Got Orange? How to Get Rid of It

Orange tinted furniture is outdated.

That classic “American Oak” hue does not play well with most interior decorating schemes today. But what if you really love the piece of furniture? Let’s leave that orange in the fruit basket and find a way to redesign your item.

Option One: Paint

As you know from my blog, paint is a viable option for covering an orangey stain. The wide variety of paint choices lets you explore some pops of color in your space. No hint of orange on that freestanding counter now!

Option Two: Going Light

Another way to eliminate an orange finish is to take the piece lighter. Once the old finish is removed (as seen on the right), you can get an idea of the original color of the wood. At this point, you could simply protect the piece with a poly sealant (as seen on the countertop above). But beware: some woods (like oak) may naturally skew orange over time. The solution? Treat the wood to a light paint wash to neutralize the orange.

There are a number of recipes out there for the ratio of water to paint, but the consensus is generally to mix a pale grey, tan, or green paint with water. There are also commercially available washes. You apply the wash to the wood just as you would regular paint but then wipe off the excess after a few minutes. The alternative color will counteract any underlying orange and give you a more neutral–but still light–wood tone.

Option Three: Going Dark

Another method to banish orange from furniture is to apply a darker stain that will mask any natural orange tendencies of the wood. After sanding, the difference between the natural tone of this table’s wood and the original orange of its leg is obvious.

Here, I’ve pretreated the leg in the foreground with Minwax® pre-stain conditioner (to best allow the wood to absorb the new stain) and applied my favorite dark tone, Minwax® “Espresso.” The rich color disguises any hints of orange.

You can see on the left where the tabletop has been pre-treated and is awaiting stain. When damp like this, the orange tones in the wood come out even though it looked pale (see the legs above). The “Espresso” tint allows any underlying orange to enhance the grain instead.