Eric at Sundeleaf Painting in Milwaukie (no, Oregon) sent me some great action shots of my cabinetry being professionally finished.
He says the pieces look really nice, and I agree. “Super smooth, low sheen.” They should look dynamite when everything’s installed. These colors are neutral on purpose, to make the RETROvan’s red accents and colored lights pop and reflect off the metal. There will be no visible wood tones when everything’s done.
Eric says this charcoal color looks dark in the photos, especially when wet. It’s called Wrought Iron from Benjamin Moore.
The last photo looks perfect to me, so these pieces must be drier. The hard, durable top coat also seals the maple plywood on all sides to make it weather- and mold-resistant.