Hello, I am still working on mine but am about finished. Just waiting to grout my backsplash. Here are a couple of pics and a link to all my pics for my on going remodel. You don't see any black color as you had asked. I used 4 coats of paint not 2 as stated on the rustoleum can . I can see grain from oak but it's not very noticable. I used the cabernet color. It took me 2 treatments and cost about $160.00. I got it at L*wes. You can find a builders coupon for 10% inside the moving packets at the Post Office for an entire purchase. I did not take any shortcuts.

Hope this helps. I can be reached at themastersplan2@live.com

Here is a link that might be useful: Rustoleum Cabinet Transformations Cabernet

One of my coworkers just finished hers. I haven't seen it, but she says she is thrilled. She used a dark espresso finish. She described the wood showing through as seeing the texture, but not variations in color.

kks, your photos are...amazing! What a beautiful color!

And yum, Reese's peanut butter cups, my fav.....must run out and get some, LOL.

I have gel stained dark my oak kitchen and every bathroom except for one. BUT in my last bathroom I have two doors that I need to strip if I plan to use gel stain again because I tested out colors on them. So I would love to know how durable this is. I hate stripping wood if I can avoid it and would rather use this product on my boys bathroom.
My kids are really hard on their cabinets.

I have been looking at doing this and reading some negative opinions of this product on this site.

Here is a link that might be useful: This one

and

Here is a link that might be useful: this one

It's a scam. The packageing into a kit makes you think you are getting a "deal" It's just a thick gel stain, aka paint. You can get the same results much more cheaply with just a traditional prep work for paint and a good quality paint and primer. If you have oak cabinets, and most folks who want to change them do, any paint will appear to show the grain through the paint because oak has such an open grain that a couple of layers of paint won't fill it. So, the grain telegraphs through the coloring layer.

Save your money and use it on a good quality materials that you buy separately, not it a kit. It'll be tons cheaper because you won't need multiple kits to d a single job.

I had my kitchen sprayed professionally with oil based BM satin impervo. It turned out beautifully. I recently painted a vanity with the same paint in black. I just used a deglosser, primer and painted with a soft foam roller, two coats. The cabinet looks beautiful. I would test any product on a vanity or smaller cabinet. This product sounds like paint packaged in a fancy way. I would get a few bids on having your doors sprayed professionally and painting the frames yourself with a small foam roller. my kitchen was finished two years ago and still looks great. About twice I have touched up tiny nicks (I have three boys) with an artist's brush.

There really are a lot of beautiful paint transformations on this site when it comes to oak kitchens, if you're looking for the white.

I gel stained my kitchen and it cost a lot less than 100 and I used high quality gel stain and top coat from general finishes. That imo would be better than using this stuff if you were planning on going dark.

Hope this helps!

KKS: Nice vision! Would not have expected you could get this result. Inspiring.

When you use the Gel Stain, I am guessing you have to strip the cabinets first?

Nope, I did not strip my cabinets because they were the lightish "golden oak". If you had a med. Tone and you wanted to go darker you could as well. There is prep work, but you don't need to strip. (I have to strip for my next project because I tested very dark colors on a door or two)

In the process of transforming my dark oak cabinetry to quilters white finish with glaze. I am thrilled with this product, hint, I used 3 coats of paint, not 2, don't cut any corners and be sure to let everything get throughly dry before the next step.....

I think this product is awsome. Follow the link to see completed kitchen.

Here is a link that might be useful: kks_kitchen completed

Kate of Centsational Girl just posted her kitchen transformation with the linen color. Looks great!

Here is a link that might be useful: rustoleum cabinet transformations at centsational girl

Kadydid,
what brand gel stain did you use? Also, did you prime and use a top coat?

I cleaned and did light sanding where it was needed. Especially if there was an area where the previous stain was chipping. (I have in the past used a wood conditioner when using gel stain. It is Unnecessary and a hindrance. with gel stain, even when the wood is in bad shape)

I used General Finishes gel in Brown Mahogany. I also used General Finishes Gel stain Top Coat.