I'm building a simple out of red oak plywood. Fairly simple. Basically frameless base cabinets at desk size.

First time building something like this, don't expect it to be great and it's going to be a bit out of the way so I'm ok with that but I would like to get the color close to what i want.

So many times I see red stained oak and it looks too orange or purple. Below is an example of a color I want. Can you please give me suggestions on how to achieve it. The simpler the better.

Right now Minwax Red Mahogany 225 looks close but would prefer water based.

The one step Minwax® Water Based WoodSheen® Rubbing Stain and Finish looks interesting and I've seen rub on poly finishes that look very nice. Rosewood looks like a close color.

Any other ideas? If you have examples of work you've done please post pictures if you can.

{{!gwi}}