This post is sponsored by Minwax. All opinions are my own. Before we begin, be sure to join Minwax’s email list for the best staining tips and project inspiration!
Looking for a light to medium wood stain for your next DIY project? We put 12 popular stain colors to the test so you can see what they look like on actual wood.
In this post, we’ll share how the following stain colors look on poplar, red oak, and pine.
- Minwax Golden Oak
- Minwax Fruitwood
- Minwax Weathered Oak
- Minwax Driftwood
- Minwax Special Walnut
- Minwax Early American
- Minwax Provincial
- Minwax Water-Based Semi-Transparent Simply White
- Minwax Water-Based Semi-Transparent Driftwood
- Minwax Water-Based Semi-Transparent Weathered Oak
- Minwax Water-Based Semi-Transparent Oak Haven
- Minwax Water-Based Semi-Transparent Neutral
We’ll also break things down by wood type tested. So if you know which wood type you’re using on your next project, you can click below to jump to the section that compares the stains on your specific wood:
All of these stains are versatile and can fit well with a variety of different design styles. Let’s dive into the test!
Stain Test Methodology
How you prep your wood can impact the final color of your stain. To get these samples, we sanded everything with 80, 120, 150, 180, and 220-grit sandpaper and then applied a pre-stain wood conditioner.
For the water-based stains, we used Minwax Water-Based Pre-Stain Wood Conditioner. For the oil-based stains, we used Minwax Oil-Based Pre-Stain Wood Conditioner.
For each stain, we opened the can and stirred the stain until we could no longer feel any pigments at the bottom of the can.
For the oil-based stains, we waited 10 minutes before wiping off the excess stain to reveal the final color.
For the water-based stains, we wiped the excess off immediately.
We only applied one coat to our samples. If you want your color to be more rich and saturated, you can wait the recoat time specified on the back of the can and then add a second coat.
As you’re looking through the samples, keep in mind that every piece of wood is unique. Even two pieces of red oak might look different based on the grain patterns or the undertones of the specific piece of wood.
For these tests, we cut all of the test pieces out of the same piece of red oak, poplar, and pine so that you can get a more accurate idea of how the colors vary from one another.
Light to Medium Wood Stain Colors
Minwax Golden Oak
Minwax Golden Oak adds a beautiful golden hue to the wood as the name suggests. It adds a little warmth to enhance the natural beauty of the underlying wood tones.
Minwax Fruitwood
Minwax Fruitwood adds richness and warmth to the wood without skewing too orange.
Minwax Weathered Oak
Minwax Weathered Oak is a popular stain color for those who are looking for a natural finish that mutes a yellow or orange undertone. It’s a light, desaturated brown that gives wood a subtle aged look without leaning heavy gray.
Minwax Driftwood
This is one of my personal favorite stain colors that I’ve used time and time again. It’s a great neutral light stain color – not too yellow, but not too cool either.
Minwax Special Walnut
Minwax Special Walnut is a rich, medium-brown stain with a warm undertone. It gives a timeless finish that works well in both traditional and modern spaces. It’s also the 2026 Minwax Color of the Year!
Minwax Early American
Minwax Early American is another classic stain color that falls in the medium-tone stain category, making it great if you’re looking for a traditional design. It’s similar to Minwax Special Walnut, but skews warmer with more red/orange undertones.
Minwax Provincial
Minwax Provincial is the darkest color that we tested out. It’s warm and adds a traditional, yet refined feeling to the wood.
Minwax Water-Based Semi-Transparent Wood Finish in Simply White
Minwax Water-Based Semi-Transparent Wood Finish in Simply White is a good choice if you want to just lighten up your wood a little bit. It tones down the yellow undertones of pine. It doesn’t eliminate the red undertones in red oak, but does make it appear less red and more pink.
Minwax Water-Based Semi-Transparent Wood Finish in Driftwood
When you open this stain can, you might be surprised by the dark color and the strong green undertones in it. After wiping it off, it leaves behind a beautiful light-medium brown.
Minwax Water-Based Semi-Transparent Wood Finish in Weathered Oak
The water-based version of Minwax Weathered Oak is very similar to the oil-based version, but with a bit more of a muted color. It appears very soft and calming.
Minwax Water-Based Semi-Transparent Wood Finish in Oak Haven
If you want a cooler wood tone that doesn’t skew too gray, Minwax Water-Based Semi-Transparent stain in Oak Haven might be a good match.
Minwax Water-Based Semi-Transparent Wood Finish in Neutral
Minwax Water-Based Semi-Transparent Wood Finish in Neutral adds more color than the name might imply. It does skew a bit orange, adding more warmth to your wood.
Other Stain Colors to Consider
If you read through the post and are still looking for a stain color that’s perfect for your project, there are so many more possibilities! We didn’t test any from this line, but Minwax also has an oil-based line called Minwax Color Series that can be tinted to 240+ stain colors. Their water-based lines can also be tinted to over 240+ colors, or you can get the stain color-matched or tinted to anything at Lowe’s!
If you decide to test out even more stain colors, be sure to prep the wood the same way that you will prep your project and to use scrap pieces from your actual project if you have some available. This will give you the best idea of what the color will look like on your project.
Popular Wood Stains on Different Wood Types
There’s no doubt that wood stains look different on different species of wood. In fact, they can even end up looking different on different pieces of wood that are the same species. It’s always important to test on your particular project before staining, but hopefully, this test gives you a great starting point. Below is the breakdown of each wood stain by wood species.
The top piece of wood in each photo is the wood that has been sanded, but not stained. You can compare the different colors back to this top board to see how the stain changed the overall color.
Light to Medium Wood Stain Colors on Pine
Pine is a common building material for DIYers since it is more budget-friendly. Though pine is notorious for not accepting stain evenly, you can still create a beautiful project with pine. The key is to embrace that pine might have more color variations than other types of wood.
Light to Medium Wood Stain Colors on Poplar
Since poplar is known for its green and brown streaks, we tried to include a piece of a streak on every sample so you can get a better idea of how it stains on different colors of poplar.
Light to Medium Wood Stain on Red Oak
As the name suggests, red oak does have a red undertone. This undertone will vary from board to board. We chose a red oak board with a medium red undertone – it wasn’t aggressively red, but it wasn’t as neutral as some pieces of red oak can be.
There you have it! Now you know what 12 different wood stain colors look like on 3 different types of wood. Did you find the color you’re using on your next project? I can’t wait to see it!
Remember, this stain test is a great starting point, but always test wood stains on scraps from your particular project. Every piece of wood is unique, so the colors might vary on your wood than they appear on the specific pieces that I tested!
For more DIY ideas and expert advice to help you get the best results from your next project, be sure to join the free Minwax community!
