Varathane Wood Stain Color Chart (75 Colors, 4 Product Lines)
Varathane offers wood stain colors across four separate product lines — Premium Wood Stain, Premium Fast Dry, Water-Based, and One Step Stain & Poly — and picking the wrong line costs you dry time or coverage, not just color, unless you match the line to the project first. This chart lists every color by line, explains why oak and maple absorb stain differently, and shows how to blend two Varathane colors into a shade neither one makes alone.
Quick Answer
Varathane’s four wood stain lines are Premium Wood Stain (27 oil-based colors, standard dry time), Premium Fast Dry (34 colors, 1-hour dry, one coat, 275 sq ft/qt), Water-Based (9 colors, 2-hour dry, low VOC, 100 sq ft/qt), and One Step Stain & Poly (5 colors, combines stain and topcoat). Any two Color Blends-eligible colors mix 1:1 for a custom shade in one coat, no conditioner needed.
Varathane Wood Stain Color Chart by Product Line
Varathane’s color names repeat across product lines — Dark Walnut, for example, appears in all four — but the underlying formula changes the dry time, coverage, and finish depth. Check the Stain hub for other brands’ charts, or see our full wood finishing guide if you’re still deciding between stain types altogether.
Premium Wood Stain (27 Colors — Oil-Based, Satin)
Varathane’s original oil-based line, with standard dry time between coats. Grouped loosely by name: grays and near-neutrals (Classic Black, Smoke Gray, Gray Stone, Natural), light golden tones (Summer Oak, Golden Pecan, Colonial Maple, Ipswich Pine, Spring Oak, Golden Oak), warm browns (Provincial, Golden Mahogany, Light Walnut, Chestnut, Gunstock, Early American, American Walnut), reds (Red Oak, Red Mahogany, Red Chestnut, Cabernet, Light Cherry, Traditional Cherry, Black Cherry), and dark tones (Dark Walnut, Espresso).
| Color Name | Color Name | Color Name |
|---|---|---|
| Classic Black | Smoke Gray | Gray Stone |
| Natural | Summer Oak | Golden Pecan |
| Colonial Maple | Traditional Pecan | Ipswich Pine |
| Spring Oak | Golden Oak | Provincial |
| Golden Mahogany | Light Walnut | Light Cherry |
| Chestnut | Traditional Cherry | Red Oak |
| Red Mahogany | Red Chestnut | Cabernet |
| American Walnut | Gunstock | Early American |
| Dark Walnut | Black Cherry | Espresso |
Premium Fast Dry Wood Stain (34 Colors — 1-Hour Dry, One Coat)
Still oil-based, but reformulated to dry in 1 hour and reach full color in a single coat — a real advantage on a same-day project. Coverage is rated at 275 sq ft per quart. This is also the line Varathane’s official Color Blends system is built on (see below), and it carries the widest color range of the four, including blues (Midnight Blue, Bleached Blue, Vintage Aqua, Vintage Denim, Worn Navy) and grays (Carbon Gray, Fogstone, Weathered Gray, Briarsmoke) not offered in the standard Premium line.
| Color Name | Color Name | Color Name |
|---|---|---|
| Cognac | Jet Black | Midnight Blue |
| Sandstone | Antique White | Sunbleached |
| Bleached Blue | Vintage Aqua | Spring Oak |
| Ipswich Pine | Traditional Pecan | Light Walnut |
| Traditional Cherry | Golden Mahogany | Cedarwood |
| Western Oak | Roanoke | Olive Brown |
| Briarsmoke | Golden Oak | Gunstock |
| Early American | Dark Walnut | Fogstone |
| Vintage Denim | Rustic Sage | Worn Navy |
| Carbon Gray | Kona | Cabernet |
| Black Cherry | Weathered Gray | Ebony |
| Barn Red |
Water-Based Wood Stain (9 Colors — 2-Hour Dry, Low VOC)
Varathane’s low-VOC option, formulated for indoor projects where odor and ventilation matter. Dry time is 2 hours between coats, and coverage is lower than either oil-based line at roughly 100 sq ft per quart — plan on buying more of it for the same surface area. The lineup is intentionally small: nine colors plus a Clear Tint-Base for custom mixing.
| Color Name | Color Name | Color Name |
|---|---|---|
| Dark Walnut | Ebony | Smoke Gray |
| Dark Bourbon | Espresso | White Oak |
| Ipswich Pine | Cognac | Clear Tint-Base |
One Step Stain & Polyurethane (5 Colors — Oil-Based)
This oil-based line combines stain and topcoat into a single product, cutting a two-step finishing job down to one — at the cost of the fine color-depth control you get from staining and top-coating separately. Only five colors are offered. If you want more control over sheen and protection level, our Minwax polyurethane vs. Varathane comparison breaks down separate topcoat options instead.
| Color Name | Color Name | Color Name |
|---|---|---|
| Traditional Cherry | Early American | Cabernet |
| Red Mahogany | Dark Walnut |
Which Varathane Stain Product Should You Buy?
