Gel Stain

Gel Stain from General Finishes is home of the popular Java Gel Stain featured across the nation's social media for upcycling furniture and cabinets. Gel wood stains are heavy-bodied and do not penetrate as deeply into the wood as liquid oil-based wipe-on stains do, providing the deepest, richest colors of any oil-based stain available.

https://generalfinishes.com/wood-finishes-retail/oil-based-wood-stains-sealers/gel-stains

"This lovely little piece was in great shape when I got it. But of course it needed to be given a fresh new life. I decided to paint the shell in the always gorgeous and sleek GF Lamp Black. I also distressed the edges to show off some of the gorgeous natural wood underneath. For the top and drawers I sanded and stained in General Finishes Antique Walnut Gel Stain followed by their High Performance Topcoat." - Ray's Refurbishing    
Antique sewing table brought back to life with General Finishes New Pine Gel Stain and GF Arm-R-Seal satin Topcoat.    
Before and after General Finishes Black Gel Stain    

"After three full days of sanding and countless hours of repair and detail work, I stained these gems in General Finishes Antique Walnut Gel Stain This set is such a stunner!" - Refurbishedish

MCM Mid Century Modern Basset Dresser and Chest of Drawers set. 

Great working dovetailed drawers and the original hardware. Done in industrial KCMA certified cabinet paint and drawers in General Finishes Antique Walnut stain & Arm R Seal polyurethane.

Rare find! MCM Mid Century Modern Walnut 'Esprit' Desk by Merton Gershun for Dillingham. This 58 year old piece only needed a few minor repairs and a restoration with...
"Stunning Paul Mccobb style Kroehler mid century modern dresser. The drawers pop against the gorgeous paint color. Black Fox by Sherwin Williams. Brand new champagne gold hardware. The walnut drawer faces and legs were stained with Antique Walnut Gel Stain by General Finishes." - Rustic Owl Furnishings, L.L.C    
"Whenever I can I get my hands on these Antique Library Tables! I used General Finishes Java Gel with satin top coat." - KraftyKate    
"This 1960’s walnut Dixie MCM desk has been fully restored to its original finish. Look at that wood grain! And the best part is it’s double sided and works in any space of a room, office or library. Products Used: General Finishes Brown Mahogany Gel Stain and Arm-R-Seal topcoat" - CM Restorations        
This one was a lot of work! The oak dovetail drawers had trim added to mimic apothecary style drawers and done in General Finishes Antique Walnut, best gel stain, hands down. Done in SW Professional Cabinet Paint, Gallery, which not only goes on like a dream and looks great, but comes with exceptional durability like water, chemical and chip resistance.

I always love the Java by...

I’ve refinished this gorgeous Walnut Mid Century Modern Desk that was formerly a Singer sewing machine desk. Done in...

"I bought this desk years ago, with the intent to re-do the paint job. Finally got around to it. I wanted to fully restore the piece, but the veneer was in pretty bad shape, so Wise Owl PaintOne hour enamel to the rescue! Top stained in General Finishes Nutmeg Gel Stain. Fusion Mineral Paint bronze paint to jazz up the metal feet." - Wild at Heart - Fibers & Furnishings    
"Hello, handsome! This mid-century modern side table got a bright, bold update using Country Chic Paint 's Fresh Mustard, a striking and retro-inspired mustard yellow that adds a pop of bold color and personality to any space. Paired with General Finishes Colonial Maple Gel Stain on the drawers and legs, it's the perfect combo! I updated the drawer pulls with a fresh gold tone. This striking piece will live in our home."- Pumpkin Seed Designs/Gray Road Candle Co.    
"Sometimes a piece just needs a good solid refresh instead of an overhaul and that is what this piece got! Stained in General Finishes American Oak Gel Stain and sealed in their Arm-R-Seal in Semi-gloss."     
"Another completed banister makeover ♥️ We used General Finishes Antique Walnut Gel Stain on the handrail and the spindles were painted in pure white." - Thrifty Designs LLC of Gibraltar, MI    
"{bare with me} as I share a story and details about this stunning barrister! To start it is an antique Humphrey stackable cabinet. Through research we believe it’s circa early 1900s. If you check out the last photo it shows the working mechanisms (crazy!) Kyle picked this up from an estate sale (the same one where we found our forever cabinet for our kitchen)The person who owned the home was a woodworker, and it appeared that this was going to be next on his project list. It was in pieces but...
"I’ll never get over the amazing wood grain after restoring an MCM piece. This antique cabinet was in good shape but the top and shelves had some damage. I was able to sand them back to their original wood and match the stain even though there were several types of wood and veneer on this piece. This beauty was sourced for my good friend Amy to showcase her record player in her beautiful cabin along with several other of the MCM pieces I’ve restore for her. Products Used  Stain: General...
"This was a high end table which was a mix of a solid oak and a resin type top to simulate a pronounced wood grain. Over the years, the table top finish wore down (last 2 pics show the difference between the table top and the leaf) and their budding artists left signs of glitter glue, pen and marker from their precious creations. My clients wanted the resin part of the table top removed and the wood underneath stained The resin was very difficult to remove. Stripper wouldn’t take it off so I...

