lefleur1, I don't know a ton about this because our wonderful cabinet makers did it for us, but I know that the guy went into the back room and somehow mixed up some kind of stain. We picked from a whole bunch of different color variations that he made for us. I guess he was adding different amounts of pigment or something. I am pretty sure, but not sure sure, that it is actually a stain and not a dye since the cabinet makers always refer to it as a stain and since he did mix it up while we waited out front, so it's not like he was ordering different dyes (maybe he was mixing dye in, I don't know). If you want me to, I can email the cabinet makers and ask them what they did, just let me know. I do know that they wet the wood first, applied the stain and then wiped off the excess stain. If that helps anything at all, which it likely does not. We also have gray stained (dyed?) cabinets and yellow stained cabinets in various other places in the house. More pics here if anyone is interested :)

Thank you all!! Oakley - My Dad does have mad workworking skills but his back is having some issues and he has a lot going on with work right now. We started a little project together months ago and I don't see that it will be finished anytime soon. Alex - I would maybe consider a dresser there if I could find the right one. The walls are smooth. Java - Ha, I also hope I can keep all my energy! Tuesday - Aw, thank you. I was nodding my head reading the rest of what you wrote about your DD. You've always reminded me of someone I'd get along with well IRL. Thanks again everyone! I change my mind daily about what I want to do with that area. I really want to decorate a bookshelf but I think I'll appreciate a cleared floor by the end of the day. However, I may run into that perfect something tomorrow. I have nursery ideas for both a girl or boy that I'll need some help refining. We will be finding out and crossing our fingers the Dr. is correct as I have specific directions I want to go with each. Stay tuned!

MonaBlair...you ain't no thread killer girl! Thank you for your warm compliment on my color skills. You may wish we had an edit feature on this board once you see what I did! ;-) Teeda, I love your front door on the other thread. So pretty. As for the snow....well, I am a bit in shock still. It is gorgeous and I even went down the giant hill out back....once. (You must know that hill!) No pics yet. Sorry. Batteries died and I need to put in more books before I take pics. They are soooo red! I am hoping books will cover them some and temper it all. I did buy a red pillow at Target today. (DH may try to suffocate me with it when he sees I've brought one more pillow into the house!)

Thanks--Crl, I'm gonna go to that place. It's not too far. :) I've really tried to figure out how to make the IKEA bookcases work. IKEA is just so easy to deal with I always look there first. (Cash. Carry. Assemble. Done.) I haven't been favorably impressed with Billy in the past but haven't looked at them in a while--they used to be just printed melamine but looks like they now have actual wood veneers! I guess I need to go down there too. But I'm pretty sure the colors won't work for Billy or Hemnes. While we do have a LOT of different woods in the general vicinity of the future bookcase, we don't have any blacks or browny browns or natural birches--we have more of the reddish brown mahogany of the 40s and the rich oranges of the 60s. I'll do a lot of things, but I won't refinish new IKEA furniture! :O On that subject, which I though was ridiculous a minute ago, can you paint a bookcase the wall color (maybe in a glossier finish) and have it look okay?