I ordered this mantel in the 48” length. I decided to not stain this one. I think we have enough fruitwood and darker wood furniture in our family room. Instead my husband applied 4 coats of a semi-gloss Miniwax quick drying polyurethane. He let each coat dry thouroughly before using a very fine sandpaper and wiping any residue. This process brought out the lovely grain. Some areas are light and some are more of a golden amber shade. We are delighted with the end result.