Wood Stains: Water Based

Furniture Design Ideas featuring Water Based Wood Stains.

"Stained it with General Finishes Antique Oak Water Based Wood Stain. The hardware was boiled in vinegar and water to remove the junk and get it back to its original beauty. The paint was stripped off the legs and they were stained too. Everything was sealed with General Finishes High Performance Topcoat." - Amanda Jones Furniture    
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...

"My client brought me a worn and well loved rocking chair to restore back to its original condition or as close as possible. I spent a good amount of time stripping every speck of the previous alligator finish on this. Then I stained it using General Finishes Antique Brown Water Based Stain and sealed with High Performance Top Coat. It looks brand new again!" - Flipping Unbelievable

   
"The chunky nightstands are complete! We added some feet to them to give them some additional height. Painted with Fusion Mineral Paint’s OAKHAM. The tops and the handles are stained with General Finishes Espresso Water Based Stain." - T&C Re-Creations    

We finished up this adorable dresser/secretary yesterday. it will be going to its new home Sunday.
The top drawer is unique. It has a drop down front on it and opens up to serve as a secretary
The bottom 3 drawers are spacious for clothing or extra storage.
The top is stained with General Finishes Black Cherry stain and the body and drawers are painted with Fusion Mineral Blue Pine.

Custom buffet in Lilly Moon Black Lace and General Finishes Provincial Water Based Stain. I’m so glad my client chose to showcase the doors and drawer fronts here - how stunning is that wood grain! 

VINTAGE SOLID WOOD BUFFET / CONSOLE Stained in Antique Oak from...
"Isn’t it spectacular?!? Just 3 weeks ago it was a sad little hutch with a bad paint job now it looks like a antique cabinet that came from a old mercantile a hundred years ago but in reality it is probably only 30 years old…lol This cabinet wasn’t very attractive when I purchased it but I thought it was pretty unique because of the 4 upper doors that gives full access to the the interior unlike most china cabinets….I wanted the cabinet to have a grand feel so I made it about 12” taller by...

My new favorite black base coat

General Finishes I love your Gel stains but your rep convinced me to...

General Finishes Water Based Black Stain and High Performance Topcoat in NEW Dead Flat    
General Finishes Black Water Based Stain    
"An interesting plainness is the most difficult thing to achieve. But this china hutch displays those values effortlessly. Originally from New York City, circa 1960s. The fine grain walnut construction features oak drawer interiors, tapered legs, vintage brass hardware on the drawers, oak doors pulls and two sliding glass doors. After a full strip, new stain and new hardware it's like new again!" - Saved By Design   General Finishes Antique Brown Water Based Stain and High Performance...

Before and after of this 1920’s secretary. The finish was worn off and uneven when my client inherited it. I stripped it down to bare wood and used...

"Built from solid maple and maple plywood and stained with General Finishes Provincial Water Based Stain and clear coated with General Finishes Enduro 1K Clear Poly."     

"I can not say enough great things about General Finishes Lamp Black and WB stain in Antique Brown. Smooth finish every time, seals fantastically with hemp oil. These products make me look good!" - Coat of Charms of Southwick, MA

Custom built ring toss game   "We are LOVING the Graystone Water Based Stain color from General Finishes!"        
This unique vintage dresser was refinished in an olive green, distressed and black waxed. The original hardware was waxed in an antique bronze with black and highlighted with white gold. The top was lightly sanded, stained with General Finishes Tobacco stain and top coated.
"What to do with an empty nook? Add built-ins! The customer provided this unfinished oak cabinets and we did the shelving. Stained General Finishes Onyx Water Based Stain and the countertop piece was left natural. A great mix of materials and colors makes this a one of kind piece!" - Reclaimed Michigan of Waterford Township, MI     
"Cheers to comfortably seating 5 or 14 around this table and church pew for Christmas.⁣ ⁣ Build details: ⁣ Top—solid reclaimed 8/4 ash, recessed center on the bottom for weight management, dominoes used for alignment, steel c-channel installed for generational panel flatness, custom engraved with Ephesians 3:17-19, stained with 2 coats of General Finishes Tobacco Water Based Stain and sealed with Total Boat Halcyon Satin⁣ ⁣ Church Pew and Base—solid pine, SW Natural choice,...
"The antique oak looks soooo good in the light new looks we have it! This piece was made in 1928 and it had probably never been refinished so it was pretty dry and crusty so I started by stripping the entire piece down and sanding it down to the natural wood… I wanted to give this piece just a hint of color so I gave it a wash of General Finishes Graystone Water Based Stain then sealed it in a smooth matte finish! We also replaced the random hardware it had before with new vintage style...
Gorgeous SOLID maple buffet by Leslie Diamond for Conant Ball. This piece was originally an unattractive yellowish orange. It has been completely stripped and sanded to remove that pesky old orange toner. I would normally use an oil based product but this time I used...
"Stripped the finish and stained in General Finishes Walnut Water Based Stain. It’s a great stain color, a pretty brown with black undertones." - Flipping Unbelievable   N    
"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    
"We received a call from a local farmers Co-op. They had a desk they were planning to take to the dump. But they knew we restored furniture and thought we may want it. We went to pick it up not really knowing if it would be worth our time. What did we find? An authentic secretary desk, not the standard teachers desk we see more often.   It has been restored to the traditional look with General Finishes Antique Brown Water Based Stain and High Performance Top Coat in Gloss. Complimented by...
"This is why I love my job. My client brought this to me because it was her grandfather’s toolbox. It was old and worn, and even still had some tools in it! But she wanted to keep it for sentimental purposes. I gave this piece a good scrub, removed the tool compartments on the inside, and stripped and then stained in Onyx Water Based Stain by General Finishes and **NEW ** Dead Flat for protection. It was given a new life and I’m glad my client kept it!"     
"Isn’t that wood grain stunning?!? When we received this piece it was stained in a really dark walnut color and the top was in pretty rough but with a little varnish stripper and a whole lot of sanding we finally bought it down to the natural wood! Keeping it in a light natural color was definitely a bit of a challenge with it being made from a darker wood but we were able to keep it in a lighter natural color by using General Finishes Antique Oak Water Based Stain then I sealed it in matte...
"This cabinet features 12 individual drawers made out of solid wood. It was handmade by someone a long time ago, and I have been hoarding it in my storage unit for years as it patiently waited to be refinished. I stripped the existing finish, stained it using General Finishes Onyx Water Based Stain, then sprayed Dead Flat for durability." - Flipping Unbelievable   Learn more about General Finishes NEW DEAD FLAT High Performance and Enduro Clear Poly sheens here:...

