Restaining dark stain lighter?

[Brock Martens]

I don't have much experience with staining wood. I tend to use the wood that matches the colour I am looking for. My brother in law just asked me what it would take to make this wood trim and doors a lighter colour (without painting them). Apparently they're chestnut.

[Brock Martens]

Just trying to post a picture...

[Brock Martens]

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So how would one go about restaining this wood to make it lighter. It's chestnut apparently.

[Brock Martens]

I'm guessing that there's a clear coat on it and it would require a ridiculous amount of sanding.

[Steve Schoene]

I'm guessing that there's a clear coat on it and it would require a ridiculous amount of sanding.

Sanding is never a good way to prepare wood to be restained. The best approach is to remove the old finish, including most of the stain, with chemical stripper. If the base wood is chestnut, it may take a lot, including lots of work with tooth brushes and with scrapers ground to shape in the trim. Or perhaps replace the trim.

[Kent A Bathurst]

I don't have much experience with staining wood. I tend to use the wood that matches the colour I am looking for. My brother in law just asked me what it would take to make this wood trim and doors a lighter colour (without painting them). Apparently they're chestnut.


Second - your BIL does not want to even think about that - Steve S is dead-nuts right. The common phrase for this type of project is "nightmare that never ends".

First, though - I love that coffered ceiling, and all the woodwork throughout the house. Simply beautiful, IMO. Some one put a lot of work into that house.

Also - you could lessen the "impact" of that dark color with different color paint. I don't know what the overall architecture of the house is - A+C? Victorian? Maybe non-descript..... The trim surrounding the doorways is classic A+C. There are a lot of period correct interior paint colors that would "soften the blow" as it were..........just an idea. For example, you never see white in a period-correct A+C home. They just didn't do that.

[Brett Luna]

Also - you could lessen the "impact" of that dark color with different color paint. I don't know what the overall architecture of the house is - A+C? Victorian? Maybe non-descript..... The trim surrounding the doorways is classic A+C. There are a lot of period correct interior paint colors that would "soften the blow" as it were..........just an idea. For example, you never see white in a period-correct A+C home. They just didn't do that.

Agreed...and one wouldn't have to take the tonal value down very much at all to perceive a pretty dramatic difference. Although we don't have an A&C style home, we've begun taking a similar approach to painting some areas.

[Kent A Bathurst]

Brett--------

Peters Creek, AK ?? I had to look that up. Man.....you must have world-class scenery from your house - the bay right in front, and the mountains right behind. Gotta be gorgeous.

[Brett Luna]

.....you must have world-class scenery from your house - the bay right in front, and the mountains right behind. Gotta be gorgeous.

Heh...we do live in a mountain's shadow but you have to squint pretty hard for a view of Knik Arm through all the trees...and then, only in winter when the trees are bare. The core of our house is a bay front with windows across the LR and MBR so we get good sunsets, leaves permitting.

[Todd Willhoit]

Agreed...and one wouldn't have to take the tonal value down very much at all to perceive a pretty dramatic difference. Although we don't have an A&C style home, we've begun taking a similar approach to painting some areas.

I'm with Kent and Brett.

I performed a quick and dirty simulation with the Sherwin Williams Color Visualizer. (VERY quick and dirty in this case...) You might find it useful as a way to experiment with lowering the contrast between the trim and the painted surfaces without buying a bunch of samples. SW0055 Light French Gray was a starting point, as I am familiar with the color. I colored the walls SW7017 Dorian Gray (a few shades darker than Light French Gray) and the ceiling SW7622 Homburg Gray. The area around the ceiling light is Dorian Gray in the middle picture and Homburg Gray in the last picture. The ceiling might even be a little dark.

After some recent repainting in our home, I am still amazed at the results of carefully selected colors.

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[Kent A Bathurst]

Good visuals, Todd.......

I'd be heading to earth tones, rather than grey. But of course, we ain't the guys that live in the house.......

[John TenEyck]

I'm with Kent and Brett.

I performed a quick and dirty simulation with the Sherwin Williams Color Visualizer. (VERY quick and dirty in this case...) You might find it useful as a way to experiment with lowering the contrast between the trim and the painted surfaces without buying a bunch of samples. SW0055 Light French Gray was a starting point, as I am familiar with the color. I colored the walls SW7017 Dorian Gray (a few shades darker than Light French Gray) and the ceiling SW7622 Homburg Gray. The area around the ceiling light is Dorian Gray in the middle picture and Homburg Gray in the last picture. The ceiling might even be a little dark.

After some recent repainting in our home, I am still amazed at the results of carefully selected colors.

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How do I find/use the SW Color Visualizer? That's a great tool.

John

[Todd Willhoit]

Good visuals, Todd.......

I'd be heading to earth tones, rather than grey. But of course, we ain't the guys that live in the house.......

Spot on Kent. This gray has some yellow in it, so it isn't a cold, blue gray. Mindful Gray has even more earth tones, but too yellow for our tastes. A lot will depend on how it looks in person next to the undertones in the stain.

Lighting is a separate headache. Life sure was easy when we only had one or two lamp types/CRIs/color temperatures to choose from...

In any case, I hope the Visualizer can help someone avoid purchasing several gallons of samples like someone I know. :o

John,
In addition to a typical freeform boundary tool, the visualizer has a nice drag-and-drop feature that was not available when we started this process. It is here:
http://www.sherwin-williams.com/homeowners/color/try-on-colors/color-visualizer/
or directly here:
https://www.sherwin-williams.com/visualizer/

[Brock Martens]

That's a good tool, and you are completely right. The colour change makes a huge difference to the overall look. Thanks so much!

[John TenEyck]

Google is my friend: http://www.sherwin-williams.com/homeowners/color/try-on-colors/color-visualizer/

John