A massive spacious nine drawer mid century modern dresser. Restored to it's true glory with brand new tabletop. General Finishes American Oak Gel Stain. 

Lane Acclaim has an iconic look created by dovetailing fruitwood and walnut. It creates a beautiful contrast. Thanks to my husband for working on this one with me and to my furniture refinishing community for recommending...

"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    

The top is made from 1” ash finished in...

"The pedestal base and skirt have been spray finished in General Finishes Enduro Black Poly for a rich and sophisticated look. The table and leaf have been stained in Java Gel Stain." - Paint and Hammer    
"Beautiful antique spool cabinet refinished with General Finishes Nutmeg Gel Stain and Arm-R-Seal." - The Cozy Cottage KY    
"Antique Spencer and Barnes gentleman’s Dresser. This piece was in fantastic shape for a piece as old as it is. But it definitely needed a fresh update. I sanded the top and drawers down to the original wood, and gave it all a fresh coat of General Finishes Antique Walnut Gel Stain. For the body/shell I chose to paint it in GF Lamp Black for a nice classy and classic look. I distressed the piece just a little to let some of the beautiful oak wood show." - Ray's Refurbishing    
"Rack’em. This was a first for me. Never refinished a pool table before I was hired to re-stain this pool table in General Finishes Java Gel Stain. The pool cue and ball holder were spray finished using Enduro Black Poly. Today my client forwarded pictures of his new table all complete with new blue felt on the playing field." - Paint and Hammer    
"Refinished this table top for my clients. The edges were severely worn and it needed some love. Stained in General Finishes Black Gel Stain."     
"Laundry room table. Ash with General Finishes Ash Gray Gel Stain." - Panhandle Woodworks    
"We got this late 1800’s to early 1900’s table in with some oil based paint brushed on it. The client wanted it back to a natural wood look. These are often fun because you're not sure what you're going to see when the paint comes off! It turns out this table has been through a lot! It’s been used, repaired, dyed, stained, added onto, veneer removed, and painted. It had areas of oak end grain, maple, mahogany veneer, white, and red oak. It was a mess! Because of this it was near impossible to...
"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...
"Another gorgeous buffet and we have General Finishes White Gel Stain to thank. This piece was completely stripped of its old finish, sanded, and stained. We did have to buy new hardware due to one being broken but we kept it close to the original design." - Primm n Proper Pickens    
"This beautiful Drexel vanity got a lush green glow up! I found a chair to go with it, chose a cactus/succulent print to reupholster the seat cushion with, and I was off to the races. The top and chair have been stained in General Finishes Colonial Maple, a warm, rich tone that looks lovely with the paint color." - Pumpkin Seed Designs/Gray Road Candle Co.    
"Mid Century Modern Drop Leaf Dining Table & Chairs. The wood grain is an absolute stunning feature and the star of this piece. General Finishes New Pine Gel Stain." - It’s About Flippin Time   C
"This made in Germany teak wood set just needed the tops sanded back down and restrained. The legs were revived using @howard_products restore a finish. Tops- stained to match legs in General Finishes Gel Stain in American Oak. Topcoat- General Finishes Arm-R-Seal" - Kate’s Reclaimed    
"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...
"This was a true labor of love and we just couldn’t wait to share it with you! We started by completely stripping the piece of its original finish. Followed by sanding (lots of hand sanding those details) and cleaning. We followed that up with White Gel Stain from General Finishes. The beauty of this piece is that it’s composed of different woods which is why you see the variation throughout the piece. Making it truly one of a kind. The last step was multiple layers of top coat for a durable...
