I finished this table with 2 coats of teak oil, which I think it basically Danish oil with some UV protection. In real life the breadboards/middle board do not look lighter than the long boards; this is just some weird lighting. I got this idea from The Wood Whisperer. I'm sure it will need to be reapplied once or twice a year, but it's so simple to do that I'd prefer this over a film finish that needs to be sanded/scraped off every 3-4 years. Only time will tell if this was a good idea or not.