Java vs Antique Walnut
Java is a near-black coffee-brown gel stain, one of the most popular modern cabinet colors; Antique Walnut is a lighter, warmer medium-dark walnut.
Pick Java for a dark, even, modern kitchen-cabinet look.
Pick Antique Walnut for a lighter, more traditional cabinet or furniture color that still hides grain evenly.
How close are they?
Delta-E (perceptual color distance) between Java and Antique Walnut is 18.4 (a clearly distinguishable difference once you see them next to each other).
Side by side
| Java | Antique Walnut | |
|---|---|---|
| Brand and line | General Finishes Gel Stain | General Finishes Gel Stain |
| Color code | ||
| Stain type | gel | gel |
| Hex (approx.) | #2E211B | #5C4232 |
| Lightness (L*) | 14 | 30 |
| Undertone | deep near-black coffee-brown | warm medium-dark walnut |
Antique Walnut is the lighter of the two by about 16 points of lightness on a 0 to 100 scale, so Java will hide more of the wood's own grain and color on the same board. Hex values are on-screen approximations of each published swatch; confirm on a test board of your own wood before committing.
How each behaves on pine, oak, maple and cabinets
Pine
Java: Java is a gel stain, which sits on the surface instead of soaking in, so it's the standard fix for pine's usual blotching problem.
Antique Walnut: Antique Walnut is a gel stain, which sits on the surface instead of soaking in, so it's the standard fix for pine's usual blotching problem.
Oak
Java: On oak, a gel stain like Java mutes some of the dramatic grain contrast a thin oil stain gives, trading grain pop for a more even, controlled color.
Antique Walnut: On oak, a gel stain like Antique Walnut mutes some of the dramatic grain contrast a thin oil stain gives, trading grain pop for a more even, controlled color.
Maple
Java: Maple's tight grain is exactly where a gel stain earns its reputation: Java rides on top instead of penetrating unevenly, which is the difference between a blotchy maple project and a clean one.
Antique Walnut: Maple's tight grain is exactly where a gel stain earns its reputation: Antique Walnut rides on top instead of penetrating unevenly, which is the difference between a blotchy maple project and a clean one.
Cabinets
Java: Java is a common cabinet-refinishing choice for this reason: gel stains give the most even, repeatable color across many doors, which matters more than grain drama on a large flat surface.
Antique Walnut: Antique Walnut is a common cabinet-refinishing choice for this reason: gel stains give the most even, repeatable color across many doors, which matters more than grain drama on a large flat surface.