So if you've ever tried to stain pine, a soft wood, you know that it never looks quite right.  It looks dull and ruddy and washed out and it's entirely frustrating.  Well!  Today I am here to tell you that I have solved this quandary!
As I mentioned last time, I'm starting on the main stair.  Finally getting The Big Stair Project underway after far too many years.  It's going to be an escapade for sure! 
Originally, well wait, not originally but one of my multitudes of ideas entailed ripping the carpet off the stair and refinishing the existing construction-grade pine two by twelves to match the existing hardwood floors.
Envisioning it thoroughly though, in the end, I opted not to go that route.  Why"  The main reason:  in ripping up the carpet, there is flipper paint overspray on each tread meaning either a load of incredibly messy sanding or running through a sh*t ton of incredibly messy and smelly paint stripper.* 
Which, truth be told, I looove stripping paint.  But, mnn nnn, no thanks on the stair.
Invariably too, I'd drip stripper on the wood floors and ruin them.  That's a no.
A close second reason:  despite figuring out how to stain pine wood so it actually looks rich and saturated with color, the pine itself didn't have enough character, in that it didn't meet my lofty standards despite being budget-friendly-ish.  
Not that I'm a luxuriant snob but my intention with this house, and al...