Varathane Dark Walnut - wood stain color review

Considering adding a dark brown wood stain to your wood project? Check out Varathane Dark Walnut - our full review & how it looks on 4 types of wood!

I love staining light wood with an ultra dark brown wood stain. I think that it's a great way to disguise cheap wood and make projects look more expensive and luxe.

One of my favorite dark brown wood stains is Varathane Dark Walnut!

Varathane Dark Walnut

Varathane is a brand commonly carried at the Home Depot.

Dark Walnut is a beautiful, rich chocolate brown stain color.

It gives really full coverage on most wood types and does a great job of covering any knots or dark spots on the wood.

Here is how Varathane Dark Walnut looked on each of four wood types!

How does Varathane Dark Walnut stain look on oak?

Oak is a really beautiful wood with natural red undertones.

I normally do not love a dark wood stain on oak - I prefer to let the natural beauty shine through.

However, if you are looking for a dark, full coverage stain, this is a great option.

It really gives a beautiful, rich, chocolate brown color to the wood.

How does Varathane Dark Walnut stain look on pine?

Pine wood has natural yellow tones with some slightly darker graining.

Pine generally looks like a cheaper wood. I think that a dice dark stain like Dark Walnut is a great way to give it more interest.

So, I like Dark Walnut as an option if it matches your aesthetic.

If your piece of wood has dark knots or spots, this is a great option for fuller coverage to help disguise those.

How does Varathane Dark Walnut stain look on poplar?

Poplar has natural green and some purple undertones.

Poplar has little almost dashes it it's wood grain which gives it the look of a lot of texture.

That texture shows up a lot with a dark stain like Dark Walnut, so this isn't really my favorite option.

But, if that doesn't bother you, the color is totally fine!

How does Varathane Dark Walnut stain look on a 2x4?

2x4s are usually very light wood with darker knots and holes. Most people don't use 2x4 for projects you would really stain, but we still tested it for you!

2x4s have grain that varies widely between white and golden yellow. I find that stain takes to this grain differently, giving it a striped look.

We don't usually use 2x4s on projects that we plan to stain, but if you want to stain a 2x4 dark enough to help disguise knots or spots, this is a good color option.

New to using wood stain? Grab our complete guidebook - it covers everything you need to know to get the perfect finish!

Any more questions about Varathane Dark Walnut?