You chose interior, original colour, maximum durability, minimal sheen.
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Option 1: A water / acrylic based polyurethane in "matt" finish (difficulty: medium)
This gives a hardwearing "film" finish which sits on top of the wood protecting it from heat and moisture. In my experience, there is little difference in durability between this and varnish, although others say that polyurethane is more durable. Polyurethane is readily available in the USA but harder to find in the UK, hence why I personally prefer to use varnish (see option 2).
It can be applied with a brush, foam brush, a roller or sprayed.
Once applied and dry, I recommend de-nibbing (sanding) in between coats with some wet and dry paper (I use 400 grit but 240-600 will work too) - how to denib - wet sanding with a little water is preferable - as it creates a slurry that prevents build up of varnish on the abrasive paper and minimises visible brush strokes.
It can be applied to bare wood, or over most other finishes except for wax.
Matt gives minimal sheen.
Sadolin Polyurethane Clear Matt - various sizes https://geni.us/bDacGC (Amazon Affiliate Links)
Minwax Polycrylic - various sizes https://geni.us/92Hoi (Amazon Affiliate Links)
Rust-Oleum Clear Matte Polyurethane - quart / 946ml https://geni.us/0bgXyh (Amazon Affiliate Links)
Rust-Oleum Triple Thick Matte Polyurethane - 32oz / 909ml https://geni.us/JmB7 (Amazon Affiliate Links)
Rust-Oleum Varathane Polyurethane Matte - quart / 946ml https://geni.us/dRMp (Amazon Affiliate Links)
Option 2: Water / acrylic based varnish in "matt" finish (difficulty: medium)
This gives a hardwearing "film" finish which sits on top of the wood protecting it from heat and moisture. In my experience, there is little difference in durability between this and polyurethane, although others say that polyurethane is more durable.
It can be applied with a brush, foam brush, a roller or sprayed.
Once applied and dry, I recommend de-nibbing (sanding) in between coats with some wet and dry paper (I use 400 grit but 240-600 will work too) - how to denib - wet sanding with a little water is preferable - as it creates a slurry that prevents build up of varnish on the abrasive paper and minimises visible brush strokes.
It can be applied to bare wood, or over most other finishes except for wax.
Matt gives minimal sheen.
Ronseal Interior Varnish Matt Clear - 250ml https://geni.us/ndnoX 750ml https://geni.us/Qjl5H (Amazon Affiliate Links)
Littlefair's Matt Varnish - various sizes https://geni.us/cDPhP (Amazon Affiliate Links)
Everbuild Matt Clear Varnish - various sizes https://geni.us/6dsXB1E (Amazon Affiliate Links)
Humbrol Matt Spray Varnish - 150ml https://geni.us/sxpvZ (Amazon Affiliate Links)
PlastiKote Clear Acrylic Spray Varnish Matt - 400ml https://geni.us/ABCYNB (Amazon Affiliate Links)
Liquitex Matt Clear Spray Varnish - 400ml https://geni.us/DCJJv (Amazon Affiliate Links)
Option 3: A pigment tinted Hard Wax Oil (difficulty: medium)
Hard Wax Oil is a blend of natural oils & waxes offering exceptional durability & resistance. There are a few hard wax oils which have a white pigment added that counteracts the yellowing that oil finishes typically give to better retain the original colour of the wood.
It can be applied using a cotton cloth, brush or scouring pad, but needs to be applied very thinly in order for it to cure properly - a little goes a long way!
It should only be applied to bare wood, however please note: hard wax oil doesn't adhere well to some oily hard woods (e.g. teak or iroko) and may require either a specialist thinned oil or pre-treatment / barrier seal coat product prior to application.
Fiddes Hard Wax Oil Oak Lightening - 250ml https://geni.us/Z33UBG 1l https://geni.us/MzllSFx 2.5l https://geni.us/NrgIOS (Amazon Affiliate Links)
Leaves finish that is somewhere between satin and matt
Osmo Polyx-Oil Raw Transparent Hard Wax Oil - 125ml https://geni.us/KxwCvid 750ml https://geni.us/esva6Y 2.5l https://geni.us/t41C (Amazon Affiliate Links)
Although this finish supposedly leaves a matt finish, it does have a bit of a sheen to it
