Hello!
I hope it’s warm wherever you are – the kiddos have a snow day again today, not so much for the snow (we dodged that bullet, thank goodness), but for the bitter cold temperatures. We’re talking 30-40 below with the wind chill. Suffice to say, I’m craving a normal schedule and routine!
After staining my front doors, my “Stain Without Pain” projects continue, and today I’m going to share my breakfast bar. Oh, how I love how easy it is to give woodwork a new look without having to strip the finish, sand and start from scratch!
Let’s start with the before, shall we?
The breakfast bar was more of an orange-y wood look, especially when you see it against the hardwood floors that we added in the great room. (And yes, I was doing this project in tandem with the fireplace redo, thus the hot mess in the background).
The white trim around the bar where the floors were installed, has always bugged me since I thought it was going to be stained to match the floor, so this project allowed me to remedy that.
Once the stain was the color I wanted it to be (3-4 coats of stain), I added General Finishes High Performance poly top coat, based on the advice of the expert at our local Woodcraft store. And yes, it’s water based (just like the top coat I used on the front door), but a satin finish vs. a semi-gloss like I used on the doors. You just have to allow the stain to fully dry before applying it. A week or so was the guideline the expert gave me.
And finally, finished! Now I’m eyeing that range hood – I might have to give it a makeover…
Pay no mind to the Frog Tape…
Now the trim blends in with the hardwoods – much better.
And to appreciate the full effect – here is a side by side, before and after.
I have more makeovers in the works – I’m waiting until the kids go back to school (whenever that is) before I stain our stair railing, but it’s on the list!
17 Comments
marty (A Stroll Thru Life)
January 7, 2014 at 1:22 pmWow, what a fabulous difference. I love it. Great tutorial too. I would love for you to link up to my Inspire Me Tuesday party – – -http://www.astrollthrulife.net/2014/01/198th-inspire-me-tuesday.html. Hugs, Marty
Andrea @ Decorating Cents
January 7, 2014 at 2:58 pmI have got to get me some of that stain!
Cassie @ Primitive & Proper
January 7, 2014 at 2:59 pmso rich and gorgeous!
Cyndy Aldred
January 7, 2014 at 9:48 pmUnbelievable girl! Wow!! Another amazing transformation and it turned out fabulous. That stuff is incredible and what a difference! Well done! That video is hysterical. I remember that when I lived in Minnesota. What's so funny is that if we even get the slightest bit of ice, all of East Texas shuts down! Ha! Stay warm!
Andrea
January 8, 2014 at 1:04 amThis looks amazing. Who knew it could be that simple. Are the kids going back tomorrow? I'm afraid mine may have forgotten how to read by now!
pam {simple details}
January 8, 2014 at 4:10 amWow, what a dramatic difference!! I love the new contrast with your cabinets and tile! Tandem projects (love that description) are always in the works over here! 🙂
Peggy Willhelm
January 8, 2014 at 8:26 pmLooks fantastic!!! So impressed by you and proud of you!
Amy
January 11, 2014 at 4:45 pmLooks great! After applying the stain did you wipe of the excess? I recently did my bathroom cabinets the same way and even with the same color gel stain! (I'm impressed at how tidy you were, I was a mess with that stuff!) Like the can instructed, I wiped off the extra stain after applying, but it didn't ever get as dark as I wanted. Finally on the 4th coat I decided not to wipe it. Maybe I was removing too much – it was my first time using gel stain. 🙂 Thanks.
Krista Townsend
February 7, 2015 at 6:55 pmThanks for the inspiration! I decided to gel stain my kitchen cabinets, but in Brown Mahogany instead. You can see the before and after pics here: http://www.alittlebitofkris.com/?p=186
Susan Mendoza
June 17, 2015 at 5:13 pmAbsolutely love it! The breakfast bar looks amazing. I have been thinking of doing this with my island. Now I do believe I will! Also, if you don't mind sharing, what is the color of the walls in your kitchen? Everything just pops and looks so fresh!
Thanks for sharing!
Hunter Leake
September 30, 2015 at 9:27 pmWhat color are your walls in the back?
Susan
February 14, 2017 at 9:27 amLooked for your reply on the living room color you used above but didn’t see it. What is it? Looks great! How has it held up? Thank you
Jenny
February 14, 2017 at 8:39 pmI’m sorry Susan, I thought I answered it! The living room color was Palladian Blue – it’s a great color. Although since I’m always itching to change things up, I have repainted it Revere Pewter, which I love as well!
Mori Bell
January 21, 2017 at 11:12 amWhat is the paint color in your living room? It’s gorgeous!
Jenny
January 25, 2017 at 5:19 pmThe color at the time was Palladian Blue (Benjamin Moore). I have since repainted it to Revere Pewter (also Benjamin Moore).
Valerie
February 12, 2017 at 6:26 pmHi Im interested in painting my stair hand rails. Did you ever gel stain yours? I am hoping so! Send me the link if you did. I love to know the process.
Thanks
Jenny
February 12, 2017 at 6:54 pmI haven’t gel stained mine (but it’s on my to-do list). I have a friend who did hers and it turned out beautifully! Same process as the other gel stain projects, although I think she had to do extra coats to get the color she wanted. I would go with extra top coats too for durability. 🙂