How to Stain Wood Furniture Article

Learning how to stain wood furniture isn't difficult. You don't need to be a master furniture maker to breathe new life into your furniture, which may have become lackluster and dull over the years, thanks to ordinary household dirt and body oils - mortal enemies of fine furniture.
Unfortunately, many of us resort to commercial waxes and polishes in a fruitless effort to reverse the process. These only make matters worse, creating new layers for dirt to glom onto.
The only way to restore the finish is to go back to square one and re-stain the original wood. This means stripping off the old finish and building up from there.
It's a labor intensive process, to be sure. But it can also be a labor of love, if done correctly.
First you have to remove the old stain. To do this you need to apply two-part hydrogen peroxide, which is available in the paint department of your home improvement store. Follow the directions carefully and be sure you have a space with good ventilation. Be sure you use a drop cloth to catch any spills.
Apply the mixture to the furniture. You can use a paintbrush for seams and joints and a sponge for the flat
areas. After the stain has been removed, follow the directions on the package for neutralizing the bleach so it stops the bleaching process. Follow up with a vinegar wash, just to make sure.
It will take the wood about two days to dry. When it has, sand it down with extra fine grit sandpaper. Brush off any remaining dust, including any that is left in the joints and details. Remove these with a paintbrush.
Now that the wood has been returned to its original color, it's time to stain it. If the wood is cherry, mahogany, maple or a rare wood, you may want to just oil it to bring out the grain. If it's a light wood, such as beech, birch, poplar or pine, you may want to stain it. The same is true for oak, though it can also benefit from oil alone.
There are many types of stain out there - oil-based, water-based, NGR - there's no right or wrong. Each has its own virtues and challenges. If you're not sure, ask your local paint store employee what would be best for your situation.
Before you ever apply a stain, test it first. If you can, buy a short piece of the same type of wood so you can try out several different stains. This is important, since the color and finish portrayed on the packaging isn't what you'll necessarily get. There are simply too many variables in staining, including the porosity of the wood, the type of stain, the number of coats and thickness of the coats, etc.
Stain can be applied with a brush or a rag. If it's an oil stain, you'll want to let it set for about 10 to 15 minutes before wiping it off. If you're using a brush remember to go with the grain in long strokes and try not to overlap. This will cause darker streaks in the stain. If the finish isn't dark enough for you, let it dry and apply a second or even third coat. Each one will create a darker finish. Just remember that you can't go backwards. There's no way to remove a layer if you think it's too dark without stripping it all down and starting over again.
Once the furniture is stained to your liking, it's time to seal it. You want to add a final coat of shellac, sealer or varnish to keep the wood from absorbing other liquids, such as a glass of accidentally spilled wine. Again, check with the paint store employee on what to use. Some sealers don't play nice with specific types of stain. After sealing, sand the wood once more lightly and you're all set.
Staining wood furniture can be very labor intensive, but if you really want your favorite piece of furniture to stay in your favor, it's a great way to make the old look new again.
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Dark Furniture

As with many fashions, furniture trends can often do full circle in relation to what is popular. Dark furniture, for example has peaked and dipped many times ever since early pieces of furniture were originally made.

If thinking about purchasing dark furniture it may be worth considering a few things. Think about the space the furniture is going into, dark furniture can often make a room feel smaller than it is so it is not advisable to use it in the "box room". Going hand in hand with this is the light in the room either natural light or the lightness of the walls and flooring. Placing a dark piece into a light room can create a stunning contrast just be careful not to overload the room and in doing so end up dimming the natural light.

Dark furniture can be wonderfully versatile in fitting into different types of home, with so many designs now available there are pieces to suit both traditional and contemporary houses.

Most Mahogany furniture typifies the more elegant style of dark furniture. Traditional cabinet makers prefer to use this wood and many older pieces can be found in antique furniture shops. Mango and Indian furniture using dark rose woods and dark stained mango timbers will more likely encompass more modern designs with straight edges and chunky designs. Some of these designs can create a more unique look in the room, ideal for those wishing not to follow the crowd and who crave a talking point at the next dinner party. Much like the "feature wall" appearing in many homes across the UK a unique "feature" piece of furniture, possibly with a story to tell is becoming much more interesting than a complete matching set.

Always ask how much of the item is made from solid wood, especially when looking at Mahogany and Mango pieces. Sometimes solid wood will be mixed with veneers to keep prices down, if it seems too cheap to be true it probably is.

Regardless of what the piece is made of, if it is painted or stained in a dark colour be sure to check if any maintenance or upkeep is required. Sometimes it is recommended not to use furniture polish on these stains or paints to avoid tarnishing or peeling. To keep your dark furniture dark be sure to ask the retailer for advice as there are sometimes furniture wax products available for maintenance.

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Mango Furniture

Choosing a type of wood for furniture in the home will quite often depend on the current trends. Popular woods have included pine, oak, mahogany and beech, each one having its own burst of popularity during different decades. Mango wood may well be the newest addition to this list with it clean cut straight line, contemporary style and minimal grain.

Mango trees can grow to become very large, and can often become too large to harvest the fruit. On mango plantations, before the tree reaches this stage they are replaced with young mango trees. The tree is typically cut and replanted every 7-15 years developing a sustainable cycle that ensures no harm to the environment. With them being grown in sustainable forests this can be a huge selling point as some manufactures don't actually source their furniture from sustainable forests.

As mango trees have a limited lifespan for yielding good quality fruit, in the past they were chopped and burnt after this period which is a total shame. However in more recent times the wood is being used in the production of household items. And it gives a home a different aspect of contemporary style of furniture.

Mango wood is a hard, dense wood that can be made into a variety of decorative objects such as vases and bowls and has recently become popular for making furniture. For mango wood to be long lasting as any of these things it needs to be properly seasoned and kiln dried. Its characteristics can add a contemporary style to any home and improve a rooms character and style.

Using different carving and cut strokes with mango wood will reveal diverse ranges of grain, texture and colouring emphasising the green, brown and yellow hues. The reason for the popularity of mango furniture seems obvious as it creates more unique pieces due to the unusual grain and colours present. Mango wood furniture is one of the most popular woods on the market at the moment and keeps increasing in popularity across the UK.
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