If using the tiny Christmas type gold string lights, just wrap them around the pillar on the way up, and add a string to wrap down a corresponding pillar to make it look even. I know, far from perfect, but ... If using the heavy-duty café lights, tape or carefully staple the cord in a very straight, flat line going up the column. Or if that looks too tacky, just learn to live with the cord. Life comes with cords... (sigh). Another thought -- use lights that have batteries as a power source, or solar lights. I used solar lights on my deck and they work surprisingly well. The brand is Gama Sonic and some models have as much as 130 lumens output.

even if he used oil base, it doesn't yellow (or amber) for many many years. what stain did you use? red oak is naturally pinkish toned, so if you use a red based stain, it will look warmer or more orange toned. That's what you're seeing. it's not the clear coat. you can try changing your bulbs to a cooler temp which give off more blue tones (blue will neutralize some of the yellow tones). try something above 4000K temperature. the only other way is to sand and stain. or you could try going darker. say an ashy medium brown. like a walnut. anything ash or green based will cancel out the red in the wood. stay away from any warmer, red toned stains. any of these would take away the orange look

What are the full dimensions of the space? Key measurements are missing and they could make or break a design. Please post a fully-measured layout of the space as well as a sketch of the entire floor the Kitchen is on. (And please answer Sammy's questions, as I have the same questions!) From the Featured Answer of the "New to Kitchens? Read Me First!" thread: By "fully-measured", we mean a layout with the widths of each wall/window/door/doorway and the distances between each wall/window/door/doorway labeled. See a sample below. If something cannot be moved or changed (e.g., the chimney), label it precisely on your layout (see post in sample below) and tell us why it cannot be moved/changed -- we may have some ideas for you. The sketch of the entire floor lets us see how the Kitchen relates to the rest of the home. It doesn't have to be to-scale, but it should accurately show how the rooms relate to each other and should include all interior & exterior doors. In addition, it will help us see how traffic flows in, around, and through the Kitchen. Label the front entry and family entry. The family entry is usually a garage or side entry, but it might not be. It's helpful to know which door you use to bring in groceries. (Both the layout and the sketch can be hand-drawn, just be sure to include all the information.) Another question: Do you have a separate Dining Room?

@Paul F. Good to know! @Laurie thanks! I used Beyond Paint. It doesn't come in very many colors, but I like that you don't need to sand or prime. I mixed black with a tiny amount of brown and an even tinier amount of cream. So I guess it'd technically really a very, very dark gray. :) The paint is a little expensive for the amount, but a little goes a long way. I got a quart of black and used it for two vanities (one large and one small) and to stencil a floor. It has a pudding-like consistency. (And no, I don't sell the stuff!) You really need to let it cure. I let the doors and cabinet sit unused for several days before putting the doors back on. And now I'm being very careful to use the handles instead of pulling at the corners of the doors and drawers as I usually do. It's a matte surface, so it does tend to show scratches, etc., at least at first. One side of the cabinet is next to the tub, and when it gets wet and I wipe up the drops, it discolors the paint a tiny bit. I painted another vanity in a 3/4 bathroom with the same type of paint (but in pure black) and it's holding up fine. Even water drips on it are fine. So hopefully with time this vanity will also be pretty water-resistant. If for some reason it's not, I may repaint the one side and seal it. If you have kids who use the sinks or a very busy household, I'd do the sealer all over. I used it on a bathroom floor that I painted with the same paint, and the sealer is very sturdy. However, I have seen some people complain online that the sealer dries streaky. I didn't have that problem, but maybe some batches aren't as good as others,.