Wood stain colors · Varathane
Varathane wood stain colors
Varathane is Rust-Oleum’s wood-finish brand. Its Premium Fast Dry Wood Stain is an oil-based stain; Rust-Oleum lists 34 colors on the product page and groups them in no families, so they are listed here in its own order.
To see the colors, use the maker's own chart: Varathane Premium Fast Dry on rustoleum.com (colors with swatches). A chip or a screen shows the color on one board under one light, so test it on your own wood first.
Premium Fast Dry Wood Stain
Oil-based (urethane-modified alkyd) stain · 34 colors
Varathane says Premium Fast Dry colors in one coat and needs no wood conditioner; wipe the excess off after 2 to 3 minutes, and it dries and can be recoated in about 1 hour, with 24 hours to full cure. Rust-Oleum gives 275 sq ft per quart.
One source: Rust-Oleum (RPM), the maker of that product , sources [1, 2]
Sources
| Color |
|---|
| 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 |
Colors as Varathane lists them: Rust-Oleum (RPM), Varathane Premium Fast Dry Wood Stain, product page, read 2026-11-08.
Not listed here
Varathane’s own data sheet (rev. January 2025) lists ten colors the product page does not, among them Aged Barrel, Honey Maple and Willow Gray, and leaves out Cedarwood and Vintage Denim; check the can or the store.
One source: Rust-Oleum (RPM), the maker of that product , sources [1]
Sources
Before you choose
The same color looks different on pine, oak and maple, and every maker says to test it first. Why, and what the makers say about gel, oil and water-based stains: wood stain colors. If the stain goes on blotchy: blotchy stain; if a water-based stain leaves the wood rough: raised grain. Dry and recoat times before the topcoat: wood stain.