I need some help deciding on a cabinet stain color. Our new house will be very Arts and Crafts inspired. We will have Forbo Lino in the kitchen in Carribean, http://www.fastfloors.com/lp_28519,0,199885/Forbo-Vinyl-Flooring/_/G3-Marmoleum-Real-110-Caribbean/product.htm but our kitchen is U-shaped with a raised counter that looks on to the great room. So I also need to consider our Somerset wood floors that are white oak stained in Gunstock. http://www.fastfloors.com/lp_19832,0,139851/Somerset-Hardwood-Flooring/_/Color-Collections-Strip-3-14-Solid-Gunstock-White-Oak/product.htm#NAV I want something that compliments both, so I am thinking a cabinet color that would be darker than the lino floor, but lighter than the wood floors. Our cabs will be quartersawn white oak as well. Thoughts?

I just had most of my new home's cabinetry and millwork sprayed in oil based BM Satin Impervo in White Dove. The best recommendation my painter had was to use the BM Fresh Start enamel underbody as the primer. It was expensive but well worth the money. I used the water based Satin Impervo in our last home and the oil based with this primer makes a huge difference in my eye in the depth and richness of the finished product in addition to the durability. We did one coat of primer and two (sometimes three)coats of the Satin Impervo. Here's my kitchen in White Dove. My camera turns my cabinets grey, they are actually more white in person. The whitest area is the truest color. I suggest going to the local paint store and buying some sample pots to test in your home. The colors you see online aren't going to be the same in your home as it all depends on lighting, etc. I limited myself to three colors because I have a tendency to over analyze and second guess myself and then get nothing done because I can't come to a decision. I chose the stock Satin Impervo, Simply White and White Dove as my samples. In my home the stock color was too yellow (although it was pure white in our last home), the Simply White was too "operating room" and the White Dove was the middle of the road, not too yellow and not too grey. There are some beautiful kitchens on GW in the Simply White, it just didn't work with my lighting. Good luck! I'm sure they will turn out beautiful !

I"ve been staining wood a very long time. Don't tell me gel stains don't penetrate and that you should do 4 coats. you are not supposed to do 4 coats. gel stains do get lightly absorbed into the wood with also sitting on the surface. But It's not nail polish christinero. GF has enough pigments to 'stain' the wood w/one coat. putting on additional coats results in a tacky, gummy finish, and could also result in cabinets w/a poor finish, especially for a kitchen. this is from GF website on applying gel stain: Optional: apply a second coat to deepen the color. Apply no more than 2 coats https://generalfinishes.com/wood-finishes-retail/oil-based-wood-stains-sealers/oil-based-gel-stains I have worked w/ GF stains on many, many wood projects. one coat is fine. Like I said, if you want a darker color, then go with a darker shade. there is no need to do 4 coats! good lord. why create more work for yourself? Gel stains act more like a paint and tend to hide the grain of the wood. I would never use a gel stain on a beautiful piece of walnut, tiger oak or bridseye maple. it would cover the beautiful wood details. If you want to use 3-4 coats of a gel stain, then you might as well use an espresso paint. you will get similar results with a lot less work. you will need at least 3 coats of a clear top coat after the stain dries. please read the above link for the complete how-to's in staining your cabs. especially this part Preparation for Projects with an Existing Finish and Christinero,,,,,there are dyes, stains and gels. all three penetrate, but at different levels. gels are the lightest and don't bring out the depth of the wood grain like the stain or even the dye would. (I've used all three). but gel stains still penetrate. gels have a heavier ratio of pigments and tend to give off more even looking coloring.

My custom cabinet maker gave me 4 finished pieces of wood. If I had not been satisfied with any of those colors, he would have made more, until he came up with exactly what I wanted. It seems that should be the process for any truly custom job.