I used Cabinet Coat. You can special order it from any Ace hardware store. I researched the web extensively and heard nothing but praises for this paint. I originally wanted to use oil paint for its durability, but wanted water-based for ease of application. I chose Cabinet Coat because it is supposed to give a very durable finish, but doesn't yellow as oil does. So far I am extremely pleased with its nice finish and durability and plan to use it not only for my cabinets, but for all the woodwork in my house as I go along.

Hi, What you want is possible in the short term, but not sustainable. You want an absolutely flat finish. But one that doesn't darken the wood. Tung oil will dry absolutely flat. Back in the olden times it was used to make the first flat oil paints, in the place of linseed oil, which made paint glossy. Back to your problem, any type of oil finish is going to set the color of the wood pretty dark to begin with. Third, cherry is a wood that gradually darkens and gets redder over time. So, even if you somehow achieved your very light color with a flat finish, it will abandon you in a year or three. Twenty years ago I used a flat finish polyurethane varnish, it was by a paint co. out of Texas (?), Sterling 12-star. I liked all of their products a lot. I have never seen another flat poly since leaving their market area. Ask whomever supplied or applied your conversion varnish if they have a water-based sanding sealer. That would be your best bet, as it should not darken the cherry as much initially. Casey

Sorry for the delay in getting back in here...had to run off yesterday afternoon to pick up pizzas (since we have no kitchen) for Monday Night Football, with our beloved Seahawks! I really appreciate the information youâÂÂve all offered. tbo...That sounds like a lot of work...I canâÂÂt imagine stripping on top of everything. needinfo, I keep telling myself, although it would be a lot of work, there would be no advance stripping! Yes, I have been thinking about cherry, and in the end, we may just order that with a clear coat...however worry about receiving lot of âÂÂfiguredâ or âÂÂwavyâ cherry which I donâÂÂt like so much. After tolerating oak for years, IâÂÂm hoping for a quiet grain. hollysprings, Thank you so much for your detailed thoughts on this process. Your post has literally turned hubby around to rethinking committing us to spending so much more time on a project that has already drug on so long. We are fairly certain that we could do a decent finish eventually because we are particular and tenacious, but the amount of time and frustration it could turn into is something that is hard to justify. linelle, Yes âÂÂSherwin Williamsâ catbuilder, Thanks for your thoughts, IF we do decide to do the finish I will be practice staining lots of wood samples before committing to the species. frmrsdghtr I am so grateful that you replied. We had given a lot of thought to the HVLP route, hoping that it might not be a nightmare -- thank you for letting me know how you felt about doing it this way. melissaki5 I saw that thread, that was one incredible job, amazing! sixtyohno, Thank You for your insight as well. I also think that if we paint, a decent HVLP sprayer would be the only way to go. IF we do this, we will have to build a spray booth IN the house because itâÂÂs getting too cold to create on in the garage now, and I am not waiting until next spring! It is really good to hear though that you have faith in the process with the right equipment. jakuvall, Thanks for your input on this. Hubby has been a bit on the fence because IâÂÂm the one who would have to do the finishing...IâÂÂm going to point out to him your âÂÂ90/10â ratio of finishing to making and suggest that if I have to finish them, perhaps he should build them! (; Natural cherry, ordered with a clear coat is sounding very tempting right now! Renosarefun, Cute handle -- Renos may be fun for you -- LOL -- for me I am so tired of this remodel which, has drug on now for years (yes YEARS) mostly because we could not settle on a layout. Now demo is done, we should have ordered the cabinets already, but IâÂÂve been apprehensive about taking on the finishing. After reading the posts above, I am beginning to really dread the idea of doing it. I will finish the cabinets if I have to, and I will do whatever it takes to get to a good job, but honestly after...

Shiloh is 4-6 weeks. Medallion is at 11 weeks with the holidays. It's my longest lead time right now. I ordered a Medallion Silverline kitchen on Oct. 21 and it won't be in until first week of January 2021. Kraftmaid is around 6 weeks. I'm sure with the holidays, your builder will experience many delays....so just get them ordered....get what you want and figure, they'll probably sit in a warehouse for a few weeks regardless. Builders are notorious for that! Hurry! Hurry! Order now!!!! But when they arrive, they always ask me how long can I warehouse them. Ughhhhh!