How To Choose the Right Finish for Your Custom Hardwood Piece

One of the most exciting parts of ordering custom woodwork is making it your own, but for many customers, choosing the finish is also where decision fatigue starts to kick in.

“What will the color look like in person? Will it match my floors or look good in my lighting? Do I have to pick a finish option for my custom piece?”

These are all good questions but nothing to stress over – we’re here to help make the decision easier! Let’s first talk about why the finish is important and then lay out the options you have to customize yours.

Why Hardwood Finish Matters More Than People Realize

You're going the extra mile by ordering a fully custom piece of woodwork for your home and we know you want it to stand the test of time.

We want you to think about the custom piece we’ll build for you and where it’ll permanently live in your home. The hands that will touch it, the room it’ll bring warmth into, how you’ll use it or decorate it and maybe even how often you’ll have to dust it.

Wood being an organic material, it’s naturally porous so it will absorb the oils and dirt from everyday life. It’s important to seal and protect the wood so you can easily keep your custom woodwork looking its best. And if that doesn’t convince you, I promise dusting and cleaning your piece will be so much easier with it sealed too 🙂

“BUT I don’t want to change the natural wood color” – you might be screaming!

We hear you and we love you! The white oak & dark walnut wood colors are so beautiful and we are nerds about preserving their natural color even with a sealer. Yepp, even with a sealer – I know, I know, it is shocking!

We’ve all heard the horror stories of a sealer being applied and turning the wood color more yellow or orange or red than we wanted – what a nightmare!! And trust me.. We’ve been there too! So we made it our mission to test many options and provide you with only the best ones!

We also understand there is a need for changing the natural wood color to ensure it coordinates with the other wood tones in your home and we have you covered there too! Each home has its own beauty, character and lighting so your custom woodwork should look natural in yours.

You see, finishing is the final step in the woodworking process. It’s the step where everything comes together and where we literally seal the deal. Punny or not, it’s a really important step because it ensures your piece is protected for the long haul and reflects your custom style.

Below we’ll break down the finish options you can pick from for your custom order. You’ll likely fall into one finish category and notice the decision fatigue fades away.

Hardwood Finish Options At Hutcheson Design Co

Finish Option #1: Clear, Matte Poly

The first and most common choice is our Clear, Matte Polyurethane. All of our listing photos show the natural wood color sealed with the clear, matte poly.

If you want to preserve the natural wood color of your chosen wood type, you will love this finish.

It’s a clear, non-yellowing water based sealer that has a subtle matte finish, which brings a modern feel to each piece. It enhances the natural wood color and has a natural feel so the wood still feels/looks real.

White Oak Handrail w/ Clear Poly	Dark Walnut Mantel (top) White Oak Mantel (bottom) both w/ Clear Poly	Dark Walnut Handrail w/ Clear Poly

 

Finish Option #2: Rubio Monocoat Color + Sealer

Our second most popular and the most common when trying to match another wood tone in your home, Rubio Monocoat is a color + sealer in one with a matte sheen. 

If you want to change the natural wood color or tone, Rubio Monocoat is our go-to. With over 50 color options, we are sure to find a color that will compliment your interior.

Rubio is an oil based sealer that has a beautiful matte finish, giving a modern feel to the piece, but the sheen is slightly more flat than our matte poly option. Because it’s an oil based product, the colors have a warm undertone to them so we take this into consideration when picking the color best for your space. Usually a more cool toned color will yield the actual color we’re trying to achieve (mhmm, color science is wild). 

The cool thing about Rubio is they have a few different steps to achieve the color you want so you truly get a one of a kind and custom finish. From enhancing color saturation, to mixing colors for a custom tone, to enhancing the sheen, Rubio has us covered on all fronts.

So if you think changing the natural wood color is best for your custom piece, we’d love to chat with you! Send us some photos of the wood that you want to match and we will suggest a few Rubio colors.

Better yet, we can also work up some Rubio color samples and mail them to you so you can see the options in your lighting! This step is always a guarantee for scaring away decision fatigue.

White Oak Mantel w/ Rubio PreColor Cashmere Brown + Rubio Gris Belge	White Oak Handrail Unfinished (left) vs.  Rubio Slate Grey (right)	Dark Walnut Mantel w/ Rubio Cherry Coral

 

Finish Option #3: Raw/Unfinished

Last but certainly not least, for the DIY people, (maybe the type-A people like Hill 😉), we have the Raw/Unfinished finish option. We’ll custom build it for you, even woodfill and sand it for you, but leave the sealer up to you!

