Custom Stain Colors

Like stains (Water + Water, Oil + Oil)  can be mixed together at any ratio to make more color options. Also try layering colors for added beauty and depth. 

 

"Solid Oak…. It’s my favorite wood! I love the grain pattern, no mistaking it. I love the color, rich and warm. This table top needed a refresh, but only the top; the skirting and the legs were in great condition. The top had some sun damage, and a failing sticky finish.  But, when you only refinish one part of a pice of furniture, you can easily run into a mess of unmatched finishes. Old finishes have years of sun oxidation (fading) and oil based clear coats yellow over time, between the...

This oak table needed a facelift! She got one with Valspar Incredible White and...

"The American Empire furniture era pulled a lot of style ques from French and Grecian designs while maintaining cleaning lines with less gilding. This allowed the focus to fall primarily on the variety of side pillars and predominantly walnut and mahogany veneer. The style found popularity beginning in the 1820s and carried throughout the 1870s with a small revival in the 1890s. Based on construction methods of this chest, I estimate it to be circa 1850 - 1880. Featuring the iconic...
"Can you believe it’s not antique?!? I was scrolling through Pinterest the other day looking for some new furniture designs to build and found this one! I think I literally went to Menards the next day to get all of the wood and supplies to build it! lol The octagon panels were my favorite part about this piece but I couldn’t imagine cutting out all those angles so I asked another local business to cut them out and they are perfect!!! We stained in a mix of General Finishes Provincial and...
"Sofa table was stripped down to bare wood, stained using a combination of General Finishes Antique Oak and Graystone Water Based Stain, and then sealed in High Performance Top Coat. I’m so glad my client decided to have these pieces refinished and stained so that gorgeous wood grain could be highlighted."       
"A little late in sharing, but I was able to refinish this dining room table for a client just in time for their Thanksgiving celebrations! I disassembled the table in order to make it easier to strip everything. After removing the old finish and stain completely, I combined two General Finishes Water Based Stains (Onyx and Walnut) for a dark brown color. I sealed everything with High Performance Top Coat for durability and put it all back together. Love the new look!" - Flipping Unbelievable...
"Vintage MCM Walnut Broyhill Emphasis dresser/credenza. Done in a quality black urethane enamel paint and a mix of General Finishes Antique Walnut and Candlelite Gel Stains." - JB Vintage Design    
"This one is for those mid century modern lovers and collectors out there! This classic, restored, cane front highboy was designed by famed creator Merton Gershun specifically for American of Martinsville. It came to our shop in perfect structural shape, it just needed a complete cosmetic refinishing. We started by stripping off the original finishing and sanding down everything very fine to show off that 1960s walnut veneer. The veneer was stained using a custom mixture of General Finishes...
Adorable, antique lowboy. This piece dates to the late 1800’s/early 1900’s and is solid oak. The top and drawer fronts were sanded to bare wood, and then stained with a mixture of...
"This mid-century modern tallboy dresser is ALL quality. To treasure the historical sleek solid wood frame, I exposed it through the leg base for a beautiful raw wood feel. I also sanded the wood veneer on the entire top section for added emphasis and balance for the wood and paint combo. The ingrained original yellow of the wood was toned down with a cream-colored stain to get this clean, light finish. A mix of two gel stains by General Finishes were used to get this cream washed look: White...
"Staining furniture can bring out its rich texture. This piece is no exception. First I removed the existing orange finish down to bare wood, then I used a custom stain mixing Walnut and Graphite water based stains, both by General Finishes which enhanced the gorgeous wood grain." - Flipping Unbelievable    

The top is stained in a custom combo of...

"After sitting around, stripped and sanded of that awful thick red finish for so long, I just couldn’t get past how much I loved the raw look this one had! So, I mixed some General Finishes New Pine and White Gel Stain, and here she is" - A Pinch of Rue Designs    
"Lots of sanding got us down to the barebones and I stained in in a combination of General Finishes Antique Walnut and Java Gel Stains. Lastly, we topped it off with some new gorgeous knobs and sealed it!" - Upcycling by Amy    
"Sometimes pieces really put me thru my paces but when they turn out this beautiful, it is worth it! Originally discussed staining the entire piece but after painstakingly removing the top layer of veneer on the top of the dresser that was pretty severely damaged, we realized the wood underneath was not pretty and no matter how much sanding I did, it did not look good stained so we pivoted and decided to paint the frame and stain the drawers. Painted in General Finishes Lamp Black and stained...
"Do you love neutral with a little FLAIR?!? This might be the perfect piece for you! Painted in Mélange Artisan Mineral Paints Willow Green and stained in a custom combo of General Finishes Natural and Flint Liquid Oil Stains, it gives such a chill and laid back vibe." - Upcycling by Amy    
"Refresh on a dining room table top is all done! Stained in a custom mix of General Finishes Antique Oak and Black Cherry (60/40) Water Based Stain and top coated in GF High Performance Topcoat for protection. Its back to looking brand new!" - Twin Grove Design  
"I posted these end tables on my page as a piece I was working on and someone asked to customize them and I took them up on it! Painted in General Finishes Queenstown Gray and stained in General Finishes Antique Walnut and Java Gel Stains." - Upcycling by Amy  

