You may want to post this on the discussion side. People don't check the gallery as often as they do the other side. Laurie

luan slab doors are really cheap, like $ 40. maybe someone quoted you real mahogony by mistake. you can special order them from HD or even online. make sure you get stain grade, not paint grade. also when i ordered some for my 50's house, i did not realize the door knob opening was larger on a modern door than my old door hardware, so i recommend you check measurements.

I have never tried to make birch take stain like mahogany, but I have stained poplar to look like mahogany. I can tell you what I did, and some of what I did may apply to you. I think you'll easily succeed, given that you had the grit to paint such a small space with oil paint successfully :-) It looks fantastic by the way. Step 1: Washcoat (google this and there is lots of good reading on the hows and whys). Basically makes the wood take the stain more evenly. Waaaay better than using minwax wood stain conditioner, which has a short working time. This stuff, you brush on, let dry, and can take your time proceeding to the next step. I used Pro finisher by Parks universal sealer mixed with 2 parts denatured alcohol. Basically any suspension of dewaxed shellac and denat. alcohol in the right proportions will do. Wait 45 minutes before proceeding. Step 2: Use a coat of very light-colored stain to fill the pores in the wood and begin layering on color. I used minwax cherrywood gel, but you can use whatever you want. Many pros start with dye at this point, but I could not find it readily available at consumer outlets, so I just used a light stain in a color that established the undertones in the wood that I wanted. Layering on color like this is much more forgiving than trying to achieve the color you want in a single step. Also, poplar has pores which tend to turn black with most stains; this step filled those pores so that I did not get the look of thousands of tiny black lines, which in this case, I did not want. I rubbed the stain on with a small cloth, then wiped off after a minute or less. Your door is big, so I'd work quickly. Wait the recommended drying time (usually 8 hours) and then some before proceeding, or your colors will dissolve and mix into each other, leaving lighter patches. Step 3: Establish the main color. This is the fun step where you start to see where you're getting. In my case, I mixed 60% minwax aged oak gel and 40% mahogany, plus a dab of walnut. Apply as in last step, wiping off after just a couple of minutes, so that the stain does not have time to dissolve and "lift" the previous coat. Wait the recommended drying time again (usually 8 hours). Step 4: Seal coat. This step is necessary to prepare for step 5, which is the "toner" step (again, googling will turn up more reading on using toner in a staining process). This time, use undiluted sealer (the same one used with denatured alcohol in step 2). Apply a thin, even coat and wait 45 minutes before proceeding. Steps 5 and onwards: This is the fun part. You are getting close to home. Toner is basically a tinted polyurethane that simultaneously protects your wood finish, and builds on layers of color. Again, the pros custom mix their own; I just used minwax polyshades antique walnut. I did two coats to achieve the look I wanted. Your mileage may vary. By layering on color like this, you get an even, rich finish with good depth, and you are able to fine-tune to get the color you want. This process may not be for you, and I have to admit, in trying to match the rest of the woodwork in my house, I tried about 64 different combinations (varying color at each step multiplied my possibilities quickly) and owned just about every minwax color out there, but I am extremely happy with the results, and multistep staining is so much more FORGIVING than a two-step process, I am hooked. I must give credit to Paul Snyder, on whose article below I based my work. I hope you take a look, as his pictures are worth a thousand words, and his process is also recommended for birch Best of luck with your project! Here is a link that might be useful: Staining difficult woods

Miele, Bosch, and Fisher Paykel models will all work. I even believe Kitchenaid will too. For any model, check the spec/dimension sheet and look for the overall depth including the thickness of the door, which should be less than 24" to sit flush w/ inset cabinetry if the depth of the cabinet will be 24".