Gloss v satin

As I was puzzling over the stairs yesterday I remember this picture and just had to share it. My supervisor recommended that if I wanted satin finish on the wood work to still do all but the last coat in gloss. This technique would keep the depth to the wood because the satin finish has particulites that make it appear cloudy after several coats.

But the glossy is really shiny, the picture is after 3 coats of glossy right before the satin. The orange wall and wood work are reflected in the floor.  Luckily this went a way.