously considering gel stain.
I poured over Pinterest to learn how to apply gel stain.
While most articles worked with General Finishes Gel Stain in Java, I chose to go a shade warmer and lighter with General Finishes Gel Stain in Walnut.
Take a look at this close-up of the hood. The beadboard detail is barely noticeable.
I always knew the hood had this detail but didn’t appreciate it as much as I do after applying gel stain.
Whenever I work with a new product, I practice on a few pieces before going “all in” to build up my confidence and see how I like it.
Since I finished painting the cabinets white and was in total “go mode,” I went for it.
I read the directions on the can, several articles on Pinterest and visited General Finishes’ website to view their tutorial here.
I must have watched that video 10 times to ensure I knew what I was doing before gel staining cabinets.
When I was ready to get started, I remember heading to the basement with the repeated mantra “if it doesn’t look right, you can always paint it; if it doesn’t look right, you can always paint it.”
And I have to admit, I was pretty nervous to start but when I’m ready to go…I’m ready to go.
So here is how I did it…
Refinishing wood cabinets with gel stain is a pretty quick process.
What takes the most time is the drying time because you need to allow 24 hours between coats for drying.
Be sure to work in a well ventilated area too.
Wait until you see how easy it is to stain wood cabinets!
If you’re looking to add a little bit of style to your home, then gel staining kitchen cabinets might just be the perfect solution.
With a few simple tools and materials, you can transform old cabinets into something truly amazing.
Here’s what you need to gel stain kitchen cabinets.
While the stain looks gorgeous after gel staining, it almost seems like you can skip top coating but don’t do that!
It is so important to apply a top coat after the stain dries.
General Finishes sums it up pretty well, so consider this: gel stain is the color and the top coat is the protection of that color.
Therefore, don’t skip top coating!
Since the hood is in the kitchen directly over the stove where I boil a lot of water, I used a high-performance based finish so it would hold up better.
Read more : Melvin Franklin
I chose a flat finish because I prefer the look of a matte finish.
Here is the process:
Note: Although I used a flat finish there still is a natural sheen to the piece. It looks gorgeous in person and I would choose to use the flat finish again.
After allowing the hood to dry for 72 hours, a licensed electrician installed and hooked up the new venting system for us.
Doesn’t it look amazing?
The finish on the hood is beautiful and has held up very well over the last few years.
I’ve worked with several brands and types of stains before, but the gel stain provides a very rich-looking finish that you do not get from an oil-based stain.
When looking at the before and after pics of the hood, the wainscotting detail stands out so much more after finishing it with this product and it now looks like a very expensive custom piece.
I know the process sounds daunting, but each application is very quick and easy.
The thing that took the most time is the 24 hour drying time between coats.
But it is well worth the wait.
This hood is my favorite piece and I am very proud of it.
Now that’s it’s all done, I love my kitchen!
It was really fun to decorate for spring.
And I recently decorated it for fall.
I’m thinking about what to do for the holidays. This is what I did last year.
If you are thinking about trying to gel stain kitchen cabinets, I highly recommend it!
And if you are considering chalk painting cabinets, check out my FAQ with lots of answers here.
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