Stained Wicker Basket

At the beginning of the month I did a post about two wicker baskets I found at the thrift store. Well here is what they look like after I used a walnut coloured stain (MINWAX - Special Walnut 224) on the one basket. The colour of the stain matches nicely with the dark hardwood floors in my studio and also goes well with the floors in the back hall and kitchen.

I wanted to show the difference between the original unfinished basket on the left and the stained basket on the right. I started by rubbing on the stain with a cloth, but soon realized that a brush was a much better option for applying the stain. I did two applications and waited overnight between coats. The finish is a bit glossier than I anticipated but I love the darker colour. I still have to make liners and labels for the baskets and I am excited to use them in my family command centre project.

What do you think of the darker colour?