I am making a bathroom vanity with a 1 1/4 solid North American Waltnut counter top.
I don't want a high-gloss, thick plastic finish, but I also want something that will be fairly durable.
This is going in a master bedroom, so I suspect the adults will be fairly easy on the counter, but it is also sitting under a Southern facing window, so it will get lots of light.
The vanity will be in Suffolk VA which is near the coast and has hot, humid summers.
One internet woodworking instructor noted that there are tradeoffs in making this decision. In the end, he notes that if he were doing this for is own use he would use a clear penetrating epoxy followed by a couple of coats of wiped on marine varnish.
Any recommendations from this group? If you have experience with clear penetrating epoxy finish are there brands to avoid or brands you recommend? What is the curing time of these?
Also, would you use the same finish for the rest of the cabinet? I prefer a low sheen, satin finish. The entire exterior of the vanity is solid walnut.
Please help