Also, if I wanted to darken the walnut doors slightly by staining them.
Does Walnut absorb stain evenly? I'm hoping the walnut grain will still show through.

If any one has samples of stained walnut I would love to see!
Thanks

ro

Walnut can be stained a little darker or very dark. Or many shades in between. The darker the stain, the less the grain differences show.

You need to see some actual samples.
Walnut varies greatly from a medium brown to very dark with black tints.

I have seen walnut from almost white (very blonde) to very dark.
The sapwood tends toward the lighter colors.
The heartwood yields the darker colors.

Walnut can be bleached out and stained to get the desired color.
This is not as easy as it sounds.

Pooh Bear

Walnut ranges is color, from near purple, to tan. Sapwood is cream colored. And some folks mistake butternut (also tan) for walnut.

Walnut is a fine cabinet wood, because of its strength, workability, and look. The smell of walnut sawdust is also nice, up there with good chocolate.

The kiln drying process (steam injected) makes the wood more homogeneous in color. On the other hand, air-dried walnut boards keeps their distinctive coloring.

Air dried walnut:

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