I'm a fan of cherry furniture, especially the darker, aged pieces that give off a more sophisticated vibe. However, I've noticed that a lot of the cherry wood I come across, particularly kitchen cabinets, have this dated medium orange color that doesn't appeal to me. I understand that cherry wood changes color over time, but I want to know if there's a way to prevent it from settling into that orange hue. Are there specific finishing techniques or types of cherry that could help achieve a better color?
2 Answers
You might be right about the finish contributing to that orange tint! I’ve worked with cherry cabinets and found that using garnet shellac can offer a nice hue while also preventing the extreme orange. I've also mixed stains for my projects to help achieve this. If you're looking for something different, there are other methods, like caramelizing the wood by heating it, which gives a beautiful deep color that’s even throughout. This works well with cherry but requires proper equipment to do larger pieces. It's definitely an option worth looking into for smaller projects!
It sounds like the darker cherry pieces you're seeing may have had some stain applied. Staining cherry can help darken it, but you're right that untreated cherry tends to turn more orange over time. It's a common issue, and many folks opt for staining to get a deeper color right away since natural cherry often turns a dark rust-like shade. Just keep in mind that cherry wood can react unpredictably when it darkens, so there’s no foolproof method to control it completely.