The right product line depends on your timeline and where the project sits. For furniture or trim you can finish in a weekend, Premium Fast Dry is usually the easiest choice: one coat, dry in an hour, and it’s the line the Color Blends system runs on. For a large tabletop or a project where you want maximum control over color depth by wiping soon or letting the stain sit, the standard oil-based Premium Wood Stain gives you that flexibility, just with a longer wait between coats. Choose Water-Based only when low odor or fast ventilation genuinely matters — expect to buy roughly 2.75x more of it than a fast-dry oil stain to cover the same area. One Step Stain & Poly is the pick when the job is small and you’d rather skip a separate topcoat step entirely. If you’re deciding between Varathane and Minwax in general rather than between Varathane’s own lines, see our dedicated Minwax vs. Varathane stain comparison.
Best Fast-Dry Pick
Varathane Premium Fast Dry Wood Stain, Dark Walnut (Quart) – $14.87
The 1-hour, one-coat line this guide’s Color Blends section is built on — useful if you want to mix it with another Fast Dry color instead of using it straight.
- Best for: Same-day furniture, trim, and cabinet projects
- Why we picked it: 1-hour dry time and one-coat color match this guide’s Fast Dry coverage specs (275 sq ft/qt)
- Main drawback: Narrower color-depth control than letting standard Premium stain sit longer before wiping
Compare more Varathane product lines
 Standard Oil-Based Premium Wood Stain, American Walnut (Quart) – $13.00
|
 Low-VOC Water-Based Water Based Wood Stain, Espresso (Quart) – $16.42
|
 Stain + Poly Combo One Step Stain & Poly, Early American (Quart) – $27.28
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Why the Same Stain Color Looks Different on Pine, Oak, and Maple
Wood porosity is how much a wood species absorbs liquid stain into its open cell structure, and it’s the reason the same can of Dark Walnut looks different from one project to the next. Oak has large, open pores that soak up stain quickly and deeply, so it reads darker and richer than the same color on a tight-grained wood. Maple and birch are dense, closed-grain woods that resist absorption, so color often looks lighter and can appear patchy without extra prep. Pine sits in between but has soft and hard grain bands in the same board, which absorb unevenly and are the main cause of blotching.
Because absorption rate — not the can label — determines the final look, always test the exact stain on a scrap piece of the same wood species and cut (face grain vs. end grain) you’re finishing before committing to the whole project.
Preventing Blotching: Pre-Stain Conditioner on Pine and Oak
Blotching happens when a wood surface absorbs stain unevenly, leaving dark splotches next to lighter areas on the same board. Pine is the most blotch-prone common species because of its mixed soft and hard grain; oak can blotch too, though less severely, mainly around knots and grain transitions. A pre-stain wood conditioner partially seals the wood’s pores before the stain goes on, evening out absorption so color develops more consistently across the whole surface.
- Apply pre-stain conditioner to bare, sanded wood 15–30 minutes before staining, then wipe off any excess that hasn’t absorbed.
- Stain while the conditioner is still slightly wet to open — don’t let it fully cure and dry out first.
- Skip conditioner on tight-grained hardwoods like maple only if you’re using a gel stain, which sits on the surface rather than penetrating it.
Sanding correctly also reduces blotching risk before conditioner or stain ever touches the wood — see our guide on sanding wood for staining for the grit progression that leaves pores ready to absorb evenly.
How Close Should Stain Color Be to the Wood’s Natural Tone?
Finishing pros commonly advise staying within a few shades of the wood’s own natural color rather than jumping straight to the darkest or lightest can on the shelf, especially on porous woods like oak where a dramatic color shift can also exaggerate any blotching or grain unevenness underneath. A stain close to the wood’s existing tone tends to look more intentional and even, while an extreme shade shift makes any absorption inconsistency far more visible. If you want a bigger color change, test on scrap first and consider an extra coat of the closer shade before jumping several shades away in one step.
