Colour matching protocols

Your client needs new doors but loves the existing frames and wants them to match. Or maybe that young couple wants new countertops that are the exact same colour as the antique sideboard they inherited – sound familiar?

Cabinetmakers get colour matching requests from designers and architects all the time … but it’s something of an art form …

Let’s talk colour matching, specifically wood stain. There’s alcohol, water-soluble dyes, oil stains, water-based stains, gel stains, glazes, pigments, toners, so many different ways to arrive at the final colour and look; it can drive you nuts!! But does it have to be so confusing?

Because we use various techniques and materials, we used to mix all kinds of crazy stuff together to find that perfect match. Then we realised the perfect match is often sitting in a can on the shelf! And if the perfect colour already exists in a commercial product, we say, “why not?” The formula’s always consistent, and if you need to match that colour again, you’ll know where to start … and finish.

Now, just to be clear, if you’re asked to do a colour match for a client, it’s incredibly important to manage their expectations. Take a cabinetmaker we’re currently working with. He’s building a custom oak piece for someone who wants the colour to match a bamboo cutting board, and let’s be honest; there’s no magic wand that will ever make oak look like bamboo – a critical detail many don’t realise.

So there we were, ready to pull out all the pigments, dyes and lacquer. But before we started to look like a science lab, we decided to see if there wasn’t a pre-made solution first. We tested all the general finishes. The top contenders were oil-based Pecan, oil-based Antique Cherry, Nutmeg gel stain and DEFT Light Brown Water-Based Wood Stain from PPG and MIROSTAIN low grain raising waterbased stain from Mirotone. The differences are subtle, some redder, some browner, others more yellow. The red oak was affecting the one thing they all had in common they were applied to, showing the importance of testing your stains on the same material you’ll actually be working with.

Bamboo contains a range of colours, and mimicking it ideally would be impossible, so our goal was a happy medium between the light and dark streaks. We decided to go with the Light Brown dye stain, and honestly, we don’t think we could have gotten a closer match if we tried! Once our cabinetmaker gets his client’s approval (we’re confident he will), this is a done deal!

What (seemingly) impossible colour matching requests have you received? We’re happy to play mad scientist to get it right, and if we get the job, we’ll do the colour match for FREE!

by Amorini