Chest of Drawers - Can I stain a chest of drawers that has already been sealed without sanding it?

Can I stain a chest of drawers that has already been sealed without sanding it?

i have a chest of drawers, roughly 10 years old that i want to re-stain a darker colour. it was sealed amazingly, and my mom wont let me strip it. is there a way of staining it without having to sand the varnish etc. off from before?

Public Comments

no, if it is sealed there is no way you can stain it, you might be able to find some sort of semi translucent paint to put over the top, but i don't like your chances
All is not lost. What ever you do you will have to sand it down in order to give a key for the next staining and to remove any dirt or grease. Do this lightly with a medium sandpaper and do not rub too hard or you will get down to the wood only in patches. Then varnish or stain to your chosen colour. You could also paint it with gloss paint.
ANF has it all wrong..do not do this..stain is a penetrative type product and penetrates into the grain...untill the sealer is removed..it cannot take another stain at all... You can layer stain over the top of it and then put a clear coat..if and only if it is compatable with the sealer applied previously..but it will look blotchy, inconsistant, and will more than likely peel or chip off very soon..some may soon recomend mimwax which has a poly and stain mixed to put over the top, but again..if it is not a compatable like product to the original sealer..you are going to have problems..and even if the mimwax sticks (which i doubt)..it will be so blotchy and ugly you will wish you haven't done so
You cannot realistically do anything to it without at least keying (scratching with abrasive paper) the surface. Wood dye (Aka Stain) will not penetrate through varnish. It is very poor painting practise to gloss anything that has been stained or varnished, even when it has been stripped off. You can buy a coloured varnish, sometimes also called a stain. They are a mix of dye and varnish and you use them like varnish. A light rub down and paint them on. As you want to go darker ths should not be a problem. Sikkens is the best, Sadolin is a good cheaper version.