Varathane Color Blends: Mixing Two Colors Into One
Varathane’s official Color Blends system lets you combine two Premium Fast Dry colors at a 1:1 ratio to create a shade that doesn’t exist as a standalone can. Mix the two stains together before application, apply as you normally would, and the blend still dries in 1 hour, covers 275 sq ft per quart, and needs no pre-stain wood conditioner — the same specs as any single Fast Dry color. This is a genuinely useful option most stain buyers don’t know exists, and it’s a fast way to dial in a custom tone without ordering a specialty product.
| Color 1 | Color 2 | Resulting Character |
|---|---|---|
| Antique White | Black Cherry | Softened, muted red-brown |
| Antique White | Cabernet | Lightened wine-red tone |
| Antique White | Dark Walnut | Grayed, weathered brown |
| Black Cherry | Dark Walnut | Deep reddish-brown |
| Black Cherry | Early American | Balanced medium red-brown |
| Briarsmoke | Ebony | Deepened charcoal-black |
| Cabernet | Kona | Rich burgundy-brown |
| Carbon Gray | Dark Walnut | Cool-toned dark brown |
| Dark Walnut | Gunstock | Warmed medium-dark brown |
| Ebony | Golden Mahogany | Near-black with warm undertone |
| Golden Oak | Cabernet | Warm amber-red |
📊 Combining two Varathane Premium Fast Dry colors at a 1:1 ratio still dries in 1 hour and covers 275 sq ft per quart — the same performance as any single Fast Dry color, with no pre-stain conditioner required. Source: Rust-Oleum, Varathane Color Blends
Where to Preview Varathane Stain Colors Before You Buy
Screen colors and store lighting both distort how a stain will actually look on your wood, so always confirm a color before buying a full can. Rust-Oleum runs an official Varathane Wood Stain Color Visualizer that lets you preview colors on different wood tones and room settings. Even with the visualizer, test the actual stain on a scrap piece of your project’s wood species before committing — that’s the only way to see how your specific board’s grain and porosity will render the color.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many colors does Varathane wood stain come in?
Varathane offers 75 total color listings spread across four product lines: 27 in Premium Wood Stain, 34 in Premium Fast Dry, 9 in Water-Based, and 5 in One Step Stain & Poly. Many color names, like Dark Walnut and Cabernet, repeat across multiple lines, but the underlying formula and dry time differ by line.
What is the difference between Varathane Premium Wood Stain and Fast Dry Wood Stain?
Both are oil-based, but Premium Fast Dry is reformulated to dry in 1 hour and reach full color in one coat, covering 275 sq ft per quart. Standard Premium Wood Stain takes longer to dry between coats and doesn’t carry the same one-coat, 1-hour rating, but it’s the only line that overlaps with Varathane’s original 27-color range.
Can I mix two Varathane stain colors together?
Yes. Varathane’s official Color Blends system combines two Premium Fast Dry colors at a 1:1 ratio to create a custom shade, such as Dark Walnut plus Gunstock or Ebony plus Golden Mahogany. The blend still dries in 1 hour, covers 275 sq ft per quart, and doesn’t need a pre-stain conditioner.
Do I need a pre-stain conditioner for pine or oak before staining?
Pine almost always benefits from a pre-stain wood conditioner because its mixed soft and hard grain bands absorb stain unevenly and blotch easily. Oak blotches less often but can still benefit around knots and grain transitions, especially with darker colors. Tight-grained woods like maple are the most blotch-prone of all and usually need conditioner too, unless you’re using a gel stain instead.
Will the same Varathane stain color look different on pine versus oak?
Yes. Oak’s large open pores absorb stain deeply, producing a richer, darker look than the same color on a tighter-grained wood. Pine’s mixed grain density absorbs unevenly, which is why the same can of stain can look darker in some spots and lighter in others on a single pine board.
Where can I preview Varathane stain colors before buying?
Rust-Oleum’s official Varathane Wood Stain Color Visualizer tool lets you preview colors on sample wood and room scenes before you buy. Still test the actual stain on scrap of your project’s wood species afterward, since screen and store lighting don’t reflect how a color will look on your specific board.
Whichever Varathane line you pick, match the color and dry-time to your project’s timeline first, condition blotch-prone wood before you stain, and test on scrap before committing a full can to the piece.
