This looks to me like a whitewash which is also sometimes called pickled. I can't tell the species of wood. I am trying to do this at our Little Compton, RI beach house and I started with White Ash and am using a 4 part pickling oak stain (Minwax) with 1 part light gray (Varathane). I have done it on a few samples and this is what it turns out like. Next is the poly, but oil based poly yellows, water based poly won't hold up to the elements and I have discovered Swedish acid cures which, from what I have read, should do the trick. I plan to have a matte finish like this one. Yes, it is beautiful.