stain or paint? birch ply+aspen trim+pine 1/4 round for bookshelves

my husband is building some bookshelves along an entire wall. he has already started ripping the wood, so we will be using this wood. I had planned to paint so had not worried about it, but the wood looks so pretty I am now considering staining. we have a honey look semi-gloss poly on the oak wood floors (now aged about 9 years). white painted trim everywhere else. our furniture is very eclectic and mixed woods so nothing really to try to match. maybe this will be too much to add into the mix? I like the natural look, so am leaning to clear and non oil based. but mixing the woods is an issue I know. I have gathered that the pine and aspen as well? will need gel stain.
thank you
Misty

 

You'll need to take scraps of each of the three wood types and check them for color continuity. As you know, different woods react differently to the same stain, and there's no way to predict what will happen.

I'd try a clear finish on a small piece of each. This will give you an idea of where you have to go to blend the three woods together.

Depending on the colors and where the individual wood types are used, you may decide the eclectic mix of colors within the bookcase is acceptable.

 

thanks, do you mean stain or poly as a clear finish?

 

One of the more popular stains on the market calls itself a 'wood finish'. It isn't.

Stains color the wood, they are not a finish. Most manufacturers make a clear stain which is useful for bringing out the natural color of the wood, but again, it is not a finish.

In short, after you stain, you need to apply a finish - polyurethane, lacquer, varnish, whatever you prefer.