The light color of maple surfaces comes from a clear oil finish, but this oil finish breaks down and regains its original oily orange color in a gradual and inevitable chemical process.
Virtually all hardwoods change color as the years go by. Light-colored wood, such as maple, will naturally darken due to exposure to UV light and oxygen. As the years pass, even a white maple piece will develop a honey-gold patina.
Like cherry, maple will darken over time, though far less dramatically. Maple starts off very light and bright, with a few pink and grey tones. Over time, it will age to a warm golden honey color. Other light brown woods, like ash and white oak will slightly darken to a beige or amber color.
Tone down the orange. If your wooden cabinets are stained a shade that pulls orange, you can do this by changing your wall paint color and cabinet door hardware. Choose a paint color that works with the cabinets to tone down the orange. Lots of recommendations include greige or beige colors.
Maple has light and bright white with reddish brown hues before exposure to sunlight. Gradually, after continuous exposure to sunlight, it will turn into shades of grey and pink color, then into a bright golden color with the passage of time. Maple will darken but not quickly as other wood.
Wooden furniture and structures are prized for their natural beauty, but over time, they can develop an unsightly orange tone due to exposure to sunlight, chemicals, or age. Fortunately, there are ways to neutralize orange tones in wood and restore its original color.
Maple is a notoriously difficult wood to stain, as it tends to absorb stain unevenly, especially with dark colors. Christine Adams pits GF's darkest water-based stain (Espresso) in a test against GF's darkest oil-based liquid stain (Spiced Walnut).
One of the first suggestions we have to make your kitchen feel fresh and bright is to paint the walls. The dark red color is making the cabinets feel more orangey than they actually are and painting the walls a lighter color such as a warm white or a light gray will help alleviate that problem.
Maple surfaces owe their light natural color to their clear oil finish, but this finish gradually breaks down as time passes and returns to its original oily yellow color.
Padauk is a very dense exotic wood known for its bright red to orange color. Padauk is often times mixed with other species to create color contrast within a given project. Padauk is a common and relatively inexpensive exotic wood, making it a great choice for all woodworkers.
Sugar Maple
When it comes to fall color, sugar maples are at the top of the list. These native maple trees are spectacular in autumn when their foliage turns vibrant red, orange, and yellow.
Pros – Affordable and ultra durable. It can take a beating and look great for many years to come. Because it takes dark stains well, maple is often used to mimic more expensive woods. Cons – Because of its ability to mimic pricier woods, it puts maple trees at risk from deforestation.
Maple is a creamy white hardwood that sometimes has a reddish tinge. One of the hardest wood species, maple is often chosen for heavy-use items, like dressers and kitchen cabinets.
Maple wood kitchen cabinets are incredibly versatile! And far from outdated. They're one of the most durable woods used in kitchen cabinets, and with the right finishes, they can fit in perfectly with any look, whether it's a traditional, modern, rustic, or contemporary kitchen.
Try adding neutral colors like gray, white, and cream to tone down the warmth created by the orange. A cool hue like teal or blue can also be used to create a pleasing contrast. Additionally, you could choose to add items of different textures, such as rugs and throw blankets, to break up the color.
Cool Down Oak Cabinetry
Oak cabinetry often features an orange finish that can make your kitchen appear outdated. To tone down the warmth and create a modern kitchen with oak cabinets, outfit the rest of the kitchen in cool refreshing tones such as blues or greens.
Purple Shampoo
Like blue shampoo, purple shampoo is another at-home option with color pigments that's formulated to neutralize brassy yellow and orange tones in color-treated hair. It's primarily used to tone highlights, blonde, or silver (or lightened) color-treated hair.
Use Purple or Blue Shampoos
It's a simple matter of color theory, relying on the complementary colors of a color wheel to cancel out unwanted tones. "Using a color correcting purple shampoo will undoubtedly cancel out the overly warm, orange tones and keep that cooler, brighter blonde you desire," says Cunningham.
The Bottom Line: Use purple shampoo to tone yellow, usually blonde hair, and blue shampoo to tone orange, usually brunette hair. When deciding how to fix orange hair, you might try using a toner to get rid of the orange pigment. Toning neutralizes unwanted brassy tones to reveal a cooler blonde or light brown shade.
Staining maple can be difficult for both beginners and experts. The naturally tight grain pattern and density variation of the wood makes it more challenging for the stain to absorb evenly, leaving a blotchy result. However, by preparing the wood and taking your time, you can enjoy an even result.
If you're looking for the best stain for maple, one of the go-to choices would be an oil-based wood stain. Oil-based stains have been around for a long time and are really effective because of their ability to penetrate deep beneath the surface of the wood and bond with the wood fibers.
Maple Finishing Tips
Want to retain maple's light look? Coat it with a clear, water-based finish. Be sure to damp-sponge the wood to lift the grain, then sand, both before and between coats. Give maple an aged look with dye and an oil/varnish mix.