Antique Jacobean buffet with Tobacco Water Based Stain Top. 

"This piece turned out even better than I hoped for! When I purchased this piece it was stained in an orange color with ugly basic hardware so I stripped it all down and gave it a wash of General Finishes Graystone Water Based Stain to keep the wood in a light natural color! The sides are made with a different wood type so I was unable to make them the color I wanted so I painted them in a beautiful taupe color lime wash and added trim to match the natural wood tone. How about that hardware...
"The top of the table was stripped and stained and then sprayed with High Performance topcoat for durability. Lamp Black Milk Paint by General Finishes and GF Walnut Water Based Stain." - Flipping Unbelievable      
"This one was definitely one of the more difficult refinishes I have done. This 100+ year old mantle was taken out of my clients home in the 80s and put in a barn and sat there for 40 years exposed to the elements as the barn began to fall into disrepair. It took SOOOOO much sanding and stripping to get back down to the original cherry wood through the old finish and years and years of grime. But with some perseverance and my go to product lines at General Finishes this mantle is back and...
This color combination is classic yet modern. Removing the mirrors, swapping out the hardware and updating the color gave my client’s hutch an entirely new look!  Paint:...
"This gorgeous custom dining table is headed to its forever home. Top: Reclaimed Million Mile Oak finished with Onyx Water Base Stain from General Finishes. Base: Metal X frame base w/ beam." - Lake County Barnwood    

Black Water Based Wood Stain

Made from scrap wood and finished with General Finishes Lamp Black Milk Paint, Sedona water based stain and Exterior 450 top coat.
I’m loving the two tone look we went with on this mid century piece!!! I removed all the original hardware and added a fluted wood texture to the side drawers and stained them in a light wash of General Finishes antique brown then I painted the rest of the dresser in my new favorite color by Melange Paints called Turtle Dove which is a beautiful creamy taupe color that paired beautifully with the natural wood and gold hardware accents!  

"My favorite stain. General Finishes Graystone. Beautiful every time!"

"This antique buffet table was painted in a old dirty white paint with red accents. The paint was just flaking off everywhere so I knew I would have to strip the whole piece down and that wasn’t fun…especially stripping the legs and spindle…lol I was surprised to find the beautiful oak wood grain that was under all those coats of paint! So I stained it in a wash of General Finishes Graystone Water Based Stain to keep the wood in a natural color then sealed it in matte top coat!" - NB....
"This circa 1960 Bassett Gala dresser has the best bones but needed a fresh finish. To achieve this look we did a full strip with Klean Strip Premium Stripper, followed with a light sand in 220 grit to even the natural color. Made a wash with 1 tbsp General Finishes Antique Oak Water Based Stain and 1 cup of water. Mixed and brushed on, wiped back excess. Sealed with General Finishes High Performance Topcoat in Flat." - Saved By Design    
"These solid oak tables from the 80’s and 90’s are so beautiful refinished and given new life! We paired General Finishes Lamp Black with Walnut Water Based Stain for this stunning transformation!" - Nap Time Furniture Creations    
"This piece had been waiting sooo many years to be all shined up again! The early 1800s stained finish was practically fried from from its age! It took a lot of liquid stripper and sandpaper to bring it back to the natural wood that has been hidden for many years! Once I finished stripping the finish off I stained it in a light wash of General Finishes Graystone Water Based Stain then sealed it up in matte top coat… The crystal knobs on the bigger drawers are original to the piece and we...
"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 hand painted in...

"We do big stuff sometimes. This was a design that the client came up with and we made it come to life! All Maple with General Finishes Graphite stain with file cabinets below the middle bookcases."

"Solid oak coffee table.Stain color- General Finishes water based Graphite Paint color- GF Seagull Gray with a Graphite color wash over it." - Nap Time Furniture Creations    

"Love the look of grey stained wood. General Finishes Graphite works very well on orangey oak."

"Dining room table set refinished. This two tone look brings new life to the set and gives it a modern look. Base and chairs: General Finishes Lamp Black Milk Paint Table top: General Finishes Antique Oak Water Based Stain" - Flipping Unbelievable    

Stained in “whitewash” by General Finishes and sealed for protection.
So many options for use! Books, bathroom towels, entryway drop zone, shoes or clothes, home decor, the list goes on and on!

"Maple coffee bar and white oak countertop. Stain is General Finishes water based Walnut. Sprayed then wiped."

"We are really feeling this combo of General Finishes Basil Milk Paint and Hickory Water Based Stain. It’s the perfect combo for this table and bringing some color into your kitchen!!" - Moses Restorations