Wood Stain With Gray Undertone – My goal is to teach you to build magazine-worthy DIYs with confidence. I was afraid of electronics, which is why I believe anyone can DIY.
Looking for a spot of gray for your next DIY project? We tested 10 different shades of gray so you can see how they look on real wood.
Wood Stain With Gray Undertone
We also break things down by the type of wood tested. So if you know what type of wood you are using for your next project, you can click below to go to the section that compares your specific wood stain:
Royal Exterior Wood Finish
Gray patches are great if you prefer a country, rustic, or weathered look. Let’s get to the test!
How you prepare your wood can affect the final color of your stain. In this example we sanded everything with 220 grit sandpaper and applied a stain conditioner.
For each stain we open the can and shake it until we feel any pigments on the bottom of the can. Gray wood leaves a lot of stains on the bottom of the can, which is why it’s important to shake it well before you start.
If you use stains, wipe them off with a clean rag and wait the time indicated on the back of the tin. For Minwax stains it is 15 minutes. Varatane spots appear “do not wait” for 2-3 minutes.
Varathane 1 Qt. Weathered Gray Semi Transparent Wood Interior Gel Stain (2 Pack) 355346
We only applied one coat to our models. If you want your color to be richer and fuller, you can wait the time indicated on the back of the tin and apply a second coat.
Minwax Rustic Beige is one of my favorite wood colors in oak. We’ve used it on our laundry shelves and on my DIY desk with drawers. It’s a great neutral color. Somehow it’s cool and warm and inviting.
Silver gray Minwax is often used when finishing oak floors. It’s a very light stain color, but it adds a little silver color to the wood.
Minwax Classic Gray has always been a fan favorite in the gray spot category. Brownish grey, neutral enough to go with many different styles and decors.
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Classic gray can also be wonderfully mixed with other colors. We created our own color scheme for our four poster bed by mixing Classic Gray with Minwax Dark Walnut.
Despite sharing the same name, Varathane Red Stain is much lighter than Minwax. It has similar undertones but requires multiple coats to achieve the same deep color, especially on 2x boards and regular boards.
I was very surprised by the results of this color in our test. The color inside and outside of the can looks much darker than the finished stain on real wood.
Fogstone is another unique color palette. You can see the green undertones of the field color in the common slab and poplar. In redwoods, this green color helps counteract the red color somewhat.
Grey Wood Stain Colors On 5 Different Wood Species
Of the shades we tested, this was the “truest” gray for me. It’s hard to stay “real” gray because gray always has different shades!
Like the gray stone, this color ended up using more light on the wood than I expected. If you want a darker color you can always apply a second coat of paint after letting the first coat dry for 2 hours.
We didn’t apply any outdoor or water-based stains to the wood in this test, but I wanted to give Cabot Pewter Gray Stain a quick try. We used it on our porch couch and love the color. The solid coverage also gave amazing coverage in one coat.
If you’ve read the post and still haven’t found the perfect option for your project, you might want to try water-based Minwax stains. They offer more than 200 colors
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There is no doubt that wood stains look different on different types of wood. In fact, they can look different on different wooden boards
Species. It’s always important to test your specific project before playing around, but hopefully this test will give you a good start. Below is a breakdown of each tree patch by tree species.
The piece in the center of each photo is wood that has been sanded but not stained. You can compare different colors behind the board to see how the color affects the overall color.
Common plank (also known as pine or whitewood) is a common building material, particularly for rustic or farmhouse furniture. While not always bright, I will say the colors came through well. In fact, I find the dots look too “grey” on a normal board because it doesn’t have a solid undertone.
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Since poplar is known for its green and brown stripes, we tried to include a piece of green stripe in each pattern to get a better idea of how it would count in different poplar colors.
Red. In general, our red oak is very similar to the red oak plywood shown above.
Although we sanded and primed the wood as usual, this piece of red oak did not receive the same amount of staining as most pieces. You can see the color of the grain but some pieces are still red on most pieces.
Of all the woods we tested, I find the stains look best on red oak. It always takes color well!
Minwax Golden Oak Wood Stain On Red Oak
As this is a characteristic of pine and 2x wood, you can see that more stains enhance the grain of the yellow wood.
That’s it! Now you know what 10 different shades of gray look like on 7 different types of wood. Found the color you’re using for your next project? Let me know if there are any other colors you want us to test in the comments below!
3D rendering, detailed shopping list, cut list displayed in two ways (as a chart and in a visual form), and a bonus sketchup file. Printable projects don’t get much better.
Whether you’re just starting out or you’re a seasoned DIY enthusiast ready to unleash the full potential of DIY, our tutorials will help you. This post may contain affiliate links, which means we receive a small percentage of each sale. As an Amazon Associate, I get paid for qualifying purchases.
How To Mix, Match And Coordinate Wood Stains / Undertones
In your woodworking project? Varatane Smoke Gray – Check out our full review and how it looks on 6 species of wood!
I was really excited to test my 8 favorite shades of gray on 6 types of wood so you can see exactly what they look like!
Varatane is a brand commonly stocked at Home Depot. Click here to buy Varatane Smoke Gray at Home Depot.
Smoke gray is a warm gray wood tone color. That means it has brown instead of blue drops. I think warm undertones make this space a lot easier to work with than cool toned friends!
Understanding Wood Undertones
It stays in the grain of the wood but offers better protection over the entire piece of wood.
Smoky gray plays well with these warm tones. It exudes a warm oak color and plays up its red tones.
Pine has natural yellow tones with a slightly darker grain. Pine is a soft, white hardwood that is very absorbent.
Below you can see the gray smoke. It sits on top of the grain and draws attention to the grain lines – which may or may not be useful to you.
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It definitely adds gray and warms the jaws. Be careful, if your pineapple has a lot of yellow, this combination can look too golden.
Poplar is a little duller with its wood grain, giving it a more textured look. This color really makes it stand out!
You can see how the wheat portion looks darker and more golden. Warm complexion tones combined with warm or brown areas.
Pay attention to your piece of wood and its properties and colors! If in doubt, check the website!
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Birch plywood is very light, almost white, with light grain lines. It has beautiful flowing grain lines.
The gray smoke darkened the plywood too much. Like her, I had to double check that I had the right complexion!
It has warm tones that sound very earthy, but it’s definitely a midtone shift to a dark grey.
That’s why it’s so important to test stains on different types of wood! The way it looks on another tree, it won’t look like in your project!
Stain Colors On Pine — Dailey Woodworks
2x4s are usually very light wood with dark knots and holes. You might build furniture out of 2×4s, but if you want to screw it up, here it is!
This 2×4 has a lot of yellow paint and
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