@kaia @thegreatape yeah stain works well on some woods, but it never looks quite like a natural dark wood like walnut, even if the color is a close match.

Personally I prefer the natural color and grain show through, but I also generally use hardwoods. Softer woods don't stain well anyway so if I am using pine for example and I don't want it to be obvious I'd rather paint it than stain it. I have stained pine with mixed results in the past but it's not my preference.