Varathane Provincal – wood stain color review

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

Dark brown wood stains are great for making lighter wood looks like more luxurious, exotic woods, and tend to make furniture look more luxe and expensive overall.

But, there are a ton of dark brown wood stains to consider.

Let’s take a lot at one of the most popular options – Varathane Provincal.

Varathane Provincal

Varathane is a brand commonly carried at the Home Depot.

This is a golden brown stain color. Based on the can, I thought it would be darker. I even went back and stirred it again to be sure the color was correct.

But, it is really a mid-toned, golden brown color.

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

How does Varathane Provincal stain look on oak?

Oak is a really beautiful wood with natural red undertones.

Provincal is a light, golden color in oak. It adds a nice bit of depth to the grain without adding too much color to the face of the wood itself.

This is a fine option on oak, though it doesn’t give it much color overall.

How does Varathane Provincal stain look on pine?

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

Provincal gives pine a nice medium-toned golden brown color. I really love this color actually!

It’s not really dark brown, but it is really pretty.

How does Varathane Provincal 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.

Provincal is the lightest of the dark brown stains that I tested. I think that dark stains actually get pretty splotchy on poplar, so I like this as a better option!

How does Varathane Provincal stain look on a 2×4?

2x4s are usually very light wood with darker knots and holes. Most people don’t use 2×4 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.

This color gives 2x4s a golden look, but is not dark enough to disguise the dark spots or knots.

Any questions about Varathane Provincal?