The Best Wood Finishes for Furniture
Furniture finishing is the good stuff. This is why we do what we do. And this is what we all like to argue about the most.
Stain? Oil? Poly? Lacquer? Natural? Wax?
There’s no right answer. Only experience. And finding the best fit for that piece of furniture. Don’t be afraid to try something new. You never know how good Danish Oil is until you’ve tried Danish Oil.
Best Furniture Stain
Buy: General Finishes Gel Stain – Available in a range of colors
Starting with a higher-end product, General Finishes makes a variety of finishes as you might imagine, given the name. But I prefer their gel stains, especially when I’m not toning the furniture afterward. The thickness of the gel does obscure the wood grain more than Danish oil, toner, or traditional stain, but its richness is often worth the cost of clarity. I actually find the product to be more flexible because it is thicker and easier to wipe off to the desired color. Their standard oil-based stains are great too, but more expensive than the linked items below.
Buy: Varathane Premium Wood Stain
After trying most of the lower-end stains, I settled on Varathane’s premium options. It’s cheap. And good enough to establish a rich color. Often, I’ll use these stains to set a base of color, then come over the top of them with toner. I always apply a pre-stain conditioner before staining. Linked here. Careful with their use on softer, grainless wood like pine and cedar. They tend to blotch easily. I’d go gel stain for those projects. Or toner, if you’ve got the time and experience.
Best Polyurethane
Buy: Watco Wipe-On Poly
I love this product. No frills. All by hand. Great results. Especially on top of Watco Danish Oil. It’s almost foolproof. Here’s an art deco desk where I used this whole process.
Buy: Varathane’s Ultimate Water-Based Polyurethane
Like most woodworking subjects, polyurethane’s rabbit hole tunnels deep. A good-enough for most projects solution is Varathane’s polyurethane. You can paint it. Spray it. I wouldn’t wipe it. For a water-based product, it’s decently durable over furniture or paint. If you’re looking for a higher quality product than this, you guessed it, General Finishes has it.
Best Oil-Based Polyurethane
Buy: Rust-Oleum’s Varathane Ultimate Polyurethane Oil-Based (Semi-Gloss)
For the price and functionality, this product is quickly rising up into my favorite products. It’s oil-based, so it’s a little messier and harder to clean up, but I really like how natural the finish is in comparison to water-based products. For desks and dining room tables, this would be a much more durable option. The time between coats is only four hours, so over a weekend, you could certainly get a rich and durable finish completed.
Furniture Repair Markers
Buy: Furniture Repair Wood Markers
These markers no end to their use! For tiny touchups, they’re perfect. For veneer chips, they help blend in the color. Weekly, I use these markers. And… I haven’t had to replace them in over 1.5 years of use.
Lacquer
I exclusively spray lacquer now. Using a non-synthetic brush to paint on lacquer is certainly possible and can produce a fine finish. But spraying lacquer is my preference. No, I do not have a spraying system. So, how then do I spray?
With Mohawk’s Pre-Catalyzed Lacquer in a spray can. You can buy it on Amazon, but it’s significantly cheaper on Klingspor’s. If you’re interested in the Mohawk method of refinishing furniture, check out my videos or read my blogs on the subject.
Polish
Buy: Oz Polish – Furniture Cleaner and Polish
Excellent product. It cleans. It polishes. It lasts. If you have a piece that needs a final sheen (or a touch-up restoration), wipe on a few coats of this polish, and boom! You’ll have a whole new piece of furniture.
Did I miss a product you saw in one of my videos? Drop a comment and I’ll send the product your way. You can also check another category on my Products Hub.
Disclaimer: Not all of these products are affiliate products, but some are attached with a link. If you purchase the product after clicking the link, I receive a small commission in return.