At the time this vanity was built, I was able to find the most awesome painter who did the best custom work ever. I would tell him what I wanted, and he came up with a finish that was always better than what I could imagine. I believe this finish is created by sealing, painting, and staining, and then varnishing. There was actual "depth" in all that he did. He worked his magic in a way that I have never seen duplicated by any other painter.