Hi Steve. My eyes are thinking cherry but maybe walnut. I would get some small pieces of cherry and walnut and start making some samples with different stains and or glazes to try to match what you have so you don't do anything to the chest befor you have the right stain and procedure.
Good luck
Jr

Thx for the reply- That is a major part of my problem - no access to scraps for experiments. This chest has all kind of shades. I thought walnut but those with more experience may chime in. I took photo in three types of light- they all looked a little different. Parts of the sides are much redder than the drawers.

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Its walnut the darker shades are mainly due to heavier figure as compared to the flat sawn wood you applied M as to.!! You can start,c fairly cheaply by going to any paint store selling water based latex paints. Buying a gallon of clear tint base, and three or Four small amounts of their color tints, in this case a yellow tint, an orange or reddish orange, and black.!! The pour a small amount of the clear face in a cup and use a eye dropper to put drop by drop of coloring into the clear....till you get close to that color you seek, if to light, then and just one drop at a time of black to darken or shade it..it may take awhile, but once your happy with it..scale up to the amount you need to do the entire piece(s)
The then also means you either carefully measure the liquid or weigh the liquid clear and drops individually, since your using small amounts, I recommend the measuring line cup of say
4-8 oz to upside the amount to say..16-24-32 oz. As needed..ok?

Chemmy- THX. I have never heard of this technique. Do you basically end with a water based stain? I need to work on getting a sample board or two. I just moved from CA to East TN and don't know the area yet. I have been watching Tom McLaughlin "epic woodworking" on U Tube - the guy makes it look easy. Often using a wash coat and using glazes on walnut. Finish matching is really an art forum - maybe in my next life.

What chemmy says is the best way. But you can also find stains already made in quart size and buy those same colors like the most yellow one, a red one and a dark/black/brown one and do the same without buying the clear base. If you start with a ratio of 7 parts yellow, 2 parts red and 1 part black and see where that takes you. Just a thought.

Yes, it will be a water based stain, which can be thinned out if necessary. You could use it hot...120° or less, but it would raise the grain and need more sanding with fine paper, than applying it cold. I was only recommending it due to what you posted about not wanting to spend a lot of money and not having any real experience, in color matching.

Solvent based finishes and oil/water/and aliphatic hydrocarbon based clear solvents like Naptha, mineral spirits, and others as the carrier or vehicle to use or suspend my colors in.

Shellac was one of my top choices for finishing old wood as well as new...no guns or compressors or fans needed, but lots of elbow grease, for friction polishing, or fine hair synthetic brushes for uniform applications of the shellac.

Since we seem to be close by, (I'm in Knoxville Tennessee), it's possible, if your ever in the neighbourhood, that we could get together...but I am retired and have no shop or equipment, I only occasionally use spray cans or my self contained motorized rechargeable Air Brush, for any small home projects. so no way to train or teach you anything or varying techniques, you will have to rely on youtube, books or other sources for that..

First of all congrats moving from this cursed country.Do NOT know the area you moved but cannot be worst than California when it comes to wood finishing.
Most of the good stuff banned and you have to be a wizard if you wanna accomplish a simple finishing task IMHO.

that furniture piece looks a like a multiple layers of both dye and stain coats to me.
1. Use a dye to establish a uniform base color
2. Stain and/or glaze to build the color
3. Tone/Shade to add color and depth as well as improve uniformity
this is my finishing schedule.
1:light orange base coat
2:reddish brown stain
3:modified mahogany toner to even out the whole piece.
I know its very confusing and you have tons of questions in your mind :) been there.
All this works if you have a spray equipment.
If you do not have just stain and call it a day.
Good luck