Hi everyone:

Just had a new front door installed today....it is a traditional six light mahogany door and I just love it...however I'm confused about how to finish it.... I always had in my mind the picture of a nice deeper color wood, rich and traditional... my carpenter told me the mahogany is beautiful in itself and would be a shame to stain it... a clear poly would be the way to go.... so my painter tried some mineral spirits on it today to replicate how it would look stained clear.... I was not happy with all of the irregular grain marks on the door. The side panels had wavy grains while the top and bottom were more solid. Now I know many would argue that is the beauty of the wood... but I guess I was looking for a more consistent look... Does anyone have any suggestions of a gel stain that would be able to camoflauge some of the irregular grain patterns and give me the look I am after.... am very confused about what to tell the painter to do in the morning when he returns!

Rina