When it comes to durability, there is a bit of a tradeoff between painted and stained finishes. Painted cabinets are more resistant to damage because the paint layer adds some protection from dings and scratches. However, stained cabinets are better at concealing the damage done to them than painted cabinets.
Because wood dye is able to penetrate the wood and dye the wood cells themselves, rather than just sitting on top like a stain can with denser woods, you'll get a more even appearance. It will also highlight the beautiful wood grain in your maple cabinet doors. As such, it's often the best finish for maple cabinets.
Similarly to birch, maple has a smooth, uniform surface that's perfect for a painted finish. In fact, maple wood is even smoother than birch in comparison! Making it arguably the best solid wood surface for painted cabinets.
Maple has a smooth, even grain that can be stained for a consistent look. Whether you choose to highlight the color of the wood or darken (or lighten) the wood to look like something else, you'll have an attractive end result.
Tung Oil Varnish blend is what I used in this tutorial. While oil finishes do a wonderful job at highlighting the figure in curly maple, they also add a gentle amber color. An oil such as tung oil or boiled linseed oil will also reveal and add punch to figure that may have been difficult to see in the raw board.
A maple kitchen can be turned into a modern kitchen simply with a coat of paint. You can't go wrong with painting them in a crisp white shade. Add some stainless steel appliances and hardware to that, combined with contrasting countertops, and you've got yourself a super stylish modern kitchen.
For the do-it-yourself finisher, the best stain for maple is not a stain at all but a wood dye. We recommend using a wood dye instead of a pigment stain, which can help you achieve a darker finish since the smaller particles in a wood dye can better penetrate the wood.
Maple Cabinetry
More specifically, maple cabinets are the go-to natural wood in 2023. It's a wood that's just warm enough but also light enough to keep your kitchen looking updated and bright. Maple has a great tone that works with almost any paint color, from white to the trending bold colors of 2023.
Ideally, your stain will preserve the rich color of your maple cabinets, not hide it. But maple is tricky–it can dry blotchy and fade over time with poor treatment or low-quality stains. That is why we'd recommend using a pre-stain conditioner, like Minwax, to first prepare your maple for staining.
Semi-gloss is the paint finish of choice for maple wood cabinets because it forms a smooth and visually appealing final product without requiring the use of wood grain filler.
For a refined, smooth finish, choose poplar or soft maple. These wood species are generally less expensive than other hardwoods, but are smooth and take paint well. Since poplar and maple are hardwoods, they will also resist warping and shrinking, and should stand up to wear and use better than a soft wood.
Are maple cabinets outdated? Since maple wood kitchen cabinets are incredibly versatile, they're far from outdated. They're highly durable and with the right finishes, they can fit in perfectly with any aesthetic whether it's a traditional or modern kitchen.
Maple is one of the most difficult woods to achieve a dark, uniform stain color on because it is a dense, closed grain wood and often absorbs stain very unevenly.
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.
Glazes available in Ebony, Brown, Cordovan, Pewter, Umber and White. The stains shown are approximate representations only. Actual stain color may differ from what appears on your screen due to variations in computer monitors.
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.
2023 Wood Stain Trends for Cabinets
Amber toned wood in pine, oak and maple are the new trend for stained kitchen cabinets. The MIX of wood tones and solid colors is the most important kitchen design trend in 2023.
When it comes to strength and durability, maple and oak are some of the best kitchen cabinet materials you can have. After all, they're both hardwoods. That being said, maple is a slightly stronger hardwood product than oak. Maple is one of the strongest and most durable natural wood options available.
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.
Soft maple will blotch with stain, more than hard maple. It is easier to shoot toner over either maple than to stain it. From contributor G: Soft maple will actually absorb stain, thus making it easier to get deep colors.