Any current advice on oil finishes? This building, which is oak framed, is being refurbished as part of repainting the entire house. It was coated in thick brown varnish which has been very largely scraped and sanded off. The intention was to paint it, like the doors in the last picture, which have had two coats of Bedec barn paint in light grey. However, we quite like the stripped look and we are considering doing some more sanding and scraping, possibly bleaching, and then oiling for some protection. The wood looks like one of the mahogany multitudinous family and is completely sound and free of rot. The room faces south and gets the full force of the sun all day.
The key requirement is not to darken the wood if at all possible. I have used OSMO raw in the past (the one with slight white pigment) and also their UV exterior oil, but that was on old oak doors and I was not super thrilled with the effect.
Any recommendations for an oil that can be wiped or brushed on and will not darken the wood? Matt finish would be ideal.
Thanks all. A
(PS, I don't know for sure but I expect the pictures will be all over the place despite using the Andy rotator script :-)