How to Update a Dresser | Navy and dark stain (2023)

FAQs

How to Update a Dresser | Navy and dark stain? ›

You can use gel stain over an existing finish, when you're staining a dresser darker, on painted furniture with a stained top. You can use gel stain on veneer furniture as well, and even use it over paint to create a weathered wood finish like this.

You can use gel stain over an existing finish, when you're staining a dresser darker, on painted furniture with a stained top. You can use gel stain on veneer furniture as well, and even use it over paint to create a weathered wood finish like this.

Lay a brightly patterned runner across a wood dresser or table. Opt for bold bedding or wall art in a bedroom outfitted with wood furniture. Table lamps, vases, and planters in a rainbow of colors can also help cheer up dark wood furniture.

Can I stain on top of old stain? Yes! In fact, applying stain over stain is a fairly simple process. It works especially well if you're applying a dark stain over a lighter stain.

Good news, you can stain wood without sanding the old finish off! But you'll still have to do some prep to make the new gel stain bond properly with the old stain. Start by always cleaning the old finish with a good cleaner and degreaser, like TSP. Be sure to rinse all of that cleaner off before moving on.

They Will Never Go Out Of Style

The dark stained look is beautiful as well and has also been used throughout the years to both make wood more beautiful and to help preserve it. This helps you to know that your cabinets will always be desired and will never lose their appeal.

Furniture pieces with mild to moderate flaws that you can sand out are great to stain—the right stain can cover the imperfections and make the item look new again. For furniture with severe flaws that you cannot easily fix by sanding, paint will better cover these issues and make the piece look new again.

Do you have to remove all stain before restaining? ›

Generally speaking, it's a good idea to completely remove all traces of the previous coat of deck stain before applying a new one. The reasons for this may be fairly obvious -- a previous coat of stain might be peeling away from the surface in several areas.

One way to style your dark wood furniture is to contrast it with light colours. This doesn't have to be a stark black-and-white contrast, but making use of lighter-coloured neutrals is a good way to go. Warm neutrals such as soft greys, stone and beige variants will pair very nicely with dark wood.

According to Etsy's 2023 Home Decor Trends Guide, dark wood is making a strong comeback, so if you're especially into vintage living room ideas and modern Victorian interior themes, this one's for you.

The best way to stain wood is to prepare the wood surface by sanding it with a sanding block or orbital sander. Sandpaper with a lower grit number will make wood rougher, allowing more stain to absorb and creating a darker color. Start with 120-grit sandpaper on refinished pieces.

The easiest thing to do when you don't like your wood stain color is to grab a darker stain, and apply it on top of the initial stain job. If you don't want a darker shade, sanding down the piece and re-staining is also an option.

To refinish a dresser you must first sand off the preexisting layers of stain, varnish, or paint, clean it well, then apply the new finish. You can decide if painting or staining is the best choice for your space or you can do a combination of paint and stain.

What color stain is most popular? ›

Brown-toned stains are, without a doubt, one of the most classic options for furniture wood stain colors.

Acrylic-based stains are the most expensive in the market. These stains provide ideal protection and an appealing look to the wooden shed. These stains increase the natural beauty of the wood grains. Maintenance of acrylic-based stained sheds is expensive, but they last longer than other types.

The Cons of Staining Wood

While some stains can last up to five years, postponing re-staining a wood surface for too long can cause the job to become more complex and labour intensive. Even decks that are stripped and re-stained will still require maintenance every couple of years.

I'd definitely finish the drawer interiors in order to seal and smooth the wood that will come in contact with clean clothing.

White and off-white are the most popular colors for painted furniture. Red comes in second.

Staining over stain is easy and works beautifully if you're applying a dark stain over a lighter stain on raw wood. This rule applies to oil-based stains, water-based stains, and gel stains. 2. You can mix 2 or more stains together to make DIY custom stains.

Applying oil-based or shellac primer is a required step when painting over stained wood. Stain is oil-based, so latex primers won't adhere to it properly. You'll need to allow about two days of drying for an oil-based primer. Shellac primer dries in a couple hours, but for best results let it dry overnight.

If you plan to stain (or restain) the deck, sand the surface before application to make the wood better absorb the coating. Remember, water-based stains will need to be stripped off before you apply a new finish, while oil-based stains can be recoated after using a deck cleaner.

Light colors go very well with dark flooring. Pale, cool blue walls work especially well in a dining room, if you're looking for a lively pop of color. Calming blue and blue gray shades can bring contrast to the dark wood to brighten your space.

Stick to the dark side

Wood does not have to contrast with grey. This dining space shows how choosing timber in a similarly deep tone brings a beautifully sophisticated feel to a grey scheme. The dark wooden wine rack almost blends in against the charcoal brick wall, but helps bring variety of tone and texture to it.

Should furniture be darker or lighter than walls? ›

This is really down to two things - your own personal preference and the size of your room. In general, lighter walls and darker sofas work best for smaller rooms.

Dark furniture can be a good choice when you have a large, spacious room that feels too big to be comfortable. It helps shrink that room, making it more intimate and more inviting. If you have a small room, however, furniture in darker tones may appear to shrink it even more, so that it feels stifling or overcrowded.

To sand wood previously stained you must start by using medium-grit sandpaper followed by a progression of increasingly finer sandpaper grits. This should remove most of the color left by an old stain. If you're applying a new stain, it should mask any residual color.

You don't need to remove all of the old stain to apply darker stain. But you do need to remove all of the lacquer, varnish or anything that will prevent new stain from absorbing into the wood. It's easy to see the shiny edges of old lacquer, or the scratched surface of old lacquer.