When the color of the kitchen cabinets are to be changed to a new stained color the doors and drawers are stripped, sanded, stained, and finished in the shop and the frames are stripped, sanded, stained, and finished in the home. Here are some examples of what some cabinets looked like before and after this processs. These photos are from my earlier career as a professional cabinet refinisher.
Here’s an oak kitchen stripped and stained with a white stain for a whitewash effect.
Before cabinets refinished with whitewash effect
Kitchen after refinishing cabinets with whitewash effect
Reversing the process: staining old, yellowed whitewashed cabinets with a medium brown finish
Here I did the opposite of what I usually do, I stripped and refinished a whitewashed oak kitchen that had turned yellowish and stained it a medium brown finish, this can be very difficult to do and get it too look good because often a lot of the white color will not come out of the deep oak grains, but in this instance I was able to get enough of it out.
Old kitchen cabinet finish yellowing
After HVLP use — an even brown stain
Lightening and highlighting an old dark stain on cabinets
This is an oak kitchen that was stained very dark, I stripped and stained it light oak, since some of the dark stain remains in the deep grains it would be impossible to get it to a totally natural oak color, but with this light oak stain the grains just look pleasantly highlighted.
Oak cabinets stained very dark
Lighter stain after
Avocado paint to a stained finish
This kitchen was originally finished in an antiqued avocado painted finish, I stripped and stained it in a dark walnut finish.
Kitchen cabinets were painted green before
After: cabinets stained