How to Make Oak Cabinets Look Like Cherry Cabinets

Co-authored by Mike Katona

Last Updated: January 13, 2023

Cherry cabinets are can be very expensive. If you have standard oak cabinets but would like to emulate the dark, red-tinted look of cherry, you can do so by refinishing them. You will need to carefully choose the right cherry colored stain and set up a work space. Re-staining cabinets in this manner can only be done to darken the cabinets, not to make them lighter. It will also take careful preparation and painting in order to create a top-quality finish. Find out how to make oak cabinets look like cherry cabinets.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Cherry Stain Testing

1
Remove 1 door from your cabinetry at the hinges. You will use the back of this door to test your stain colors.
2
Visit a hardware store and buy a cherry shade of gel stain, such as Old Master. Make sure the color is darker than your current oak color. If you are unsure of what color to use, buy small quantities of several gel stain colors and test them all out.

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3
Buy several white china bristle brushes in 1, 1.5 and/or 2 inch (2.5, 3.8 or 5 cm) sizes. Make sure you also have paint thinner and several white rags.
4
Clean the back of your practice door. Allow it to dry and set it on a table on a drop cloth. You can skip a few preparation steps on your test piece.
5
Apply a thin coat of gel stain with your white China bristle brush. Use even strokes along the grain, coming toward you.
6
Apply the second type of stain with another brush next to the other stain, if you are comparing colors.
7
Wait approximately 24 hours to see how the stain looks. To achieve a darker color, apply another coat of stain on top of the first 1 and allow it to dry again.
8
Remove any colors of stain that you do not like with paint thinner and rags. Once you have chosen your stain color, you are ready to start with the preparation process.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Oak Cabinet Preparation

1
Set up a work station in your home. Remove all the items from the cabinets and place them out of the way. Since most cabinets are secured directly into the walls, the work will need to be done inside the house with good ventilation.
2
Remove the door and drawer pulls from the cabinet doors.

Set them aside in a safe place until the end of the project.

Image titled Make Oak Cabinets Look Like Cherry Cabinets Step 10

1
Remove the hinges from the doors. Then, remove the drawers. You can choose to work on the doors and drawers outside in a garage, if you desire.
2
Open the windows and employ a fan through the next stages of the process. This is important whether you are staining the base and wall cabinets in the home or doors and drawers in the garage.
3
Apply tri-sodium phosphate (TSP) cleaner to all surfaces of the cabinetry. Apply with a sponge or a scrub pad. If possible, find a no-rinse type of TSP for easy application. Scrub well and allow it to dry completely.
4
Apply painter's tape to any sections of cabinetry that are touching the wall. Place drop cloths over appliances if you cannot remove them.
5
Scuff sand the surface off all the cabinetry with fine-grit sandpaper. Buy 150 to 180-grit sandpaper and sand sponges. You are not trying to remove the stain itself; however, you are trying to create a scuffed surface for the stain to stick to. Sand in the same direction as the grain.
6
Wipe the surfaces of all cabinets with tack cloths to remove the small particles left after sanding. Remove fallen dust with a vacuum.
7
Apply a liquid sander. Also known as surface deglosser, this liquid can be applied with rags in order to clean and create a better surface to absorb the stain. Allow it to dry for at least 1 hour.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Oak Cabinet Staining

1
Apply the stain on the cabinets with 1 inch (2.5 cm) strokes. Use a very light coat and a light touch. Apply to adjacent areas in order to blend as you go.
- Remove any excess stain from the brush with a rag. Remember to use more care with applying gel stain than you usually would with wood stain. Always pull toward you, pick up the brush and apply a downward stroke toward yourself again.
2
Apply the stain to all areas of the cabinetry that will show. You may also consider applying the same stain to other matching wood furniture in the area for a more cohesive look.
3
Allow the stain to dry for 24 hours. Assess the look to decide if you want to add another coat. This will darken the cherry stain.
4
Apply a coat of clear wood finish with a brush, once the final coat of gel stain has dried for 24 hours. You can use spar varnish, acrylic urethane or polyurethane.
5
Allow it to dry. Go over the surface with a tack cloth once it is dry and before you add another coat.
6
Paint on a second layer of wood finish. Allow it to dry completely before touching anything.
7
Reattach drawer and door pulls. Once it has had a few days to cure, reattach the hinges and place the drawers in the cabinetry.