I normally encourage people to just go for it because I do think people can do more than they think they can. I'm a cabinetmaker, but I began over forty years ago with an occasional project that I stripped, stained, and varnished. Had I listened to my fears, I never would have done any of those things. However, given your hesitancy and lack of experience, I'm not sure I would encourage your to stain your bathroom. The other part of the challenge that faces you is correctly preparing the surface. You really have to strip the old finish if you're going to put down a stain. And you have to get every single bit of the old finish. If you miss even a drop of itor worseÂa drop here and a drop there, you will see those drops when you apply the stain, because the wood will NOT accept stain wherever the old finish is still on the wood. I personally would not do that for a bathroom unless I were able to remove the cabinetry and have it stripped at a strip shop. And that's something that really cannot be done, because when the cabinetry comes out, it normally comes out in pieces. But unless I knew absolutely that the old finish were removed, I would not want to stain it. Just sanding it down, as you have, is not likely to get the job done, especially in corners and angles. But if you have carefully sanded the old cabinetry, and it sounds like you have, painting them is really pretty straight forward. Make sure the surface is completely clean and free of dust, then put down a coat of primer. They say water-based primer works just as well, but I still prefer oil-based primer. However, if you do use oil-based primer, make very sure that you keep that bathroom ventilated. I would recommend a fan at one end to keep the fumes out of the bathroom as much as possible. Or you can opt for the water-based primer. But either way, you will get much better results if you prime it first. Then you simply have to put down two or three coats of water-based paint. In California I can no longer get enamel that is not water-based, but by priming the wood first, I have always gotten excellent results. I would recommend a satin finish, which is what I have always used. You need some gloss in the paint to be able to wash it down as needed. I would not recommend going less than satin, and if I went more, I would go no higher than semi-gloss. Gloss makes the light just bounce off. I used it onceÂnever again!!!!! I don't know what is available in your area, but I use Prudy brushes from Home Depot, as that's about the best brush they have. If you're going to be cutting around corners and such, you will get much better results with a sash brush (it is cut at an angle). But do make sure that you get the best brush you can find, because it really makes a difference in the ease of application and the results. Then it's just a matter of putting down the paint. Brush with the grain, take your time with it, and with water-base, recognize that you really cannot spend a lot of time going back over it because it dries so quickly. It is best to just put it down, make sure that area is looking right, then go on to the next area. At the end, I always check for drips. You may want to use a hand-held lamp to inspect it from every angle. Drips most often occur on edges and spindles. Runs are the result of putting down too much paint. If, the following day, you find you missed a drip, you can remove it with a putty knife, sand it out slightly with 600-grit wet-dry sand paper and paint over it with the next coat. If you choose a good color and put down the paint carefully, the results will always make you proud. Good luck.

Dark stained furniture with sleek pulls is in style. Do you have a pic to post? Could it just be the hardware that needs updating?

I used antique walnut. After the first coat, I was running low (because of the 3 coats I did on the first try and I had a tiny container) so I bought another tiny java and mixed them together and that worked well too. I probably would have preferred all antique walnut. It's a nice dark brown without being super espresso.2 coats of antique walnut will be so nice. Brushing on with a foam brush and then wiping off with a sock in the direction of the grain will give you a nice, dark, stained (not painted) look. You will still see the grain for sure. I'll post some pics from my phone in a minute. I used arm-r-seal and it is very easy to apply. You wipe it on with a shop towel or old t-shirt. However it is oil based and so it has a longer dry and cure time than the water based. However the water based is kind of milky/hazy looking so I'm not sure how it would go over a darker wood finish. My table is wood on top with white skirting/pedestal that I painted. I used arm-r-seal on top (4 coats of gloss and the last 2 satin) and then for the base I did 2 coats of primer, 2 coats of white paint, 3 coats of satin high-performance on the pedestal and 5 coats on the skirt. I used all GF products, they have a good reputation and I'm happy with how they turned out. I'm doing the matching windsor chairs for the table right now (currently primed and about to do first coat of paint today). The prep is the longest and worst part but it's the part that makes the most difference in the finished product! Okay, here's the photo. top left, before touching the top, old orangey oak finish (after I painted the skirt and pedestal). top right, after stripping with citristrip and lightly sanding with 220 grit and cleaning with mineral spirits. Bottom left, after 1 coat of antique walnut, brushed on with foam brush, wiped off with sock in direction of grain. Bottom right, after 1 coat of antique walnut and 2 more coats of antique walnut mixed with java gel, and 6 coats of arm-r-seal (4 gloss, 2 satin). It is curing and we will start using it in about a week. We are a family with 3 young kids and I want to give it time to get as hardened as possible before my kids treat it like crap! citristrip is super duper easy to use, it's just a bit messy, but I did the entire thing inside because it was winter and also I don't have a garage so it was done in my upstairs landing area outside my bedroom! I had a tarp down, then a big flat piece of cardboard, and then I put plastic drop cloths on the walls around in case anything splattered because my walls were recently painted.

Thanks! I just re-sanded the area back down to the original and started over with the Gel stain and the Gel Top Coat...still had the same problem with one section (but was the backside of drawer), but the other section worked... I had a large bottom cabinet and upper cabinets with mirror and light frame already stained, so I needed to follow through and make it work as they say...would not use or recommend these products to anyone else!!! Gave plenty of dry time in a warm and low humidity room... sanded before applying gel stain and during top coats..but for whatever reason the top coat removed the gel stain... oh well....