"Melange Paints ONE Paints in Vagabond Blue, General Finishes Dye Stain in a 3:1 mix of Light to Medium Brown, Arm-R-Seal Semi-Gloss, & Mercantile Board and Boot to give the paint a lovely sheen that matches the wood."

"Talk about HANDSOME!!! This table is a treasured family heirloom of Christina and her family. Originally belonging to her great great grandma! To say the pressure was on was an understatement! We decided to remove all of the veneer on both shelves since it was VERY damaged. Sanded it all down, treated it with a coat of General Finishes Pre-Stain Conditioner since the shelves are made of a different wood than the legs. I needed all the help I could get to get the stain to go on nice and...

"Holy moly was this a big project! Stripping these babies down, getting in all the nooks and crannies, pre-stain treatment, 3 coats of stain and 3 coats of top coat... to reveal the fresh new look for this custom bed frame. Stained in General Finishes Java and Black Gel Stains, top coated in  Arm-R-Seal."

"Talk about elbow grease! Nicole knew her bedroom set had some great bones and it was SOLID wood but she wanted a color update with it. After sanding it down completely to bare wood I used the General Finishes pre-stain conditioner to help it stain more evenly and then stained it in a custom mix of General Finishes Java and Black Gel Stains and finally sealing it in 3 coats of Arm-R-Seal to protect it for years to come!" - Upcycling by Amy    
Talk about a transformation! This beautiful oak chest has been a sentimental piece to my clients family for the past several decades. Last refinished in the 70’s it was time for it to be given a new life and I think we nailed it! The top and top three drawers were stained using a custom blend of antique walnut and Java gel stain while the body was painted in...

custom mix of Dixie Bell Collard Greens, Sand Bar and Hampton Olive and General Finishes mix of Colonial Maple and Brown Mahogany for the top.

"This buffet was quite the undertaking but so worth the effort!! After stripping it down, sanding and scrubbing I painted it in General Finishes Antique White Milk Paint and lightly distressed the edges. I wanted to do something special with the top and legs so I mixed a custom stain of General Finishes Whitewash, Tobacco and Graystone Water Based Stains. Some topcoat and new knobs make this baby SHINE!!" - Upcycling by Amy    

"It’s very common for my clients to want their existing table refinished, but to the same color it was before “but in new condition”. I still do the same pre work, clean and then strip but then I do my best to color match usually with mixing stains together. This was done in a mix of General Finishes Onyx and Walnut Water Based Stain. The table looks like it did when they first bought it!" - Flipping Unbelievable

The table is stained in a custom mix of...

"How cute is this little nugget I redid for a custom order? This is a family piece but had seen better days and had been stored in a basement not feeling the love. After a good sanding, the base was painted in a custom mix of General Finishes Blue Moon and Lamp Black to custom match some wall art the customer had. The top has been stained in a custom mix of General Finishes Java and Antique Walnut Gel Stain. We sealed the whole piece, added new ceramic knobs and new wheels since one of the...

I am just in love with this finish piece. The top and top 3 drawers done is Cinnamon Dye Stain and Java Gel Stain

"After removing layers of yellow crackle paint we uncovered the beautiful original wood grain! Our client then chose to layer General Finishes Java Gel Stain over Antique Walnut Gel Stain to give this entryway table a show-stopping new look!" - Moses Restorations    
"It is absolutely gorgeous. We stained it using a mix of Graystone and Walnut Water Based Stains by General Finishes." - Belle Maison    

GF Liquid Oil Based Flint + Natural Stain 

"Whew... this might have been my longest running project to date .Lori asked me to refresh her secretariat and honestly, from the picture, it didn't look in too bad of shape but if you zoom in you can see all the crackle texture on the finish that all had to be stripped off with chemicals and then sanded down. The outside was stained in a mix of General Finishes Antique Walnut and Java Gel Stains and sealed in Arm-R-Seal. The inside was painted in General Finishes Lamp Black Milk Paint and...
My client brought me this table that he grew up eating at. It was passed down and with its new life it is ready for another generation! Stripped, stained and sealed. The stain color is a custom blend of...
"This table was a HUGE undertaking. Not only is it super heavy to move around but it is ginormous!! After a full day of sanding we painted the base in Mélange Artisan Mineral Paints Jett Black and sealed it in General Finishes High Performance Topcoat.The top was a bit tricker having to custom match the stain on the existing chairs and bench they bought off line. It took several attempts and several combinations but I think we nailed it with a mix of General Finishes Carbon Gray, Antique Walnut...

Custom mix of...

"This large mahogany vintage dresser by Kling was refinished with the Brushable White Enamel in Flat. Top was sanded back and given a custom gel stain of Nutmeg and Black." - This Old Vintage    
"It’s no secret that navy & gold is one of my favorite combos, so you know I was excited when my customer chose those colors for her heirloom china cabinet. This special piece has been in her husband's family and they love it, but the dated orange finish didn’t complement their beautifully decorated home. One thing that was important to my customer, is that we showed off some of the wood and stain it in a less orange, more brown finish. We decided to paint the body, and then refinish the...
"This poor piece really has seen some stuff... between contact paper, a broken door, broken handles, a burn on the top etc. But I knew it deserved another shot! I gave it a good sanding, cleaning, removed the contact paper, repaired the broken door, and removed some of the broken trim detailing. Gave it some good primer and painted it in General Finishes Reverent Gray Milk Paint . The top, although not perfect, was so pretty that I knew I wanted to stain it. Stained it in GF Antique Walnut and...
"These end tables were a custom order for my neighbor and her family. They were used by her parents for many many years and I feel so honored to be trusted with their little makeover! Painted in General Finishes Driftwood and stained in GF Antique Walnut and Java Gel Stains and sealed in Arm-R-Seal for year and years of protection! "     
"These little oak dressers are one of my favorites to renew! The body was painted in General Finishes Lamp Black while the top and drawers were stained in a custom blend of Antique Walnut and Java Gel Stains, the two pair perfectly together! New modern farmhouse iron hardware and ticking stripe drawer liners complete this transformation and have given this beauty a second life!"     
"I love a good before and after, don’t you?! My client’s brother made this for her back when he was in high school and she’s kept it all these years. Isn’t that the sweetest?! It’s gotten a darker and richer stain along with new glass pulls. This was a 70/30 mix of General Finishes Antique Walnut & Black Gel Stain. Finished off with General Finishes Arm-R-Seal in Satin."     
"After a good sanding, they were primed and painted in General Finishes Antique White Milk Paint and the top is stained in a custom mix of Antique Walnut and Java Gel Stains." - Upcycling by Amy  
"I've had this desk lingering around in my storage area for over a year! It was finally the right time to let this retired library desk shine ✨!! Sanded down and painted in General Finishes Alabaster Milk Paint and the top was stained in a custom mix of Antique Walnut and Java Gel Stains and sealed!! Such simple, clean lines and so timeless!!" - Upcycling by Amy   See all GF stain and paint colors here: https://...
Gorgeous chair makeover with General Finishes Java and Antique Walnut Gel Stain by Sewphisticated Upholstery.   "I'm excited to share the photos of the recent transformation this channel back underwent during my 3-day upholstery workshop in Lodi, CA. Lots of little details were added after the workshop and I'm loving the end result. I used Barrow Industries Freya and Flatbread fabrics that make this everyday channel back truly a one-of-a-kind piece.   I will say I came away from...
"When I started on this 102 year old Empire dresser I would never have guessed it would end up like this! This gorgeous ribbon veneer was hidden from the world under a deep opaque cherry stain for far too long.   My client had a preferred color but also understood that wood furniture can have a mind (and color) of its own, and old finishes can penetrate so deep that sometimes you aren’t left with a lot of options. I am pleased to report that my hours of stripping and sanding paid off and...
"This beautiful girl is 100% GF products! Linen Milk Paint and a custom blend of gel stains... Black, Nutmeg and Antique Walnut. And of course HPTC in Satin to protect her new finish. Why not just use Java for a deep rich color? Because these older veneers love to pull red and that’s not the look I designed for my client. 
  "The drawers, doors and top were sanded bare prior to staining. A quick wipe of mineral spirits was also done to help my gel stain glide on more evenly. (I learned...

"This is a General Finishes custom mix of Nutmeg and Antique Walnut Gel Stain finished with their mega durable Arm-R-Seal Polyurethane. Knotty Pine never looked so good!" - Wood Junkies

Check out this gorgeous Roll Top Desk refinished by ReFind Design by Coco Clare!

They explain, "We maintained some wood elements by refinishing them and the chair with a custom mix of General Finishes Brown Mahogany and Java Gel Stains. The body was hand painted in CeCe Caldwell's Seattle Mist with an antique finish. And to complete this transformation we added stunning new hardware from D. Lawless Hardware."

Obtain this white color by using General Finishes Snow White Milk...