What is the difference between polyurethane, urethane, and varathane? I am working on small pieces of pine furniture and also want to do some stripes on a latex-painted wall (can this be painted over later?) Also, I have a couple of spots on a small stand I just stained that I did not see until dried where I must of touched the brush and left more stain. Is there a way to remove or tone down these darker spots? I will be more careful next time!! Thanks for any help.

I am getting possession of a house in several weeks and I'm trying to decide how to handle the kitchen. All the cabinets and cabinet doors are birch. The doors are just plain rectangles - no moldings or decorative touches. They have not been refinished since original - 1978. Right now they are kind of a medium orangy color. I have no idea what they were originally finished with, but I can tell you whatever it is there isn't really any gloss to it. Does this sound like wood that can easily be brought back to barewood for restaining? I have tons of pine in my house that is stained robin's egg blue and I'd like do the cabinets in the same stain if possible. If not, I guess I will just paint them. Any advice is appreciated, Tara