Mismatched kitchen-tops

[Marc]

Hi there!

I have just finished installing a new kitchen with two oak kitchen-top forming an L. It is full timber, one of those multibits all glued together.

I applied one coat of a Swedish product called "behandla" some water based emulsion that feels like liquid Teflon or something like that. The product is really good and repels water just with one coat. Unfortunately, the colour of the two bench-tops turned out very different, even when they looked similar before I applied the stuff.

I am now faced with the alternative to rip off the smaller of the two counters and change it for a darker one. (little chance of that) or sand the oil off and apply a tint to match the other.

Problem is that I don't have much experience when it comes to colours and don't what to stuff it up. The colours now are on one side most blocks are a dark oak brown and on the other side most little blocks are a yellow tassie oak colour. I still have offcuts from both sides and you wouldn't see much difference between them before oiling them.

Do you know what sort of finish I can use to give a bit more oak brown colour to the lighter counter?

[RETIRED]

Marc, I would just leave it. In a little while with exposure to light they may come closer.

[Marc]

Well...hum ... leave it is not my motto. It would be a pain in the eye for as long as I live here, I am a (conceded much milder) version of Monk.
So I took a chance an bought Cabot Dark Oak interior timber stain, and after sanding all the first coat of oil off, gave it a light rub with a rug, and then many generous coats of that strange oily emulsion called Behandla, and this actualy worked, both pieces now match almost to perfection.
I could have done a better job with a stain that matched the other colour closer of course. Dark Oak has a shade of red and I needed more brown but I must say that the several coats of oil completed the job the stain did not. I am satisfied...almost...
I will make a point of collecting a few more colours for occasions like this, after all the amount needed is minimal. I have american red, baltic pine and now Dark Oak mm...I wonder what will my grand kids do with a collection of wood stain colours? :D