I accidentally touched my stain before it was dry and it left a smear on top. What I did next was not a good choice. I used the rag that had a little stain left on it and wiped slightly over the area. BAD MOVE. This 2"x10" streak was darker than all the rest. After searching the internet for ways to fix this mistake, I really didn't find many solutions other than to sand back down or use mineral spirits. I am not a fan of mineral spirits or anything that strong....so I decided to use rubbing alcohol to correct this mistake. Although it won't remove the stain totally, it did lighten the area up enough so that it's not noticeable. This is a much better alternative for me. I would imagine that it will remove the stain fairly well if it has not had time to sit very long. I used it after about 3 days of sitting and it helped with the removal of the top layer. Just thought I would post a solution for a smaller scale mistake.

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Before and After: I used GF mahogany on my kitchen cabinets and I like the results. I like the color which is like a rich caramel sauce. I did use the cloth application method. But the trick is to do lots of very thin coats. For preparing, I first cleaned with water and soap, then just LIGHTLY sanded with a sanding sponge, and then cleaned again with water and soap. Make sure that it is dry when you apply the stain. Apply with cloth, and "clean" it right after with a clean cloth. It is almost like shining shoes. I think I did 4 or 5 coats like this, separated at least 12 hours. Just be patient. It is better to put too little and do more coats than put too much and end up with an uneven coat. Then I applied two coats with clear GF poly. I did this 4 years ago and they are holding well.

Dark-on-dark kitchens are OUT as a trend. Even with the white counters, this is going to be a dark space. With a strong white counter, you want floors that are as light as possible. The gunstock is pretty - if you MUST have a stain. As already stated, cherry wood cabinets are an upgrade...but the upgrade is lost when working with a stain that is so dark it might as well be paint. If you want dark floors (it has been a dream of yours) then go lighter on the cabinets. If you want dark cabinets then go lighter on the floors. And dark floors are a NIGHTMARE to keep looking good/clean. Every speck of dust shows. Why? Because 90% of household dust is 'human dander' (skin cells). And that means it is a 'light gray' in colour. Light gray dust shows up BEAUTIFULLY on DARK floors. Just a little FYI...I would go light on the floors if you absolutely must have dark kitchen cabinets.