Consider offering a nice finish on low-cost wood such as poplar. Poplar used to be considered as a paint-grade-only material. However, using the correct finishing process, a stained poplar can look very attractive. As a general rule, most wiping stains should not be used on this species in order to avoid a “blotchy, punky” look in the stain color. A water-based or solvent spray “no-wipe” stain formulated with both dyes and pigments with a binder will work well on this species. Using good technique to spray evenly, you should be able to achieve a fairly uniform color without darkening the end grain. After sealing the stain, a wiping stain can be added to provide additional color to even out the varying wood tone colors of the natural poplar.

Semi-opaque or transparent paint colors are good sellers, especially for the antique rub-through look. These finishes will work well on low-grade lumber and rustic, knotty grade material. Reducing a colored primer or paint and spraying lightly over the wood will allow the finisher to sand back to the raw wood tones; adding a glaze over this color coat and a top coat to complete the finishing schedule will provide a nice looking, low-cost finish.

Ebonized finishes continue to be well accepted in the marketplace. Black and brown dyes in a vinyl stain or shader make a great material to spray over a lower cost lumber grade. Ebonized finish will hide most variations in color of the white wood.

While customers demand more for less, this does not always mean less work in the finishing department. The old wipe stain, seal and top coat method of finishing often does not meet the expectation of the customer for upper-end cabinets. Buyers are much more savvy and informed about the products they purchase. Most customers are looking for deep, rich finishes that have the fine furniture look. Generally speaking, these types of finishes require a two-step stain. A dye stain or NGR (non-grain-raising) must be sprayed on the wood before a wiping stain is applied. This may slightly increase the cost of finishing; however, the additional cost will be offset by a significant increase in aesthetic appeal. These types of finishes may make the difference in making the sale or will possibly allow the manufacturer to add a small increase in the selling price. On many colors, the stain when applied on maple or cherry requires this first step of NGR in order to be competitive in color design.

Maple, cherry and alder are top species sellers in the kitchen cabinet industry. Maple is a top seller, particularly in medium to light stain colors. These stain colors must look clean and often require some type of glaze. It is recommended not to use a wiping stain on maple for these lighter colors in order to prevent blotching and inconsistency of stain color. It is recommended to use a spray stain, a dye stain or a shader that is spray-to-color to achieve this clean look.

Rich, warm, dark brown colors continue to sell well on cherry and alder. These will also require a two-step spraying process to prevent the one-dimensional, muddy look of the stain. Mocha and chocolate brown stain are selling strong on contemporary types of cabinetry. In the current market, off-white paints make up over half of all finish orders for mid to higher end product. Paint with no glaze is becoming more common compared to a year or two ago. High-quality paint jobs on paint grade maple will sell for a premium price. Glaze colors and stains are tending towards a more mono-chromatic blending of color design between the stains and glazes.

Customers are demanding more color choices than ever before. When competing in higher end markets, it is very important to have color options that may exceed 200 in total. Be sure to display your colors on solid wood profiled sample blocks to insure an accurate representation of your finish on actual cabinet doors. These color samples should be displayed in a prominent area of your showroom. Remember that you have only 30 seconds to make a favorable impression on your customer.