How do I make Merbau window frames look less red?

slawresa

I have a newly renovated ensuite with raw Merbau (internal only) window frames. Unfortunately, I did not realise Merbau is red. I wanted to stain it to match my planked Urban oak vanity. The Merbau is currently unstained/unpainted. One window receives hot afternoon sun. How do I now proceed? And can I prevent it from ending up red?

JacobZ

Hi @slawresa,

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community, it is wonderful to have you with us.

Merbau naturally has strong red and orange undertones, and unfortunately those tones usually become even richer over time. Because of this, trying to stain it to perfectly match an oak vanity can be difficult, as the natural colour of the Merbau will continue to influence the final result.

One option worth considering is bleaching the timber first to help pull back some of the natural red colouring before applying a stain. Bleach can lighten and neutralise the strong tones, giving you a better base to work from if you want to achieve a softer oak-style finish. Check out @daniknight4's project where she bleached a side table to achieve a lovely, light timber look.

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/129406/bleached-furniture-makeover

Once bleached, you could then apply an oak stain such as this  https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/home/leaving?allowTrusted=1&target=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bunnings.com.au%2Ffeast-watson-250ml-oak-prooftint-interior-stain_p1520066  to better complement your vanity. Results can vary with Merbau though, so testing in a hidden area first is very important. It may even be worthwhile grabbing a short length of merbau from your local store to test things out first to see if you like it.

Alternatively, you could use a liming white such as this  https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/home/leaving?allowTrusted=1&target=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bunnings.com.au%2Ffeast-watson-500ml-liming-white-stain_p1564621  further mute the red tones. It can be mixed with up to 5% of your Oak Prooftint to add some colour back to the timber to better match the vanity.

Ultimately, Merbau is naturally a red-toned timber, so completely muting those warm tones can be difficult without fully covering the timber. However, bleaching followed by staining or liming white should give you the best chance of achieving a softer oak-style finish while still retaining the natural timber look.

Another option is to simply paint the merbau. As paint forms a film that entirely covers the surface of the timber, you would lose the natural timber feel and look, but it would certainly deal with the colour issue.

Let me know what you think and if you have further questions, please don't hesitate to ask.

Jacob