When the light hits just right  Paint: Wise Owl Paint one hour enamel in Jett black Stain: General Finishes Nutmeg Gel Stain Poly: General Finishes High Performance flat Primer: Zinsser BIN Shellac  
"Finished up another little custom order for another return customer. This end table is OLD and the before picture doesn't really do it justice but it was in very rough shape. After a good sanding and cleaning we stained it in General Finishes Antique Walnut and Java Gel Stains and painted the legs in General Finishes Lamp Black Milk Paint." - Upcycling by Amy    
"Solid oak takes white stain SO GOOD. Wondering how we achieve this white wash look? First we sand our pieces down to completely remove the old finish then we apply General Finishes White Gel Stain and wipe it back!" - Primm n Proper Pickens        
"This vintage Beauty came to me in need of some love, TLC and elbow grease. I sanded down the drawers and gave them a fresh coat of General Finishes Antique Walnut Gel Stain along with a coat of High Performance Topcoat. The top was laminate so I had no option but to paint so I primed and then painted the shell/frame in General Finishes *Alabaster. The peg legs were also sanded and freshly stained in the same antique walnut stain." - Ray's Refurbishing      
"Check out this antique dresser I just refinished! I wanted to bring out the natural beauty of the wood while giving it a modern twist. I sanded the drawer fronts and the top. Then revived that gorgeous wood grain by using Colonial Maple Gel Stain and Arm-R-Seal in gloss by General Finishes. I updated the sides with some paintable wallpaper by Lowe's Home Improvement and stenciled a fun pattern in white paint on the sides of the drawers. The result is a fresh and stylish look that still...
"Our wonderful friends at UNika Customs, LLC hooked us up with this really cool, old, midcentury modern bench and we just fell in love with its potential! We were able to strip down that worn down finish to the bare walnut wood before refinishing it with Java Gel Stain and High Performance Topcoat by General Finishes. The original leather had too much wear and tear to fix, so we decided to reupholster the cushions in a more modern, boho, white velvet. Unique pieces like this one don’t...
"This was another custom order for my client Katya and another piece that was built by her grandpa. I ended up taking the entire piece apart (because as you can see in the before photo, it was already missing a side and the other was the next to go!) Once it was taken all apart, I sanded it completely down, stained in General Finishes Antique Walnut Gel Stain and sealed in General Finishes Arm-R-Seal. I added the original feet back on and put it all back together with a new round of wood...
"This antique drop leaf table needed a TON of work, i felt like I was working on it FORVER…so remind me to not do tables ever again  However, I am pleased with how it turned out. Legs were primed and painted in Dark Roast Country Chic Paint. The wood is stained in General Finishes Gel Stain in Colonial Maple and the whole piece was sealed with GF Flat Out Flat." - Kate’s Reclaimed    
"First time making some custom cribbage boards for some good friends in Alaska. Peg storage on the back. These were made on hickory and the designs with General Finishes Java Gel Stain." - Walter Wood Works      
"Another banister makeover completed. I used General Finishes Carbon Gray Gel Stain. First time using on a banister and I love the way it turned out "  Thrifty Designs LLC    
"Finished up this black gel stained banister today as always using my favorite General Finishes." - Thrifty Designs LLC    
"Got these gorgeous end tables finished up this week. It’s so satisfying seeing something old become new again! We stripped these down to raw wood and stained them with General Finishes Brown Mahogany Gel Stain and top coated with GF Enduro Clear Poly. They are absolutely stunning!" - Duke Interiors and Restoration