How to upcycle drawers and stain gap where handles removed?

DIYHaveaCrack

I'm upcycling a chest of pine drawers and leaving the drawer fronts and top essentially as they are (ie. not painting). Howards Restore a Finish has done an ok job on a couple of them in 'blending' some of the scratches (and they look ok) however on all of them it is quite obvious that when they were stained they did it AFTER they put the handles in place (as you can see from the big white circles of unstained timber). I REALLY want to replace the handles (with smaller ones) so what are people's thoughts on trying to get just a bit of pine stain that matches closely to make the unstained circle less obvious. Or am I wasting my time and I'd just be better off sanding back and restaining the whole drawer front? Thoughts?

EricL

Hello @DIYHaveaCrack 

It sounds like you've already made some progress with your restoration. When it comes to the white circles from the handles, matching the pine stain closely could work, but it can be very tricky. If you apply a small amount of matching stain to those spots, you might be able to mask the circles somewhat, though it will not be a perfect match since the wood's natural aging and grain could vary.

However, if you’re not satisfied with how the touch-up looks, sanding back and restaining the entire drawer front would give a more consistent, even finish. This would also ensure that the stain blends seamlessly around the handle areas. Plus, since you plan to replace the handles with smaller ones, sanding back and restaining might be your best bet for achieving a polished, uniform look. If you're happy with the rest of the finish, this could be a worthwhile step to ensure everything looks cohesive.

Let me call on our experienced members @Dave-1 and @Nailbag for their recommendations.

Please remember to wear personal protection such as gloves, goggles and mask when working on your project.

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric