Furniture, Wood and Cabinetry Finishing - Using Refinisher on an Antique Armoire

Hello and Help!! A first timer here.
I have a French antique dining room hutch/buffet in a golden reddish honey stain. Could be oak or cherry or mahogany, not pine though.
The hutch has two intricately carved cabinet doors/drawers, with legs that support a two door glassed hutch above.
I used a 'refinisher' that gently dissolves the surface, but it turned the wood almost darkish brown or black. I feel the grooves of the wood now and am afraid to go further?
Am I ruining the piece, should I stop and just sand it? Is this normal for the wood to darken? It's probably all the dirt from the grooves, but even where it's a flat surface, the reddish golden tint is giving way to dull and blackish tints.
How many times should the 'refinisher' be applied?
Should I use bleach to lighten it? Should I just
use a strong 'stripper' instead?

Don't sand it - you'll destroy the detail work. If it was a true antique, you've already done the damage, so I'd strip it. Use a 50:50 mix of denatured alcohol and lacquer thinner. It's chepaer than regular stripper, and the best I've found for removing lacquer or shellac. Use 00 steel wool and a BRASS bristle brush for the detail work.

As for the 'restorer', all it does is partially dissolve the finish, and allow it to resettle without the 'craze' marks or other surface defects. It is best NEVER to use it on a vertical surface. The same results can be obtained using ordinary lacquer thinner, and it's a darn sight cheaper...

PS - CLEANING is ALWAYS the first step in any furniture repair/refinishing/restoration - even if you plan to strip the piece. Failing to clean first can lead to the darkening (especially in the detail work) that you described.

Thanks George for the response.

One last question:
I had washed the piece down with mineral spirits.
I'll do as you suggest now, but just need some clarification.
Is lacquer thinner same as paint thinner?
Is there another name for denatured alcohol?
Is the 50:50 mixture same as that thick paste stripper that is sold?
Should I finish off with a final rinse with mineral spirits?

Thanks again.

In order...

Lacquer thinner and paint thinner are two entirely different products.

Denatured alcohol is also known as shellac thinner.

The mix I described does not contain methylene chloride as many commercial strippers do. It doesn't work on varnish, polyurethane, or paint, but it is the safest (and most economical) stripper I know of for lacquer finishes.

If you use the mix I described, DO NOT RINSE WITH MINERAL SPIRITS. Use lacquer thinner.

If you use anything else, follow the directions on the product label.