hi folks,

I recently received a gorgeous coffee table hand-made of northern American black walnut. It's sanded but unfinished, and I am somewhat at a loss as to how to finish it correctly. The lumber was kiln-dried and stored in a lightless basement for a number of years.

It is lovely wood but has a very lavender gray cast which seems to offset the depth of the grain. I've never seen a black walnut this gray, just the darker brown ones, and wonder if someone can fill me in on the habits of this wood as furniture.

I confess that I tested some water-based polyurethane on part of it, which looks terrible and plasticky and seems to simply highlight the raw-looking purply gray off-color. So much for slapdash -- now I need to roll up my sleeves and do this wood justice.

What are some good finishing techniques to bring out the beauty without emphasizing the odd purplish cast it currently has in its newly-sanded, raw state? I don't mind its graininess but could do a shellac coat to seal first, then a nice oil finish of some kind. With another wood I might give it a neutral stain for depth, but am hesitant to do that on walnut. Should I expose it to sunlight before applying anything?