You might have a custom stain or a handyman who has finished other areas in your home, so you want to also handle the finishing on your custom piece in house. Love that for you!! We’re happy to answer any questions along the way and would be even happier if you shared a picture with us once you’re done 😍

Hardwood Finish FAQ’s

Alright, pulse check – how do you feel now?? Has the decision fatigue started to fade away yet? Any lingering questions we can address? Here are some of the popular ones answered:

What finish or color is in the product listing photos?

Clear Matte Poly – a customer favorite for a reason!

I want to match my floor color, which color should I pick?

Usually when matching another wood color or tone, we prefer using White Oak wood with the Rubio Monocoat finish option. The oak has a light blonde color so the stain color applied is more true. This makes picking a color easier and gives us more control over the final look.

Rubio has over 50 color options but usually only a few that fall into your desired color family. Once you decide the colors you like best, we suggest having some samples made to see them in your lighting.

Does lighting affect how stain looks?

Oh yeah it does! Lighting is a key component of color perception and each home has its own lighting. From the natural light coming in the windows to the light bulbs you have inside, lighting plays a big part into the overall feel and tone of your home.

We always recommend ordering a sample of the wood/finish options you’re interested in so you can see the actual colors in your own lighting. Talk about making a decision easier.. Samples do just that!

Will the finished piece look exactly like the sample?

This is a tricky question.. Exactly like, no - but very close to, yes! 

We build with real wood, so each piece is inherent and has lived a whole life before we turn it into your custom piece. We only use specific cuts and premium grades of the wood and we hand select each board so the overall color and quality of the wood is consistent.

All to say, you can feel confident in the color you pick based on your sample, just know your piece is truly one of a kind and organic.

What if my sample doesn’t match my floors exactly?

Don’t stress, Rubio has over 50 color options that can be custom mixed. We all know smart phone pictures and lighting can play some serious tricks on the eye… That’s why you ordered a sample to begin with, right?

Oftentimes flooring has a lot of color variation, so instead of focusing on matching them exactly, focus on finding a compliment to the color that is in the same tone. You want the color to look natural in your space, not forced or eye-catching.

If the colors or tones of your samples just don’t feel right, we will gladly customize you some more options! Text us a picture of the samples against your flooring and that’ll help point us in the direction we need to go next.

Should I choose a finish that is more trendy or timeless?

We always encourage customers to lean into their homes' natural look and architecture. Doing this ensures your custom woodwork feels like it was made for your home and has always been there. It’ll stand the test of time this way and feel like a classic element that was designed into your space.

How to Feel Confident About Your Hardwood Finish Choice

We get it – you want to know you’re making the right choice and feel confident in the finish option you select. We want that for you too!

Our suggestion is to look around your home, paying attention to the other wood tones. Look at your flooring, your cabinetry, even your existing furniture and pay attention to the color and tone. Is it cool or warm? Maybe you even know the wood type already in the house or if a stain was used on it.

Once you know the direction you want to go, this is where sampling comes in! It's tough to make a decision on color over the internet so we always recommend ordering a sample of the wood type and finish option you're thinking about!

We custom make the samples so you can order any finish type to see in person. If you’re torn between the clear matte poly and Natural Rubio, or if you're unsure if Rubio Black vs Rubio Chocolate will look best in your space, samples are the way to go!

There is no confidence like seeing and touching the wood in your own home and your lighting, we promise! So much so, you can use code CONFIDENCE to save 35% on your sample purchase.

And as always, we are here to help walk you through any step in the ordering process you’re struggling with, so please reach out to us! We're happy to talk through your specific scenario and be a sounding board for you.

Ready to start your custom order?

You understand the finish options and you feel confident in the one that is best for your space!

Whether you want to persevere the natural wood color with the Clear Matte Poly or stain it with Rubio Monocoat to match a wood in your home, every piece is crafted with the same attention to detail, quality materials and intention behind the build.

Click below to customize your hardwood piece so we can bring it to life! We are excited to work with you 🎉

White Oak Mantel	White Oak Handrail	Dark Walnut Mantel	Dark Walnut Handrail