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Yes Virginia, there is a Hell. And it’s covered with stain.

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The new door frames have been painted and sealed..

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As have the doors, which are currently blocking access to the man cave pool table.

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Next on the list? Staining the new trim and sills the contractor will be putting around the two previously installed windows.

Our house has honey colored trim throughout….

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So the goal was to match the existing.

And like every other renovation project we attempt, it did not go well.

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The color the contractor bought wasn’t even close.

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The first color I bought was too light.

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The second color I bought was better but it took five coats to achieve the desired shade and no one has time for that when you’re paying a contractor by the hour.

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Numerous trips back and forth to the store later, the husband got involved and came home with solid stain cans that I hated because it looked like paint and covered the grain.

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He argued that the color was closer but all I saw was brush strokes.

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So the contractor showed him how to apply it with a rag for less coverage … and seeing that I was not going to be easily pleased… promptly turned that job over to my husband.

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I love my guy, but he’s not one to take his time with finish work and I feared the worst, picturing streaky spots and dribbles.

After some slight… and I thought quite valuable supervision of the application… I was told to get lost and kicked to the curb.

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At the end of the day I compared my 5 coat sample (on the right) to one of my husband’s.

I think mine is a slightly warmer shade and a closer match to the existing color, but I can’t argue with how much time (and money!) was saved doing it his way.

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20 thoughts on “Yes Virginia, there is a Hell. And it’s covered with stain.”

  2. In my short career as a cabinet maker, one phrase that rises to the top of things I hated is, “And we want the to match this…” I found that, unless the customer knew which name brand stain had been used, the only way to achieve the match was to use an aniline dye stain that could be mixed to a precise color. Of course, being somewhat colorblind, that wasn’t happening without the customer’s help (and always the woman, always).

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  6. So……one thing about wood stain is, it takes time to cure and settle. It may not look like the exact color when first applied but it will dry and probably look more like what you want. But it’s a toss up when first picking out the stain color, but the closest you can get the better. I feel your reno/upgrade headache girl, I feel it. I think I’m glad all the trim in my home is white, except when I have to clean it…..🙄.

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  9. Staining wood to match other wood sounds like a nightmare! Could you have made it easier and painted it all white? No?
    I’m guessing stained trim is the style in Maine? (Similar to some mountain places I’ve seen)

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    1. All our walls are white, so painting it white wouldn’t work. Throughout our house the doors, trim, baseboard, fireplace mantle,and built in bookcases are all that color wood. It’s warm and I don’t mind it…. but it’s definitely not easy to match.

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