Getting a result close to an existing set

[Bill Brush]

Last year my wife and I bought a bedroom set and I'd like to build some pieces to for our bedroom that at least look like they belong with the rest of the set.

Here's one of the best pictures of the finish.

http://www.broyhillfurniture.com/Fur...wer-Chest.aspx

What doesn't show up well is that the edges of the piece are darker than the faces of the drawers or the top, like there's more stain there.

Anyway, the finish is called "traditional cherry". Does anyone have any suggestions on what wood/finish combo I can use to come close to this? Doesn't have to be cherry, although I wouldn't mind cherry.

Thanks!
Bill

[Scott Holmes]

Bill

The answer is not going to be "XYZ stain" and top coat with Poly...

Cherry is not going to be the easiest wood choice to match that finish. You will possibly: to use dye to get the base color, then maybe a stain, then seal it; then a glaze and or toner coat; then finally a top coat.

Please do yourself a favor and use a non-poly varnish.

[Bill Brush]

Ack, you're not instilling me with a lot of hope Scott. I don't think the set is actually cherry wood, so I'd be open to suggestions on a different wood to use. Do you think it would be possible for me to get somewhat close to the color, if not the sheen and such? My finishing skills are pretty basic. Anything beyond a simple oil/wax (Watco is my friend) finish is uncharted territory for me.

Heck I'd settle for something that's just not grossly clashing with the rest of the set.

[Henry Ambrose]

I'd go for a "complimentary" style and finish for your projects. Trying to make your stuff "look like" theirs is probably a losing proposition. Its possible but it'll be a huge amount of trouble to get there. You'll spend a lot to get even small quantities of the half dozen finish materials you need to duplicate the factory finish. Look for existing pieces that seem to fit with your new furniture and make something similar.

[Casey Gooding]

Definitely doesn't look like cherry to me. Looks like poplar with lots of coloring. Like Scott said, probably a dye, then sealer with a glaze on top and finally a topcoat.
It could be matched, if you are patient enough. Otherwise, you may want to go with Henry's suggestion and do something complimentary.

[Matt Meiser]

I'll third Henry's suggestion.

The darker edges are probably toner sprayed to give that look. Some of them splatter tiny dots of black paint/dye/stain/whatever all over the piece as part of the finishing process to.

[Brett Robson]

I recently used Varathane American Walnut on a piece I made. In looking at that picture, I'd say that color would get you close to the base color you're looking for. From there you'll probably need to seal it and glaze with a darker gel stain to achieve the darker edges and final color you're after.

I agree the pictured piece doesn't look like cherry. I'd suggest to match the wood first, then experiment with different stains/dyes to ensure you can create a satisfactory look before you commit to building an entire piece.

[Steve Schoene]

That finish is "traditional cherry" only if it were based on an antique where both the cherry has naturally darkened over many years AND it was regularly "polished" with one of the old formulas like a mix of linseed oil and vinegar that both captured dirt and turned dark itself. As far as matching--don't try it's a very difficult task, and almost impossible without a professional spray facility and lots of experience. Besides, there is absolutely no rule in interior design that all the furniture in a room must match. Almost any natural wood tone will coordinate nicely with that dark brown look.

You can do a much better job of finishing than was done in the factory. For example, if you choose to make a piece from cherry, you can take the care to eliminate the sapwood. You can start with large boards so all of the most visible parts come from the same tree. You can match grain or even use bookmatching to highlight interesting grain patterns. The first step in finishing is to select the wood. Then you don't need heavy stains to hide the mismatched wood. You can either finish with just a top coat, perhaps one that will amber the color on the cherry a little, like a garnet shellac or one of the darker phenolic resin varnishes. You could also use a very weak dye solution to alter the color tone to coordinate better with the rest of the decor. A wiping varnish, would be a good, durable topcoat. Waterlox is a good choice. Their Original/Sealer is already thinned to wiping consistency and yields a very pleasant semigloss surface. Waterlox also produces a Satin and a Gloss, either of which can be easily thinned to wiping consistency. If you decide to go that way, posting a question here will elicit some very good detailed responses about how best to apply it so as to get a professional looking finish.

[Bill Brush]

Thanks for the input guys. I think maybe I'll go with a decent medium-dark hardwood and just get it close. Might use cherry, it's a nice wood, but the pricing might be cost prohibitive. I've heard that cherry can cause issues with the sapwood absorbing color unevenly. With Watco natural being my finish of choice clearly that hasn't been a big issue. Time to expand my horizons I guess.

[Scott Holmes]

Bill,

Cherry with a garnet shellac for color then a phenolic resin varnish like Waterlox is beautiful. It may look right at home next to the "traditional cherry" from the factory... of course yours will be CHERRY and will look MUCH better!

[Mike Null]

I believe that the finish you are trying to match is actually a form of faux finish and will take some amount of time to replicate. If you're interested I'd suggest doing some homework on the process. Inevitably, you'll use some of the products previously recommended but the process is important in this case.

I'm trying to build a bed to match pretty much the same finish. I'll be using hardwoods but I'm not too concerned about what kind as the grain will not really be revealed.

[Mark Ottenheimer]

I had tried matching an existing piece of factory furniture myself. It is very difficult to do. I actually found a local furniture refinisher who I became friends with and he has a spray booth and has helped me match color on some pieces before. It is very difficult as I watched him try to match some "Cherry" for me and it took hours of test pieces and dyes, toners, stains and glaze. If you are dead set on matching the existing set I would suggest possibly finding a local professional to finish your project. I would also suggest fining a wood that naturally is closer to the color you want than trying to create the color on a piece of wood that is way off from what you want.