But there s no rule that says you have to use oak.
Best wood to stain for kitchen cabinets.
Other wood species can be stained to match existing colors that are in the home although some will react to staining better than other wood.
Mahogany gives warmth while walnut which is similar in cost and hardness to mahogany happens to add elegance to cabinets.
The oak cabinet shown here will receive a red chestnut stain that darkens the wood and adds a warm red tone while bringing out the wood s natural beauty and pronounced grain.
Cherry is quite dark on it s own.
Maple kitchen cabinets could use a nice opaque stain that brings out its reddish brown color while a semitransparent or transparent stain could compliment cherry cabinets.
A pine kitchen cabinet system would be better stained with an alcohol or oil based stain that is rubbed on to bring out the knotty veins.
Maple is a popular wood choice because it s readily available and reasonably easy to work with.
As the below swatch illustrates the espresso stain almost dulls cherry s inherent luminosity and makes.
If you want to tone down your cabinets because they are too red or warm look for ash colored stains or even test the gray colors.
Choosing the best wood type for dark stain.
Ash pine and oak absorb stains evenly.