Thank so much everyone for helping !! I had a minor set back with Christmas ( was DEFINITELY the wrong time of year for me to have started this project : ) So the reason I was sanding ( after the 2nd coat of Arm R Seal ) is because: 1. that is what the guy at general finishes told me to do 2. it is what I have read several times now on different web sites what other people were doing 3. I had few very tiny tiny tiny bubbles ( I read that this was because when I applied the top coat I guess my "swipes" were to fast allowing some air to get in ?? not sure ) and when I say "sand" I mean I literally took a sheet of 400 and just barely "kissed" the top of the door ( because I was terrified of scratching my finish ) Every single coat I have done on these doors has had at least 3 days of drying time ( and almost 2 weeks for stain it self ) I used the Arm R Seal because that is also what they told me at general finishes. And I was told 3-4 coats ( which the thought of makes me want to set all of these cabinets on fire right now ! : ) Since they are going in the kitchen with 4 kids I assumed I needed as much protection as possible. AND THANK YOU "BROWNEYES" SO MUCH for your SUPPORTIVE KIND WORDS !! I really needed to hear that right now. I don't think my husband ( or anyone who has not gone through this experience ) has ANY IDEA what a NIGHTMARE this is !! Anyway... I am in the middle of the job, have -- 33 CABINETS and Drawers -- a torn up kitchen and can't stop now. I just emailed the General Finishes guy my photos and he is going to call me soon. I just wanted to post to thank everyone for helping, supporting ! and just in case anyone else has my same issue should they choose to go down the infamous " Java Gel Stain" path :) Here is a side by side photo of the "sanded / chipped door" and one on the right that had not been sanded. ( The color is of course EXACTLY the same just different lighting in my dining room and kitchen ) Thanks again to all - so much appreciated

Shellac, yes, then sand very lightly with a 320 grit flexible sanding sponge/pad, then dust off and try the Java. Gel over shellac gives the ultimate control, and you can alternate layers until you get the depth you want. The following coat of shellac gives you the present status of the job, and you can quit when you want and apply the clear wear layer (varnish) right on top of the shellac. If you still feel Java is too dark/intense, I'd recommend Brown Mahogany by General, it's warmer and does not have that purple cast that I see often in Java. I mainly use java as the second stain color on top of another (the toner/antiquing/patina coat) where it is basically a glaze to accentuate the moldings and corners. Casey This post was edited by sombreuil_mongrel on Mon, Sep 8, 14 at 9:51

Here is what it looks like now after painting it Palladian Blue (thanks, sueb20, for the correct spelling): This is a spare cabinet door I have that is a dark alder (which is quite similar to cherry): I do like this much better. This shade still has a tinge of red in it. I'm wondering if I should aim for this type of finish or something without the red undertones? Also, if I were to layer a brownish/black gel stain (like a walnut or java) would it work better to reduce the red/orange of the existing stain? Other possibility could be a mahogany, but since the existing stain has quite a bit of red/orange, perhaps that'd be too much? I'm not going to sand away the entire stain there now, just enough to get off the poly layer. The cultured granite doesn't photograph too well, but it has little greyish/black flecks in it. Usually I find a java stain too dark for my taste, but I'm curious how it would look next to the cultured granite. I don't think it works too well with the existing finish--it's too orange and shiny for me, as the same time, is it fairly good shape and I don't want to ruin it. Next task, though, is to clean the grout in the floor tile and reseal before DH and DS return so the bathroom can be used again.

Technicolor - After reading your original post again, I never thought about porch and floor paint but that would make sense. What brand (Ace?) were you talking about? Oh, and wouldn't you still need to sand - at least scuff sand and use a (bonding) primer like Zinsser first? *NOTE - Just a general heads up, I don't recommend anyone using SW Porch and Floor paint. Total crap. I supposedly got a 'bad batch' (it never got past tacky and I went above and beyond to do that job right.) and had to redo my stair project which was MISERABLE. They gave me a new gallon of paint and threw in some tape and sandpaper but that still didn't fix my stairs. I was told they were discontinuing the product but I believe it's still available. Your kitchen sounds really pretty. And I like red - have a bathroom painted BM Moroccan Red. You think bb around my DR side too? "My senses tell me it is the dining room that is making this so difficult for you. I know you don't want to change it, but the styles are clashing regardless of color." I almost hate to ask, but can you be more specific? I look at it everyday and I'm sure can't 'see' it like someone else. I'm assuming it's too formal/stuffy for the kitchen side? I've been trying to get away from that a bit, tho the rug didn't bother me enough to make it a replacing priority right now. I figured I'd have a better chance of stumbling across art I liked first. Even if I had more money, I don't know what I'd pick or replace first. Ha, it's a little tough to change anything if you don't have a clear game plan. It's interesting, in the past when I had a project, I'd throw ideas out and go back and forth, back and forth with what I wanted to do and I always have to WAIT, sometimes months, until I figure out what's going to work for me. I wish I knew how to speed the process up. I'll post a photo with the new hardware on when it comes.