Is there any safe and easy way to darken the colour of wooden kitchen articles?

[GrimmaTheNome]

I'm suspecting the answer is 'no' but never hurts to ask

Getting kitchen redone, floor is now a lovely warm maple. Got all sorts of wooden bits and bobs (bread bin, utensil holder, spice rack etc) which are all pale wood and I think they may look a bit odd but don't want to replace them all (and anyway, what with if not wood which nearly all is pale for this sort of thing?). So I was wondering if there was any way to change the colour suitable for kitchen items (not toxic/stinky) and reasonably easy.

if they are a fundamentally pale wood, not just gone pale from being washed, you can get a wood dye called Colron at DIY sheds (there are also own-brands). I recommend the spirit based ones, not water. It is a dye like ink, not a stain which includes any kind of oil or varnish.

The instructions say apply with a cloth, but I prefer to use a soft brush, barely moistened, and work fast. The wood must be clean, dry and not oily. Only apply one coat, but brush it in well to get even coverage. Leave to dry for several hgours, do not handle the newly stained wood. Rub with a non-fluffy cloth to remove any excess lying on the surface. You must then seal the surface with a varnish, wax or oil. I'd go for teak oil. Apply two or three coats the first time, then re-treat whenever the surface gets dull. Cooking oil will do.

Thanks for that... presumably this is meant to go onto bare wood so any existing varnish or wax would need to come off first?

yes, it must be clean bare wood