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 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    
"Before, after, and during! I stripped this Jenny Lind style bed to bare wood and then applied General Finishes Antique Walnut Gel Stain. I absolutely love this color! It’s a rich, warm brown without red tones." - JF Refinishing Co.    
"A matching pair of 1930s Art Deco end tables with a stunning inlay, they have been refinished using the color Black Lace by Lilly Moon Paint , Candlelite Gel Stain by General Finishes and a custom paint wash." - Pumpkin Seed Designs/Gray Road Candle Co.    

This piece will be headed to the mountains with the last piece. This beautiful oak chest was purchase...

"Banister turned out beautiful. We used General Finishes Java Gel Stain to achieve this look." - Thrifty Designs LLC    
"This one was a lot trickier than we were anticipating, but we couldn't be happier with the final outcome. The finish on this handmade, maple drop-leaf table was flaking and needed to be updated- just in time for Christmas! The stain color Candlelite by General Finishes was a great match." - Pumpkin Seed Designs/Gray Road Candle Co.    

General Finishes Antique Walnut Gel Stain for the win

"Sometimes you just gotta keep it classic! That was definitly the case with this baby! After a good sanding and cleaning (yes I had to Google how to clean marble) I stained this dresser in General Finishes Nutmeg Gel Stain and sealed in the Arm-R-Seal. Lastly I switched out the big wood knobs for some vintage metal ones I had and it got a whole fresh start!" - Upcycling by Amy    
"The best part of my week was te finishing this MCM Dixie chest of drawers. I used General Finishes Gel Stain in Nutmeg." - The Cozy Cottage KY    
"After a few rounds of chemical strippers and sanding I did a wood conditioner on it and stained it in General Finishes Antique Walnut Gel Stain and sealed it. We also decided to paint the lettering in General Finishes Lamp Black to really set it apart. I also did a round of Wise Owl Paint furniture salve in the drawers to freshen and hydrate those too!" - Upcycling by Amy    

These are poplar tops for built in dressers stained with...

"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    
"General Finishes Antique Walnut Gel Stain! Y’all I LOVE the stuff." - Sugar Creek Furnishings    
This desk had seen better days but was worth saving because of the gorgeous wood grain I knew was underneath all the old varnish. After a good sanding, it was painted in a custom mix of...
"Gorgeous solid wood buffet. This piece was in amazing condition to begin with, so left a lot of it natural wood. Freshened it up with a coat of General Finishes Antique Walnut Gel Stain and their High Performance Topcoat. And for the shell/body I used General Finishes Reverent Gray. The hardware was left original to the piece. It’s got a great mix of classic and modern." - Ray's Refurbishing    
"This adorable cabinet was sanded and stained in General Finishes Colonial Maple Gel Stain and sealed. It also has the gorgeous scalloped drawers and is so well built!!" - Upcycling by Amy        
"The perfect tall and skinny matching end tables! Painted in General Finishes Reverent Gray Milk Paint and stained in General Finishes Antique Walnut Gel Stain!" - Upcycling by Amy    
"This end table was a LOT of work to get off the two layers of damaged veneer and repair the rest but I just love the final look! Painted in...
Ok, I'm legit proud of this transformation, not gonna lie... the original finish was super thick and drippy white paint that I think they put some sort of brown glaze over. It just looks dirty and sad . I had to strip it all off and go back to basics. For the top I stained it in...