A finish can look different on a cabinet door than it does on the workbench. Make a sample you can hold in place and check throughout the day.
It’s easy to pick a finish with the sample flat on the bench. Then you stand the sample up where the cabinet door will go and suddenly the color feels darker, or the sheen jumps out when you walk past it. I’d rather find that out on a piece of scrap than on a whole set of doors.
Use a sample made from the actual material when you can. If the job combines solid wood and veneer, include both. They can pick up color differently, and seeing the transition early gives you time to adjust it. Sand the sample the way you plan to sand the finished piece. Then use the same finish steps, including the final clear coat if the job calls for one. That last coat can change the look enough to affect your choice.
Once the sample has dried according to the product directions, hold it in the room at about the height where it will live. For cabinet doors, stand it up. For a desk or bench top, lay it flat. Look at it beside the floor, countertop, or wall color you’re keeping. Move a couple steps to either side and see what happens when the light hits it at an angle. Check it in daylight and again with the lights you actually turn on at night.
If you’re comparing two versions, label the back of each sample with the material, sanding grit, and finish steps. Those notes come in handy when the two samples look nearly identical in the shop.
My favorite sample is big enough to show a few inches of real grain. Keep the approved one around until the job is done so everybody can refer to the same piece.
