Matching old and new

[Megan U]

Hi there- looking for some guidance and or to hire professional help down in Florida!  Have antique doors built our for pantry.  Looking for best way to maintain the raw sanded wood color on the antique doors, then plan to use Rubio Monocoat to match color on new trim.  Ordered about a dozen sample colors of product and settled on Oyster.  Put  on door yesterday and do not like how much it darkened the wood.    Would I be better off doing some type of super fine sanding method with Paste wax?  Feel like I have searched online until I am cross-eyed how to achieve raw wood look- think my next try is Sherwin Williams CAB Acrylic Laquer  or paste wax of some sort....

[Chestnut]

If you want to keep the color of the wood without any finish your best option is a clear water borne polyurethane. Otherwise I'm not entire sure what you mean when you saw the look of raw wood. Anytime you apply a film forming finish the wood will look like there is something on top of the wood. If you don't want it to look like there is a layer of finish on it a hardwax finish like roubio is the way to go. The trouble with those finishes is they will always change the color of the wood as they have oils in them that penetrate down into the wood.

Water born poly doesn't contain these oils that change the color but it sits on top of the wood.

The best way to ensure a uniform look is to make sure the trim and doors are all made from the exact same material and have the same finish process. Mixing old woods with new and mixing various species is always going to result in a variation in appearance, this is the trouble with a natural product and must be accepted to some extent.

[wtnhighlander]

There is always the option of leaving the wood raw. With normal use, the wood will quickly take on an 'antique' patina, from skin oils and dirt wherever it is touched. Otherwise, I have to agree with @Chestnut.