It looks good with a clear finish or a light-colored stain. Clear penetrating oil or a thin coat of satin varnish makes a good top coat. The large pores are hard to fill completely so it is usually best to leave them unfilled to show the natural texture of the ring-porous grain. Birch stains very well. It call be stained to match many other types of wood.
White birch is cut from sapwood.
When you want a very light finish white birch works well. Birch has a very subtle grain pattern. This makes it accept stain evenly, resulting in a uniform color without a pronounced grain pattern. Birch looks good with practically any combination of stain and top coat. You can leave it natural or use a pastel stain for a light colored finish or stain it with a dark stain to simulate cherry, walnut or mahogany.