Removing Dark Stain

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Not easy! The stain penetrates the wood and you would have to sand a lot to get it all off. But if it is a factory finish, it is more likely a colored lacquer, and that is a little easier to get off. But still not likely that you will get it all off.
I have had the best luck having the cabinets stripped professionally. A pro will do the cabinets on site, of course, but will dip the doors and drawers in a stripper vat. Even so, they cannot get all the color out. One job I had done, they got enough of the color out that the owner was satisfied. On another job, I went from there with lacquer thinner and a brass brush.
Once you have the color you want, you can coat it with a clear latex finish like Varathane's Diamond Finish. This is a tough finish that is easy to apply. I tell you how in the clear finish topic on my website at www.bobf.info.