When considering a furniture rehab project, my mind very rarely goes to wood stain. I’m a custom color sort of girl, and traditional stains have always seemed too reddish or light for my taste. I like my stained furniture to be quite dark brown, and you can only have so much dark furniture in a room.
I had never really considered the fact that stain can be mixed in a range of colors other than brown, but upon further investigation, I found that it can be. I think the key to a good custom stain color is to keep it a natural color – kind of like your hair color. Save your bright colors for painted furniture (although, I have seen brightly stained pieces AND people with bright blue hair that totally rock, so I wouldn’t say it’s a “rule” by any means).
Using the following pieces as inspiration, I’ve decided to go with a custom mixed grey stain for our top secret lumber yard project.
We are thiiiiiiis close to being finished building and will begin staining soon. I can’t wait to see how it turns out. And if I hate it, there’s always paint. 
What are your thoughts on wood stain colors?
Image credits: Apartment Therapy, Your Furniture, Room & Board
I love gray stain…It’s so unexpected and neutral at the same time.
I love that gray stain! Dang it, now you’ve got me rethinking my kitchen table plan….I can’t wait to see what it is you’re working on!
Love the grey! Can’t wait to see the finished project.
Is it just my computer or what? I can never read the first comment because the ad pop-up (today it’s Lamps Plus) blocks it. I can’t get it to go away either.
Oooh, I love the idea of gray stain, cannot wait to see the top secret project!
Kate
I love the color of the grey stain, and wouldn’t have thought to use it either. That has me thinking now….I still have my office desk to redo and this might be the answer ~ thanks Lindsay!
xo, Jenna
I LOVE love love the grey stain!! It looks like a perfect combination of natural + industrial! I need to find something to stain so I can try it out=)
I love it! I was born in the early 60′s (I know…I’m ancient) and I have pictures of me as a baby on my parents bed and it was stained grey, so it’s making another round! Most things are always better the second time around!
I love the grey, too! Still warm with the wood grain but a whole different vibe than brown. Reminds me of driftwood which always looks chic!
I love stained wood! I’ve found it’s the cheapest and relatively the easiest way to spruce up a piece of furniture. I really like the grey, I’ve never seen this shade as a stain before!
This is my first time here via reading about you at Southeran Hospitality! Great idea…didn’t know you could custom mix stains either. Thanks for sharing!
I LOVE the gray stain! The color reminds me of driftwood and aged shakers on a cape cod home. Good idea!
awww…how timely. I just had an AWESOME project fail with some gray stain that worked so fantastic on our gate out back, but not so much on my freecycle deck chairs. MIGHT have to give it one more go.
Loving the look of gray stained furniture lately.
Bernadette
Can you share with me what stain color are you using and where to get the stain? I have never stained before and I need to stain stair ledge caps and loft trims to a tone of grey to go with my floors and cabinetry. I am lost here. help?
Daisy
AWESOME GREY! That is a color that I would not think of…because I love the dark expresso colors in a stain. So, the Grey will go perfect the darker pieces that I have…and will also help to balance out the room from being too dark…:)
Thanks for sharing! I look forward to viewing more grey stain. My furniture needs a new “look” and I feel this would be awesome.
I have been trying to get the right grey stain color for my beams and the table at the top looks like what I am trying to achieve. How did it get that shade. what was the stain?
I am trying to either find a coffee table this color, or the right stain! Can you direct me to the website you pulled that coffee table picture from? And also, since I am a new reader, where is the finished product post, I’m curious how the stain worked out!
Hi Sarah-Ashley,
That’s the Zen table from West Elm, which they don’t make any longer. My project is here: http://livingwithlindsay.com/2011/08/mastering-the-master-bedroom-the-handmade-bed.html