Varnish mix helps lighten kitchen cabinets

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 23/02/2003 (8239 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

DEAR Debbie — I want to lighten my kitchen cabinets without losing the oak look. I have a small house, approximately 700 square feet, and I’d like to brighten the cabinets, but not overpower the space. I watched your show on Back to Basics and got an idea. Could I use a glaze? How do I remove the dark varnish? Should I use a paint glaze and what effect would you suggest? Carry on the great work.

–Sharon R., Winnipeg

DEAR Sharon — Yes, you can use a light tinted glaze to soften up the oak cabinets but I have a better idea. I would first lightly sand the surfaces to roughen them up a little but there is no need to remove all the existing varnish and stain completely. Because there is both stain and varnish on the wood, you need to use a product that will grip the surface. I would take some high adhesive oil-based primer and mix it half and half with a mid sheen oil-based varnish. Mix well, and then with a sponge brush and a rag, wipe the surface with the thinned down primer/varnish mixture. Work in the direction of the grain and leave as much texture as desired. Practice the effect on one door first and once you have achieved the look you like, you are ready to tackle the rest. Once dry, apply a coat of clear varnish for extra protection. This will keep the oak look, but will brighten up the kitchen.

DEAR Debbie — We are going to have our dining room wood floor professionally sanded to get rid of years of dirt, stains and scratches. Could you suggest a classic finish that we could do ourselves? We’d like a medium dark stain shade. Thank you for any help. We both love your show.

–Jane and Josh H, e-mail

DEAR Jane and Josh — One of the most beautiful floors we have done was for a Colonial bedroom, but it would suit any space from a hallway to living and dining rooms. We used a rich mahogany stain and then added a classic border trim with ebony stain. Since your floors are being sanded, the pores will be open and ready to absorb stain. Apply the mahogany stain to the whole floor with a soft rag, always working in the direction of the grain. Let the stain dry for 24 hours. Now tape off your border trim with low-tack painter’s tape. The borders in the picture are 9 inches and 1 1/4 inches wide. Press the tape down hard along the edges and in the grooves between the planks. To keep the dark stain from bleeding under the tape, place a metal ruler or straight edge along the edge of the tape and score the line with an X-acto knife. Apply the ebony to the borders, remove the tape and let dry. Seal with three coats of acrylic varnish.

DEAR Debbie — I painted my office yellow over the original dark green. There’s fluorescent lighting and the walls are now a ghastly bright green/yellow. My furniture is antique pine and oak. I have a tan sofa with purple, gold highlights, dark plum cushions and pale violet and gold hues in my framed Burmese art. I tried two lamps instead of the overhead lighting, but it was too dark. Would a pale violet work on the walls, or what neutral colour would you suggest? I enjoy colour and warmth and would like a calm atmosphere.

–Cynthia F. e-mail

DEAR Cynthia — You have far too much yellow in the room. Both your furniture and walls have yellow hues, which, as you say, are exaggerated by the fluorescent lighting. I would repaint the walls in a rich wine colour. This will not only offset the yellow of the furnishings but will also tone down the harsh lighting. If this is too dark for you and you would really prefer a neutral then opt for a silvery/grey seafoam colour. Hope this helps.

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Debbie Travis and Barbara Dingle. Please e-mail your questions to askdebbie@painted-house.com. Check out Debbie’s Web site www.painted-house.com and watch Debbie Travis’ Facelift on HGTV and Debbie Travis’ Painted House on W. For more ideas look for Debbie’s newest books, Kids’ Rooms and Bedrooms.